Page:Live and Let Live.djvu/61

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MORE RULES THAN RIGHT.
61

a night, and I did not think you would have any objection to my giving up my place to her."

"She was not too sick to come out, if she was to go out. In future, remember, I make it a "rule" never to take a sick person into my house — it's very dangerous — we might get our deaths — and there are only two of us. Well, I trust Bridget will send her off before breakfast — don't tell her I know anything about it."

"If she asks me, ma'am?"

"Nonsense! she won't; but if she does you can turn it off without telling a lie."

"I don't wonder," thought Lucy, "mother gave me so many, many charges about being steadfast in the truth. Who could have thought that a lady as old as Mrs. Broadson could have as good as told such a child as I am to lie! but I guess I shall find there's not many like mother, who thinks everybody ought to try to make everybody else as good as well as as happy as they can." Alas, no! there are not many governed by these divine principles - these moral steam-engines.

Lucy's evening was a busy one. One of Mrs. Broadson's "rules" being, that "whatever was left undone, the work must be done." All human concerns were by this lady divided into two parts; the work was the kernel, the remainder the shell. Fortunately for Lucy, work was no evil to her, as appeared by her answer to Jaboski, when he said, in the course of the evening, "You too much work for one so little girl." She replied, "Oh, no, Jaboski, work keeps off bad feelings; when I am so busy, I can't think of mother and Jemmie."

"Ah! the same with me, Lucy; when I too