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"I do not know exactly. Shouldn't you think, Miss Lincoln and Mrs. Smith, that we might get this work done in two weeks?"

Mrs. Smith hadn't thought much about it. She now began to consider, and to reckon up and form her estimates.

"Why, Miss Flush," said she, "we have three pair of sheets made already; we have two pair of gent's pants, and three pair boy's pants, and two vests done. We have two ladies' dresses, two thick quilts, three flannel petticoats, four chemise, four night-gowns, six pair stockings, caps, gloves, thread, needles, shoes, embroidered slippers, two bed-blankets, one large bed-quilt -- these are all ready, you know -- and this one in the works. Then there are making four shirts, four under-shirts three pair stockings, ten towels, two children's frocks, and a silk mantilla. Yes, I should think -- shouldn't you, Mrs. Newton and Mrs. Phillips? -- I rather think in two meetings more we may get through. I haven't thought of it. What do you think. Miss Flush?"

Miss Flush thought they might in three, if not in two. So thought Mrs. Smith; and this seemed to be the prevailing opinion, all the ladies putting their work in their laps, and listening to Mrs. Smith's summary of their labors with opened eyes and mouths.

"Did you ever see such an amount of work done by the society before?" inquired Jane Phillips of her friend, Frances Haddock.

"It's a great deal, I tell you," said she, with a little shake of her head, and a soberish expression, as she plied faster and faster her needle.

"I do think," said Mrs. Newton, "that we shall make some good Christian missionary and his family very comfortable indeed, when our box is received by them."

"Undoubtedly!" exclaimed Mrs. Stout, in the fulness of her zeal and faith. Now Mrs. Stout kept running out and in all the time, as she was very busy with her servant and girls, preparing the ladies' tea. In some societies of this kind tea and biscuit are dispensed with, the ladies working hard and eating nothing, to save trouble and unnecessary charges. But it was not so here. Every lady at her house gave her friends a good tea; and that custom we, for some reason, seem to like best ourselves.

Mrs. Stout fully believed that the box of clothing, etc., etc., they were preparing for the missionaries, would do some poor individuals, laboring in much want and trouble, "a deal of good" -- full as much good -- as the labor cost to prepare it protracted through the last half of the year -- and so doubtless it might. Mrs. Stout gave her principal attention to this box of clothing for the missionaries, and was a little surprised, on coming into the room, to hear the ladies conversing about their own poor in the town.

Mrs. Phillips said there was a family in her neighbor hood of very decent people, who were sick and in rather reduced circumstances, who she knew were in want of clothing, and another family she had heard of who were short of provisions.

"Oh, well, Mrs. Phillips, the poor we always have with us, you know," said Mrs. Stout; "and for my part, I hope the ladies will let nobody suffer; though it seems to me we had better get off the box before we attempt to do much for any other persons."

"It is true that we may weaken all our plans by having too many," said Mrs. Phillips; "but as it is now cold weather, and they immediately need some help, I think we had better consider their case, especially as we do not know where the box is to be sent; and it is somewhat doubtful whether it will now get forwarded at all till the spring opens."

"Oh, let us labor in hope, dear Mrs. Phillips," said the other. "Nothing casts a greater gloom over a society than discouraging intimations of that sort. Now I firmly believe the box will be immediately despatched -- the committee are so much in want of clothing, and are so pressing in their demands. But, dear me! I forgot my -- "

And away flew Mrs. Stout to look after her scorching biscuit.

The discussion of the poor families in town went on; and it saddened the heart of Mrs. Haddock as the theme changed to that of fashions and dress in particular, to see how entirely forgotten were the wretched, miserable paupers at that very moment suffering the ills of poverty in the poor-house of Crampton.

When the conversation allowed it, she informed Miss Flush that one reason why she had inquired about the time that would be required to complete the missionary work, was from a desire that the ladies might afterwards, if they saw fit, do some work for "that other class of poor people in town, quite often overlooked, the town paupers."

"The poor creatures!" exclaimed Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Newton, Miss Lincoln, Miss Flush, both the Misses Scranney, and Mrs. Shire.

"I forgot entirely there were any such persons among us," said Miss Flush, the president of the society.

"And I am sure I never considered that it was our duty to look after the town poor," said Mrs. Shire.

"No, nor I," said Mrs. Smith. "Does not the town support them, Mrs. Haddock?"