d occasion to appear in the room, and her single attempt
to excuse herself on account of not understanding the cook stove,
was met by:

"Do hush, will you! I'm out of all patience!"

As to the latter part of the sentence, that was a needless waste of
words. The condition of mind she described was fully apparent.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, just as Mrs. Smith had found a
temporary relief from a troubled mind and a most intolerable
headache, in sleep, a tap on the chamber door awoke her, there stood
Nancy, all equipped for going out.

"I find I won't suit you, ma'am," said Nancy, "and so you must look
out for another girl."

Having said this, she turned away and took her departure, leaving
Mrs. Smith in a state of mind, as it is said, "more easily imagined
than described."

"O dear! what shall I do!" at length broke from her lips, as she
burst into tears, and burying her face in the pillow, sobbed aloud.
Already she had repented of her fretfulness and fault-finding
temper, as displayed towards Rachel, and could she have made a truce
with pride, or silenced its whispers, would have sent for her
well-tried domestic, and endeavored to make all fair with her again.
But, under the circumstances, this was now impossible. While yet
undetermined how to act, the street bell rung, and she was compelled
to attend the door, as she was now alone in the house. She found, on
opening it, a rough-looking country girl, who asked if she were the
lady who wanted a chamber maid. Any kind of help was better than
none at all, and so Mrs. Smith asked the young woman to walk in. In
treating with her in regard to her qualifications for the situation
she applied for, she discovered that she knew "almost nothing at all
about any thing." The stipulation that she was to be a
doer-of-all-work-in-general, until a cook could be obtained, was
readily agreed to, and then she was shown to her room in the attic,
where she prepared herself for entering upon her duties.

"Will you please, ma'am, show me what you want me to do?" asked the
new help, presenting herself before Mrs. Smith.

"Go into the kitchen, Ellen, and see that the fire is made. I'll be
down there presently."

To be compelled to see after a new and ignorant servant, and direct
her in every thing, just at, so trying a season of the year, and
while her mind was "all out of sorts," was a severe task for poor
Mrs. Smith. She found that Ellen, as she had too good reason for
b