s, and to tease all the linen drapers in the town for their odds
and ends, urging that she wanted some particularly. As she was posting
along the street on this business, she espied at a distance a person
whom she had no wish to encounter, namely, old Mr. Henderson. To avoid
the meeting she crossed over. But this maneuver did not succeed; for
no sooner had they come opposite to each other, than, to her great
confusion, he called out across the street, in his loud and tremulous
voice, and shaking his stick at her, "How d'ye do, Miss Shorthand? I
thought how it would be! Oh, fie! Oh, fie!"

Charlotte hurried on; and her thoughts soon returned to the idea of
the splendid radiating star which she designed for the centerpiece of
her counterpane. While she was arranging the different patterns, and
forming the alternations of light and shade, her interest continued
nearly unabated; but when she came to the practical part of sewing
piece to piece with unvarying sameness, it began, as usual, to flag.
She sighed several times, and cast many disconsolate looks at the
endless hexagons and octagons, before she indulged any distinct idea
of relinquishing her task. At length, however, it did forcibly occur
to her that, after all, she was not obliged to go on with it; and
that, really, patchwork was a thing that was better done by degrees,
when one happens to want a job, than to be finished all at once. So,
with this thought (which would have been a very good one if it had
occurred in proper time), she suddenly drew out her needle, thrust all
her pieces, arranged and unarranged, into a drawer, and began to
meditate a new project.

Fortunately, just at this juncture some young ladies of their
acquaintance called upon Charlotte and Caroline. They were attempting
to establish a society among their young friends for working for the
poor, and came to request their assistance. Caroline very cheerfully
entered into the design; but as for Charlotte, nothing could exceed
the forwardness of her zeal. She took it up so warmly that Caroline's
appeared, in comparison, only lukewarm. It was proposed that each
member of the society should have an equal proportion of the work to
do at her own house; but when the articles came to be distributed,
Charlotte, in the heat of her benevolence, desired that a double
portion might be allotted to her. Some of the younger ones admired her
industrious intentions, but the better judging advised her not to
undert