"I am going to work them all," answered Nellie. "Mamma began them, but she found it tired her eyes, and she was anxious that Johnny should not be disappointed, so I told her I would work them."
"And I suppose," she said at length, "that that was the reason you said you would not have time to make the bracket for mamma?"
"O Nellie!" said Carrie, "how much better you are than I am. You are a real, true help to mamma: you think of and you do what is really useful to her, but you don't talk about doing such great things. And Daisy, too; when I think about her giving up her white mice that she really had a right to keep, 'cause mamma said she could, I do feel too ashamed and mean for any thing. Nellie,"--after another little thoughtful pause,--"do you think a good way to show mamma how sorry I am would be to spend all my saved-up money for mouse-traps?"
"Well, no, I don't," said Nellie. "I do not think that would do any good, for papa has bought several this morning; and there is one set in every room in the house, so that we hope the mice will soon all be caught."
"Then what can I do to show mamma how sorry I am?" asked Carrie.
"I think mamma knows it already, dear; and the best way is just to be careful to think about what she would like, and then to be very sure to do it;--and--and I think one good way would be not to quarrel with Ruth, and not to make trouble in the nursery."
"I don't think Ruth would be cross to you if you would be a little more patient and good in the nursery," said Nellie. "You know, Carrie, dear, how often poor mamma has to go to the nursery to make peace, or to take the baby, because you will not wait for what you want, or will not stand quiet to be dressed, or something like that."
"Yes," owned Carrie, half reluctantly, "and Ruth never does be cross to you or Daisy; and when I am good she is pretty decent. But, Nellie, such things as that do not seem like a real help."
"But they _are_ the best help: mamma says so, and I've found it out for myself, Carrie," said Nellie.
"Nellie, would you ever have believed that I could do such a thing as to keep those mice?"
"I was surprised when you told me," answered her sister, "but I was just thinking, Carrie, that it was really not so very much worse than the way I behaved while I was studying so much and tiring myself out over those 'Bible subjects.' I think I was horrid to mamma and to all of you then."