"Can't I take
two, and do the other two to-morrow, grandma?" said she.
Her grandmother straightened herself disapprovingly. She was a tall,
wiry old woman with strong, handsome features showing through her
wrinkles. She had been so energetic all her life, and done so much work,
that her estimation of it was worn, like scales. Four squares of
patchwork sewed with very fine even stitches had, to her, no weight at
all; it did not seem like work.
"Well, if a great girl like you can't sew four squares of patchwork in
an arternoon, I wouldn't tell of it, Ann Lizy," said she. "I don't know
what you'd say if you had to work the way I did at your age. If you
can't have time enough to play and do a little thing like that, you'd
better stay at home. I ain't goin' to have you idle a whole arternoon,
if I know it. Time's worth too much to be wasted that way."
"I'd sew the others to-morrow," pleaded Ann Lizy, faintly.
"Oh, you wouldn't do it half so easy to-morrow; you've got to pick the
currants for the jell' to-morrow. Besides, that doesn't make any
difference. To-day's work is to-day's work, and it hasn't anything to do
with to-morrow's. It's no excuse for idlin' one day, because you do work
the next. You take that patchwork, and sit right down and sew it as soon
as you get there--don't put it off--and sew it nice, too, or you can
stay at home--just which you like."
Ann Lizy sighed, but reached out her hand for the bag.
Pages:
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65