said Louisa, rather petulantly. "It is very tiresome of you, Emily. I
do wish you never would touch any thing that belongs to me."

"Gently, gently, my Louisa," interrupted Mrs. Bernard: "you ought to
feel much obliged to your sister for her kindness. If it were not for
her attention, your carelessness would make a sad hole in your pocket-
money. In this instance, however, Emily appears to be quite innocent of
your loss: she does not seem to know any thing about the stray thimble.
She has not, therefore, been the cause of your misfortune to-day."

Louisa rose from her seat, and leaving the room, exclaimed: "I dare say
I shall find it in a minute or two."

She was, however, absent more than a quarter of an hour, and at length
returned, without having found her thimble.

"Well, mamma, it is a most extraordinary thing," said she: "I cannot
think what is become of it. It is very tiresome that things should get
lost so."

_Mrs. B._ It is rather singular that Emily seldom meets with these
misfortunes, from which you so frequently suffer, Louisa.

_Louisa_. Indeed, Emily is very fortunate, mamma. She never has
occasion to lose her time in looking for things, and, I do believe, that
is one reason why she gets on so much faster with her work than I do.

_Mrs. B._ It is a very probably conjecture, my dear; but you must not
attribute the cause merely to good-fortune: Emily is attentive to the
excellent maxim: "A place for every thing, and every thing in its