being very particular as to her sewing. But, though the work
had been executed by feeble hands and aching eyes, even Mrs. Elmore
could detect no fault in it.

"Well, it is very prettily done," said she. "What does your mother
charge?"

Ellen handed a neatly-folded bill which she had drawn for her mother. "I
must say, I think your mother's prices are very high," said Mrs. Elmore,
examining her nearly empty purse; "every thing is getting so dear that
one hardly knows how to live." Ellen looked at the fancy articles, and
glanced around the room with an air of innocent astonishment. "Ah," said
Mrs. Elmore, "I dare say it seems to you as if persons in our situation
had no need of economy; but, for my part, I feel the need of it more and
more every day." As she spoke she handed Ellen the three dollars, which,
though it was not a quarter the price of one of the handkerchiefs, was
all that she and her sick mother could claim in the world.

"There," said she; "tell your mother I like her work very much, but I do
not think I can afford to employ her, if I can find any one to work
cheaper."

Now, Mrs. Elmore was not a hard-hearted woman, and if Ellen had come as
a beggar to solicit help for her sick mother, Mrs. Elmore would have
fitted out a basket of provisions, and sent a bottle of wine, and a
bundle of old clothes, and all the _et cetera_ of such occasions; but
the sight of _a bill_ always aroused all the instinctive sharpness of
her business-like education. She never had the dawning of an idea that
it was her duty to pay any body any more than she could possibly help;
nay, she had an indistinct notion that it was her _duty_ as an economist
to make every body take as little as possible. When she and her
daughters lived in Spring Street, to which she had alluded, they used to
spend the greater part of their time at home, and the family sewing was
commonly done among themselves. But since they had moved into a large
house, and set up a carriage, and addressed themselves to being genteel,
the girls found that they had altogether too much to do to attend to
their own sewing, much less to perform any for their father and
brothers. And their mother found her hands abundantly full in
overlooking her large house, in taking care of expensive furniture, and
in superintending her increased train of servants. The sewing,
therefore, was put out; and Mrs. Elmore _felt it a duty_ to get it done
the cheapest way she could. Nevertheless,