Sterling put a pan of apples,
and a knife into her new assistant's hands, saying in a tone that
made the request a favor, "Will thee kindly pare these for me?"
Christie wondered what would happen if she dropped a seed upon the
floor, or did not cut the apples into four exact quarters.
"I never shall suit this dear prim soul," she thought, as her eye
went from Puss, sedately perched on one small mat, to the dog dozing
upon another, and neither offering to stir from their own dominions.
This dainty nicety amused her at first, but she liked it, and very
soon her thoughts went back to the old times when she worked with
Aunt Betsey, and learned the good old-fashioned arts which now were
to prove her fitness for this pleasant place.
Mrs. Sterling saw the shadow that crept into Christie's face, and
led the chat to cheerful things, not saying much herself, but
beguiling the other to talk, and listening with an interest that
made it easy to go on.
Mr. Power and the Wilkinses made them friends very soon; and in an
hour or two Christie was moving about the kitchen as if she had
already taken possession of her new kingdom.
"Thee likes housework I think," said Mrs. Sterling, as she watched
her hang up a towel to dry, and rinse her dish-cloth when the
cleaning up was done.
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