THE

HATED TASK.

"It is very provoking!" said Harriet to herself, as she slowly unfolded her work and prepared to begin a long piece of hemming; while her mamma was engaged in executing some needful work at another table. Harriet began

her task, still talking to herself. "Yes, it is provoking, and out of all reason that I must sit here so long, doing what any poor child in the parish school would gladly do for me, and even three times as much to earn a halfpenny. And all the while the sun is shining, and the air so pleasant; most of the ragged children in the village are out at play now, I dare say; and I, a young lady, must be kept slaving here, only because I am a young lady, and can afford to pass my time as I like best. It is very provoking!"

When people feel ill-tempered and discontented, they generally look sulky. Harriet's mamma soon saw that something was wrong with her little girl, who sat very awkwardly upon her seat, with her feet turned in, and her head poked out, and her shoulders a great deal higher than they needed to be. Her mamma found fault with her, and desired that she would sit upright: but though Harriet dared not to disobey, she looked more sulky than before, and worked so very slowly, that at length her mamma told her she must not leave off until she had hemmed a whole side of the muslin handkerchief, and hemmed it neatly too. Harriet, who intended to do only half that quantity in the time allotted to her, felt still more provoked. The tears rose in her eyes, but they were tears of anger; and still repeating to herself, was there ever any thing so provoking!" she went on, twitching out her needle with such peevish haste, that she presently snapped the thread.

Her mamma observed all this, but said nothing. She finished her own employment, and then began to cut out some work, while Harriet went on as fast as she could; and just as she brought

the handkerchief for her Mamma to look at, a smart shower began to fall.

"There, there!" exclaimed Harriet, "I knew it would be so."

"How did you know it?" said her Mamma. "Oh! I knew the sun would shine as long as I was cooped up here at my task, and that it would rain when I was ready to go out.” "Harriet I am ashamed of you." "But it is so provoking Mamma."

"I fear it is:" said her Mamma, "I fear you are provoking the Lord."

"I mean, Mamma that it provokes me." "Does it provoke you to see this refreshing shower fall on the dry and thirsty ground?" “Why, no, Mamma, not that exactly; but every thing".

"I am sorry to hear you speak so, Harriet, and very sorry too I was to see with what sullen looks, and improper manner you went through your whole task of sewing. I have given you time to recollect yourself; and now I expect to know what was the cause of such unbecoming behaviour."

"Well, certainly, Mamma, I did feel vexed

at being obliged to sit at work, while the sun was shining, and I might have been enjoying a nice run in the garden."

"Then you would never study but in bad weather, I suppose ?" said her mamma.

But

"Yes I would study, but not often work. You know, Mamma, one must be able to read and to write, and know something of what other people know, or one would be laughed at. as for hemming and sewing, so long as I have learned it, I cannot see the use of sitting for an hour at a time over a handkerchief, which any body else could hem as well as I: and it is such charity to send all the work we can to the schools, Mamma."

Harriet's mother had been much grieved by her little girls looks and manner that morning; and to hear her talk in such a way made her yet more uncomfortable. She looked very grave, and said, "I am much surprised and distressed at what you say, Harriet; but I hope to convince It seems that you how very wrong you are. you would be quite satisfied to give up your time and thoughts to whatever is esteemed by the world-the most vain and giddy part of it;