it is the last time I'll borrow any thing from
her."
Hannah took the kettle, and started for home at full speed.
"So you've got it at last," Said Aunt Mary, when Hannah entered; "and a
pretty looking thing it is! Really it is too bad to have a thing sent
home in that predicament."
"But ain't she mad though!" remarked Hannah, with something of
exultation in her tones.
"What in the world can she be mad about?" asked Aunt Mary in surprise.
"Mad because I would have the kittle. Why, there she had her mamlet on
the fire, boiling away, and said you couldn't have the kittle. But I
told her you must have it; that your preserves were nearly all spoiled,
just because you couldn't get your own kittle. Oh, but didn't she bile
over then! And so she told Sally to pour the mamlet into the slop
barrel, as it would all be spoiled any how, by your unneighbourly
treatment to her."
Poor Aunt Mary was dreadfully grieved at this. She loved the good
opinion of her neighbours, and it always gave her pleasure to oblige
them; but, in this case, she had been tried beyond endurance. She had
little heart now to touch her preserves, and so went off to her chamber
and sat down, overcome by painful feelings.
In the mean time, Hannah went to work, and, by dint of half an hour's
hard scouring, got the kettle to look something like itself. She then
went up and told Aunt Mary that every thing was now ready for doing the
preserves over again.
"I reckon we'll not boil them over to-day, Hannah," she replied. "It's
Saturday, and you've got a good deal of cleaning to do, and I don't
feel much like touching them. The preserves won't get much worse by
Monday."
Hannah, who understood her mistress's feelings, and sympathized with
her, because she loved her, did not urge the matter, but at once
withdrew and left Aunt Mary to her own unpleasant reflections. It so
happened that the next day was the Communion Sabbath; and this fact had
at once occurred to Aunt Mary when Hannah repeated the words of Mrs.
Tompkins, and stated that she was very angry. Mrs. Tompkins was a
member and communicant of the same church with her. After sitting
thoughtfully in her chamber for some time, Aunt Mary took up the
communion service and commenced reading it. When she came to the words,
"Ye who do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, _and are in love
and charity with your neighbours,_" &c. &c., she paused and sat
thoughtful and troubled for some time.
"Am I in
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