"You have done this last part very nicely," said she. "I could hardly have done it better myself. But Nelly, you must learn to keep your work clean and white, or it will be worth nothing. See here; look at mine. I have had it about a long time, and yet it is not the least soiled. Do you wash your hands every time you take it up?"
"No, ma'am," replied Nelly, blushing. "I don't know as I ever thought of it. It isn't very easy for me to wash my hands clean. I get them so dirty with my work,—gathering swill and feeding the cow. But I will try what I can do."
"That is right. I dare say your work is dirty; but if you always wash your hands directly after it, and whenever they get soiled, you will find it much easier to keep them clean. See here, Mrs. Kirkland," said she, as Mrs. Kirkland came in from another room, "how well Nelly has succeeded with her tatting. She has really done nicely."
Mrs. Kirkland examined the work and commended it; and then, going to a show-case, she took out a spool of thread.
"See here, Nelly," said she; "if you will make all this spool of thread into tatting as nice as that last half-yard, and keep it clean and white, I will give you seventy-five cents for the work. But remember, it must be kept clean, and all the scollops must be of precisely the same size, or else I cannot take it."
"I will try my best," said Nelly, fairly trembling with delight. "I guess I can do it."
"Very well; you may try. It is not every little girl like you that I would trust with a spool of thread; but I don't think you will deceive me."
"You can ask the neighbours about us," said Nelly, with an honest pride that Mrs. Kirkland was pleased to see. "Granny sells milk to ever so many of them,—to Mrs. Powers, and Mrs. Vandake, and Mrs. Blair, and Mrs. Ward."
"Yes; I remember Mrs. Ward told me once last summer what nice rich milk she got," said Miss Powell. "Mrs. Kirkland, will you let me speak to you a moment?"
Mrs. Kirkland heard what Miss Powell had to say, and then turned to Nelly.