In Emily, Mrs. Tompkins supposed she had found a fine subject on which to demonstrate her theories.  A wilful, spoiled child, she was, eleven years of age, and needed curbing, and in a few days Mrs. Tompkins found it necessary to exercise her prerogative.  Emily was, of course, put right to work, so soon as she came into the house.  Her first employment was to sweep up the breakfast-room, after the maid had removed the breakfast-things and placed back the table.  She had never handled a broom, and was, of course, very awkward.  With this awkwardness, Mrs. Tompkins had no patience, and once or twice took the broom from her hand, and directed her how to hold and use it, in a high tone, and half-angry manner.  In due course she got through this duty; and then was directed to rock the cradle, while Mrs. Tompkins went through her chamber and made herself look a little tidy.  Sitting still a whole hour was a terrible trial to Emily’s patience, but she made out to stick at her post until Mrs. Tompkins re-appeared.  She was then sent into the cellar to bring up three or four armfuls of wood, and immediately after to the grocer’s for a pound of soap, then to the milliner’s with a band-box.  When she returned, it was about eleven o’clock, and she was set to help one of the servants wash the windows, which were taken out of the frames and washed in the yard.  This occupied until twelve.  Then she must rock the cradle again, which she did until one o’clock, when it waked, and she had to sit on a little chair and hold it, while the family dined.  Her own dinner was afterwards put on a plate, and she made to stand by the kitchen-table and eat it.  All the afternoon was taken up in some employment or other, and as soon as supper was over (which she eat, as before, standing at the kitchen-table) she was sent to bed—­and glad she was to get there, for she was so tired she could hardly stand up.

The next day passed in the same unrelaxing round of duties, and the third commenced in a similar way.  The little thing had by this time become almost sick from such constant confinement and extra labour for one of her strength.  She was set, on this day, to scrub down a pair of back stairs, a task to which she was unequal.  Before she had got down to the third step, she accidentally upset the basin and flooded the whole stair-case—­dashing the dirty-water in the face of Mrs. Tompkins who was just coming up.  She was a good deal frightened, for Mrs. Tompkins had shown so much anger towards her on different occasions in the last three days, and had once threatened to correct her, that she feared punishment would follow the accident.  A slight box on the ear was indeed administered.  Trembling from head to foot with fear, and weakness, for the child was by no means well, she brought up another basin of water, and commenced scouring the steps again.  By some strange fatality, the basin was again upset, and unfortunately fell in the face of Mrs. Tompkins again.  A cruel chastisement followed, with a set of leather thongs, upon the poor child’s bare back and shoulders.