her hands, "Oh, Miss Mathilda, Miss Mathilda," she would cry, "and you
gave all that money out for that, when you need a dress to go out in
so bad." "Well, perhaps I will get one for myself next year, Anna,"
Miss Mathilda would cheerfully concede. "If we live till then Miss
Mathilda, I see that you do," Anna would then answer darkly.

Anna had great pride in the knowledge and possessions of her cherished
Miss Mathilda, but she did not like her careless way of wearing always
her old clothes. "You can't go out to dinner in that dress, Miss
Mathilda," she would say, standing firmly before the outside door,
"You got to go and put on your new dress you always look so nice in."
"But Anna, there isn't time." "Yes there is, I go up and help you fix
it, please Miss Mathilda you can't go out to dinner in that dress and
next year if we live till then, I make you get a new hat, too. It's a
shame Miss Mathilda to go out like that."

The poor mistress sighed and had to yield. It suited her cheerful,
lazy temper to be always without care but sometimes it was a burden
to endure, for so often she had it all to do again unless she made a
rapid dash out of the door before Anna had a chance to see.

Life was very easy always for this large and lazy Miss Mathilda, with
the good Anna to watch and care for her and all her clothes and goods.
But, alas, this world of ours is after all much what it should be and
cheerful Miss Mathilda had her troubles too with Anna.

It was pleasant that everything for one was done, but annoying often
that what one wanted most just then, one could not have when one
had foolishly demanded and not suggested one's desire. And then Miss
Mathilda loved to go out on joyous, country tramps when, stretching