Eight cousins : or, The aunt-hill

BREAD AND BUTTON-HOLES. 189Aunt Plenty attending to linen-closets and storerooms,i^ickling and i)rcserving, exploring garret andcellar to see that all was right, and learning, in thegood old-fashioned manner, to look well after theways of the household.In the afternoon, after her walk or drive, she satwith Aunt Peace plying her needle, while AuntPlenty, whose eyes were failing, knit and chattedbriskly, telling many a pleasant story of old times,tillthe three were moved to laugh and cry together,for the busy needles were embroidering all sorts ofbright i^atterns on the lives of the workers, thoughthey seemed to be only stitching cotton and darninghose.It was a pretty sight to see the rosy-faced littlemaid sitting between the two old ladies, listening dutifullyto their instructions, and cheering the lessonswith her lively chatter and blithe laugh. If the kitchenhad proved attractive to Dr. Alec when Rose was thereat work, the sewing-room was quite irresistible, and hemade himself so agreeable that no one had the heartto drive him away, especially when he read aloud orS23unyarns." There ! I 've made you a new set of warm nightgownswith four button-holes in each.See if they arenot neatly done," said Rose, one day, some weeks afterthe new lessons began.''Even to a thread, and nice little bars across theend so I can't tear them when I twitch the buttonsout. Most superior work, ma'am, and I'm deeplygrateful ; so much so, that I '11 sew on these buttonsmyself, and save those tired fingers from anotherprick."