f simballs, that I managed to save out for you. Jest set right up and
eat 'em, and don't ever be so dretful naughty again, or I don't know
what will become of you."

This reproof, tempered with sweetness, had a salutary effect on Ann.
She sat up, and ate her sweet cake and simballs, and sobbed out her
contrition to grandma, and there was a marked improvement in her
conduct for some days.

Mrs. Polly was a born driver. She worked hard herself, and she
expected everybody about her to. The tasks which Ann had set her did
not seem as much out of proportion, then, as they would now. Still,
her mistress, even then, allowed her less time for play than was
usual, though it was all done in good faith, and not from any
intentional severity. As time went on, she grew really quite fond of
the child, and she was honestly desirous of doing her whole duty by
her. If she had had a daughter of her own, it is doubtful if her
treatment of her would have been much different.

Still, Ann was too young to understand all this, and, sometimes,
though she was strong and healthy, and not naturally averse to work,
she would rebel, when her mistress set her stints so long, and kept
her at work when other children were playing.

Once in a while she would confide in grandma, when Mrs. Polly sent her
over there on an errand and she had felt unusually aggrieved because
she had had to wind quills, or hetchel, instead of going berrying, or
some like pleasant amusement.

"Poor little cosset," grandma would say, pityingly.

Then she would give her a simball, and tell her she must "be a good
girl, and not mind if she couldn't play jest like the others, for
she'd got to airn her own livin', when she grew up, and she must learn
to work."

Ann would go away comforted, but grandma would be privately indignant.
She was, as is apt to be the case, rather critical with her sons'
wives, and she thought "Sam'l's kept that poor little gal too stiddy
at work," and wished and wished she could shelter her under her own
grandmotherly wing, and feed her with simballs to her heart's content.
She was too wise to say anything to influence the child against her
mistress, however. She was always cautious about that, even while
pitying her. Once in a while she would speak her mind to her son, but
he was easy enough--Ann would not have found him a hard task-master.

Still, Ann did not have to work hard enough to hurt her. The worst
consequences were that such a rigid r