Old Nance. 99

could not soar beyond. What away she was in
on that Tuesday morning! I had to tidy the
room, to sweep the yard, to assure her over and
over again that everything was looking its best ;
and then she suddenly discovered that she wanted
a clean cap.

She broke out into lamentations—into reproaches
against Sally, and me, and everybody ; a clean cap
she must and she would have, or else she would not
sce the parson. Iwas at my wits’ end, for there
was no time to run up to the village and gct one
done, even if Nance had been willing to let me go;
and I resolved to try to wash and iron one myself.
The washing was easy enough, and the starching not
so bad; but when it came to the ironing——-!_ Did
you ever try toironacap? ifso, and if it was the first
thing you ever attempted, then, and then only, can
you enter into my feclings. First, in my fear of
scorching, I kept the iron too cool, and it would
not smooth at all; then, when I had heated it, I
did not wipe it properly, and it made a grey
smudge that had to be washed out. And when I
had ironed one side, it seemed impossible to get at
the other without crumpling what I had already
done. And then the frill! I have looked at a
well-plaited frill ever since with an admiration that
Inever felt before. It was done at last, somchow ;