"I trust you are a very thankful little girl for all the mercies you have. So you know that there are some poor little children who have but rags to wear?"
"Yes 'm," said Ruby, meekly.
"Then don't you think you ought to appreciate all the blessings that have been bestowed upon you?"
"Yes 'm," Ruby replied again.
"Then you must try to be an obedient, gentle child, and do as you are bid in everything."
"Yes 'm," said Ruby, wishing in the bottom of her heart that the dresses were all made.
She had never had very much to do with Miss Abigail herself, although she had often seen her, and two or three times she had spent a day at the house, helping Mrs. Harper make one of her own dresses. Upon those occasions, however, Ruby had spent the day with Ruthy, and so she had only been with Miss Abigail a little while in the morning, and had not had much to say to her.
"If Miss Abigail was my mamma, I would not stay in the same house with her," Ruby said to herself. "I guess that is why she has n't any little girls,—because she don't know how to make them happy. I don't want to be told all the time about being good, I guess."
But Ruby had to listen to a great many lectures, whether she liked them or not, in the next few days. Miss Abigail came and stayed with them for all the rest of the week, and as she believed in little girls being made useful, Ruby had to spend a good deal of time in picking out bastings, and doing other little things for Miss Abigail.
"Oh, dear, I have n't done one single thing since I can remember," Ruby said, impatiently, to Ruthy one day when her little friend came over to see her; "I have n't done one single thing but pick out bastings and have Miss Abigail telling me how good I ought to be 'cause I have so many new dresses. I do wish she was all done and had gone away."