Mrs. Kirkland smiled. "You need not be afraid, Nelly. I should not send you away in a hurry for any mishap that you were honest enough to tell me of. Neither did I dismiss Miss Lennox for any one violation of rules, but because I could not depend upon her in any thing. She did nothing thoroughly; and if I trusted her to finish the least thing by herself, I was sure to be disappointed. She did well enough when I was looking at her; but the moment my back was turned she neglected my interests and thought only of pleasing herself. I bore with her longer than I should have done, because I was sorry for her mother and elder sisters, who are hardworking and very poor. Now she is back upon their hands again, in the middle of winter, with nothing to do. I am sorry for them, as I said; but I cannot help it."
"The doll is marked four dollars," said Nelly. "You will have to take it out of my wages."
"Oh, the doll can be mended easily enough; it only wants a little glue. I am glad it is no worse. But Nelly, if Kitty comes again, and I am here; just tell me. I want to speak to her."
"She did not mean any harm," said Nelly, desirous to screen her friend.
"No: I dare say not. Most of the mischief in the world is done by people who don't mean any harm."
"I shouldn't have said any thing about her," continued Nelly, "only I didn't see how I was to tell the truth without. I hate telling tales. It seems so mean."
"Nothing can be meaner than telling tales for the sake of making mischief," said Mrs. Kirkland. "It is almost or quite as bad as lying, and always leads to it. I hope you will never do that. But you were quite correct in telling me the whole truth; and Kitty has no right to complain of you for doing so. The meanness was in herself, in running away and leaving you to bear the blame. She will surely get into trouble if she acts in that way."
"I am afraid she will; and I should be real sorry; for Kitty is a very good girl in some things," said Nelly. "She has been very kind to me. Please, Mrs. Kirkland, don't find fault with her about the doll. I will tell her, if she comes again, that she mustn't stay."
"Very well, Nelly. I will say nothing about the matter, since you desire it. Only, remember, she must not come again unless she has an errand. It is wrong in two ways. It is wasting your time, which is mine; and it is wasting her time, which belongs to Mrs. Powers."
"There is one thing I can't understand," said Nelly, presently. "When Kitty gets angry at me, she always says, 'Oh, you are a great saint! I don't pretend to be a saint.' I thought saints meant good people. I am sure that is what the word means in the Bible."