You had better ask her to make a nice warm shawl for your mamma, and one
of those nice little garments, boot-socks and overalls in one, for the
Jenkins' baby; ten to one its mother is sending it out with hardly
anything on its poor little legs, and its head and shoulders wrapped up
like an Eskimo. You can look round and see if she seems to have anything
else made ready, and buy a few little things."
Ella did not much like these vague and general orders; she would much
rather have been told exactly how much to pay for each article, but she
promised to do her best.
Mrs. Wilson's last commission was to call on an old gentleman, in feeble
health, who had lost his money through the failure of a bank, and was
now unable to procure any of the comforts which his failing health
required; his only son had lately died, and the old man was now alone.
The one relic of his past wealth was a store of beautiful old china,
which it had been the happiness of his life to collect.
"You must go and call on him, Ella, and say that I want a piece of fine
old china for a present, but I cannot go out myself to buy it, and
cannot trust you, and I thought he might know of some one who is
breaking up a collection. If so, will he kindly choose a piece and send
me? Then you see, my dear, if he needs the money he can send me some of
his own china.
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