“You were not, were you, Mrs. C.?” laughing. “No; that’s just what I thought.
“‘General observation,
Without self-application,’
does little good that I know of. My plan always is to take a thing home.”
“But, my dear Miss Burt, I laid no claim to deep feeling, that I can remember; and surely you have hardly cause to charge me so very plainly with fine feeling.”
“Now don’t get warm! There’s nothing that hurts me so much as to see anything I have meant kindly, taken quite amiss. Do keep your temper. I assure you I came into this house prepared for nothing but kind words.”
“And I am sure I have spoken no unkind ones,” said I, the tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Now you’ve upset yourself. This church-going has been too much for you. Why didn’t you lie down the minute you came in?”
“I was going to do so, but——”
“Why didn’t you lie down? You should have lain down directly. Phillis should have made you do so, and then have brought you a glass of jelly, or a little good broth. Phillis was to blame for not having it all ready for you against your return, without your knowing anything about it. I shall speak to her.”