and in English, Mrs. More's "Practical Piety," and
some part of Johnson's "Lives of the Poets." All the needlework which
had been left to do or not, at her option, was neatly finished; and
her parcel of linen for the poor was also completely and well done.
The only instance in which Caroline had availed herself of her
mother's license, was that she had prolonged her drawing lessons a
little every day, in order to present her mother with a pretty pair of
screens, with flowers copied from nature. These were, last of all,
placed on the table with an affectionate note, requesting her
acceptance of them.

Mrs. Dawson, having carefully examined this table, proceeded to the
other, which was quite piled up with different articles. Here, amid
the heap, were Charlotte's three pages of shorthand; several scraps of
paper containing fragments of her poetical history; the piece (not
large enough for a doll's cradle) of her patchwork counterpane; her
botanical specimens; together with the large unfinished pile out of
the Dorcas bag, many of the articles of which were begun, but not one
quite finished. There was a baby's cap with no border, a frock body
without sleeves, and the skirt only half hemmed at the bottom; and
slides, tapes, and buttonholes were all, without exception, omitted.
After these, followed a great variety of thirds, halves, and quarters
of undertakings, each perhaps good in itself, but quite useless in its
unfinished state.

The examination being at length ended, Mrs. Dawson retired, without a
single comment, to her dressing-room; where, in about an hour
afterwards, she summoned the girls to attend her. Here also were two
tables laid out, with several articles on each. Their mother then
leading Caroline to the first, told her that, as the reward of her
industry and perseverance, the contents of the table were her own.
Here, with joyful surprise, she beheld, first, a little gold watch,
which Mrs. Dawson said she thought a suitable present for one who had
made a good use of her time; a small telescope next appeared; and
lastly, Paley's "Natural Theology," neatly bound. Charlotte was then
desired to take possession of the contents of the other table, which
were considerably more numerous. The first prize she drew out was a
very beautiful French fan; but upon opening it, it stretched out in an
oblong shape, for want of the pin to confine the sticks at bottom.
Then followed a new parasol; but when unfurled there was no