“Presently, Madam.” But still she thought she would give it another twirl. “You shall not go if you have not finished your morning business!” “In a minute I will!” And so she simply idled away her time, without heeding her mamma’s admonition, till near an hour beyond her usual time of beginning. This put her into such a hurry to finish when she found it was so late, that she stitched some wristbands she was about, and which were intended for her grandpapa, so very badly, they were obliged to be undone; which made her so cross, that in pulling out the work, she broke the threads of the cloth, and entirely spoiled it. Charlotte was a very fair complexioned pretty girl; but you cannot imagine how ugly her ill-humour made her appear; nor how much more agreeable her sister looked, who was much browner, was pitted with the small pox, and a much plainer child. I surveyed them both as I lay on the table, where my Mistress had placed me to stick her pins as she took out of the shirt collar which she was putting on; Martha looked so placid and cheerful, and seemed to speak so kindly when she asked a question, that it made her really charming; while Charlotte, who had a very pretty mouth, and very regular features, stuck out her lips in a manner so unbecoming, and tossed about her head with such very illiberal jirks that she lost all natural advantages in her wilful ill-humour.
A person happening to call on Mrs. Airy, to speak about some particular business, she left the children to attend him; and Martha, who pitied her sister’s distress, and saw the impossibility of her finishing the task she was ordered to do, very kindly offered to assist her, without which, she never could have accomplished it. But their mamma at her return, immediately suspected the case to be as I have told you, and inquired what help Charlotte had received in her absence? They were both girls of too much honour to deny the truth, and in consequences of her frankly owning her sister’s kindness, Mrs. Airy, permitted her to retire; in order to prepare for the intended expedition; but alas! poor Charlotte, who indeed was not always so good as she ought to have been, was not to go that morning, although her mamma had consented to it. Betty, who came to put on her frock, was not very fond of her, for she was sometimes apt, when her mamma was not in the way, to speak very haughtily, and in a manner quite unbecoming a young lady. Unfortunately she forgot herself on the present occasion, and very rudely said, “You must come and dress me, and you must make haste, or I shall not be ready.” “Must I?” replied Betty, “That is if I please, Miss Charlotte, though you, forgot to put that in, and unless you speak in a prettier way, I will not help you at all.” “Then you may let it alone, for I will not ask you any otherwise,” and away she went, banging the door after her, to call her sister, who was ready and waiting for the coach in her mamma’s room. Martha ran directly, and began to pin her frock as she desired. But a new distress arose, for as she was too careless ever to retain any of my fellow-servants (commonly called a Pincushion) in her service, so she had not one pin to proceed with after three, which had stuck at one end of me, had been employed. Neither of them chose to apply to Betty, because they were sure from Charlotte’s ill-behaviour to be denied: and she would not permit her sister to ask her mamma, for fear of an inquiry which might not turn out to her credit. So, in short, they both traversed the room backwards and forwards, and were quite overjoyed when they found two, (one of which proved to be crooked) between the joining of the floor. Then they each returned and took me up repeatedly, and examined me over and over, though they were convinced I had been empty long ago. At last, a loud rap at the door announced Mrs. Gardner’s arrival. The ladies were called, and Martha obeyed, though with reluctance to leave her sister: and Charlotte, with conscious shame, and remorse for her past conduct, and heart-heaving sobs of disappointment, saw them drive away without her. I was left upon the table in the hurry of my mistress’s departure, and Charlotte took me up, and earnestly wished she had had a pincushion of her own: and so I should think would any one who had experienced the want of such a useful companion; though unless well furnished with pins, it is in itself but of little assistance, as—she had but too unfortunately found. The slatternly appearance, and real inconvenience, which many ladies suffer from neglecting to provide themselves with and retaining a few such necessary implements of female œconomy about them, is really inconceivable by any person accustomed to a proper degree of attention. Trifles are frequently regarded by the giddy and thoughtless as of no moment, when essentials are taken care of: but it is the repetition of trifles which constitutes the chief business of our existence. In other words, people form their opinion of a young lady from her personal appearance; and if, because she is at work, and in want of pins, and destitute of a Pincushion, she has quite undressed herself, and her cloaths are dropping off, she will be thought a negligent slattern; which, I suppose, is what no one would chuse to be esteemed: so, when children accustom themselves to loll their elbows, stoop their heads, stand upon one foot, bite their nails, or any other ungraceful actions, it makes them disagreeable, and the object of dislike to all their friends, and every one who is acquainted with them. And it is very foolish to imagine, that because they are not in company with strangers it does not signify; for ill-habits, when once they are acquired, are very difficult to leave off; and by being used to do an impolite action frequently, they will do it without recollecting the impropriety; when if they thought, perhaps, they would have on no account been guilty of it.
Miss Lounge, the young lady who accompanied Mrs. Airy to the exhibition was a striking example of what I mention above. She was about sixteen, and very tall of her age; so that she appeared quite womanly in person, though her manners were to the highest degree remarkable unpleasing, she had a strange way of tossing her legs round at every step, as if she was making circles, and her arms were crossed over each other in so awkward a manner, and so unfashionably low, that it made her still more ungraceful in her appearance: besides this, she had acquired a drawling tone in conversation, which made her completely an object of disgust: as it was entirely the consequence of her own neglect, and therefore, was by no means deserving of that pity which is due to every natural defect, or accidental deformity. She returned with her aunt to dinner.
Miss Charlotte was quite ashamed of entering the drawing room, though she was now dressed, and had promised Mrs. Betty she would behave with more civility for the future. But the fear of her mamma’s exposing her folly to Mrs. Gardner, had made her dislike to show herself in company; and the consciousness of having deserved reproof, made her justly apprehensive of receiving it. She did not venture down stairs, therefore, till dinner was on the table; and then with her neck and face as red as blushes could make them, she paid her compliments to the company, without daring to look at her mamma. So cowardly and uncomfortable does the thought of a wrong action make those who have committed it, even when they are not certain it will be publicly known. And this reminds me of a few stanzas I found in Miss Martha’s work-bag one day, when she put me into it with her scissars, (by mistake I suppose) as my proper place was certainly in her pocket. But as they are so very apropos to my present subject, I will present my readers with them: and as the author is quite unknown, if they should not be thought deserving of a favourable reception, they will not at least subject the writer to any mortification.
’Tis innocence only true courage can give,
or secure from the fear of disdain;
To be conscious of gilt all affiance destroys,