THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS. —68

“ How I wish you could have time to do this
job! for it would bring you in a pretty penny, and
I know my mistress would be pleased with your
work ; but they are to be done very quickly, im time
for the next ship, and I do not see that you could
get through them with only one pair of hands.”

“ We have two pair of hands,” cried Susan;
“ here are mine.”

“ Ah, but what can they do?” asked Sarah,
“ and how can they do it? It is not enough to
have four fingers and a thumb. Hands must be
handy.”

“ And so they are,” answered Susan’s mother.
“ See whether any hands could do neater work than
that.” And she pointed me out to Sarah.

Sarah took me up, and turned me from side to
side. Then she looked at my hems, then at my
seams, then at my gathers, while I felt truly proud
and happy, conscious that not a long stitch could
be found in either.

“ Well to be sure!” exclaimed she, after examin-
ing me all over; “do you mean that all that is
really Susan’s own work ?”

“ Every stitch of it,” replied the mother; “ and
I think better need not be put into any shirt,
though Master William does deserve the best of
every thing.”