"Don't think me disagreeable, Esther," she pleaded. "I think a great
deal of Carrie; she is very sweet, and pretty, and good, and we
should all be better if we were more like her; but no one is quite
faultless, and I think even Carrie makes mistakes at times."

"Oh, of course!" I answered a little crossly, for I could not bear
her finding fault with Carrie, who was such a paragon in my eyes. But
Jessie took no notice of my manner, she was such a wise little
creature; and I cannot help thinking that the less importance we
attach to people's manner the better. Under a little roughness there
is often good stuff, and some good people are singularly unfortunate
in manner.

So Jessie went on in her gentle way, "Do you remember Miss
Majoribanks' favorite copy: 'Moderation in all things'? I think this
ought to apply to everything we do. We had an old nurse once, who
used to say such droll things to us children. I remember I had been
very good, and done something very wonderful, as I thought, and
nursie said to me in her dry way, 'Well, Miss Jessie, my dear, duty
is not a hedgehog, that you should be bristling all over in that way.
There is no getting at you to-day, you are too fully armed at all
points for praise.' And she would not say another word; and another
time, when I thought I ought to have been commended; she said, 'Least
done is soonest mended; and well done is not ill done, and that is
all about it.' Poor old nurse! she would never praise any one."

"But, Jessie--how does this apply to Carrie?"

"Well, not very much, I dare say; only I think Carrie overdoes her
duty sometimes. I remember one evening your mother look so