Despite all Emily’s haste she was too late; school had commenced when she entered, and worse than all, she did not know her lessons, and was kept in an hour after the rest were dismissed.  She could not study the evening before, and had depended upon an hour’s study before breakfast, but her unlucky morning nap left her no time to think about lessons before school, and her consequent disgrace was the punishment.  The little girl returned home that day very unhappy.

Emily had not forgotten the conversation about the wasted gift, and had determined to give no opportunity for her mother to complain.  She thought she was very careful that week, but never imagined how much of the precious gift she wasted each day in idleness.

The day after her unfortunate disgrace in school, she brought down several articles of dress that needed repairing, and seated herself at the window to work.  Her mother had promised to take her out with her, and Emily had to finish her mending first.  She plied the needle very steadily for a while, but presently her attention was attracted by the opposite neighbors.

“Look, mamma,” she exclaimed, “there is Mrs. Dodson and Lucy; they are just going out, and Lucy has on a new hat.”

“Well, my dear,” returned her mother quietly, “it is not unusual for people to get new bonnets at this season.”

Emily felt a little abashed at this reply, but could not refrain from casting furtive glances across the way.  The afternoon was fine, and the street filled with well-dressed people.  The little girl watched the passers-by, holding her needle listlessly in her fingers, and presently cried out,

“Did you see that lady, mamma?  How oddly she was dressed.”

“No,” answered Mrs. Manvers, “I am attending to my work now, but I hope soon to join the promenaders myself.”

Emily stole a glance at her mother to see whether her countenance implied reproof, but Mrs. Manvers’s eyes were fixed upon her work and the little girl again endeavored to fix her attention upon her sewing.  At length Mrs. Manvers rose and put aside her work-basket.  “I am going to dress, Emily,” she said.

“Very well, mother, I will be ready in a minute,” replied her daughter, and she followed her mother up stairs.

Emily tossed over her bureau in vain to find a clean pair of pantalets, and then she remembered of having taken several pairs down stairs to mend.  She ran hastily down and selected the best pair.  Some of the button-holes were torn out, but she could not wait to mend them now, so hastily pinning on the pantalets, she dressed and joined her mother.

As they pursued their walk, Emily felt something about her feet, and looking down discovered her pantalets; she hastily stooped to pull them off and the pin scratched her foot severely.  Mrs. Manvers saw all this, but said nothing; she knew that her daughter had wasted time enough to have mended all her pantalets, and she added another hour to the already long account of wasted minutes in her memorandum.