Jane was accordingly dismissed.

“Poor creature!” said Mrs. May, after Jane had left the house; “I feel sorry for her.  She is, after all, the worst enemy to herself.  I don’t know what will become of her.”

“She’ll get a place somewhere.”

“Yes, I suppose so.  But, I hope she won’t refer to me for her character.  I don’t know what I should say, if she did.”

“If I couldn’t say any good, I wouldn’t say any harm, Ella.  It’s rather a serious matter to break down the character of a poor girl.”

“I know it is; for that is all they have to depend upon.  I shall have to smooth it over some how, I suppose.”

“Yes:  put the best face you can upon it.  I have no doubt but she will do better in another place.”

On the next day, sure enough, a lady called to ask about the character of Jane.

“How long has she been with you?” was one of the first questions asked.

“About six months,” replied Mrs. May.

“In the capacity of nurse, I think she told me?”

“Yes.  She was my nurse.”

“Was she faithful?”

This was a trying question.  But it had to be answered promptly, and it was so answered.

“Yes, I think I may call her quite a faithful nurse.  She never refused to carry my little boy out; and always kept him very clean.”

“She kept him nice, did she?  Well, that is a recommendation.  And I want somebody who will not be above taking my baby into the street.  But how is her temper?”

“A little warm sometimes.  But then, you know, perfection is not to be attained any where.”

“No, that is very true.  You think her a very good nurse?”

“Yes, quite equal to the general run.”

“I thank you very kindly,” said the lady rising.  “I hope I shall find, in Jane, a nurse to my liking.”

“I certainly hope so,” replied Mrs. May, as she attended her to the door.

“What do you think?” said Mrs. May to her husband, when he returned in the evening.—­“That Jane had the assurance to send a lady here to inquire about her character.”

“She is a pretty cool piece of goods, I should say.  But, I suppose she trusted to your known kind feelings, not to expose her.”

“No doubt that was the reason.  But, I can tell her that I was strongly tempted to speak out the plain truth.  Indeed, I could hardly contain myself when the lady told me that she wanted her to nurse a little infant.  I thought of dear Charley, and how she had neglected and abused him—­the wretched creature!  But I restrained myself, and gave her as good a character as I could.”

“That was right.  We should not let our indignant feelings govern us in matters of this kind.  We can never err on the side of kindness.”

“No, I am sure we cannot.”