68 
KATE AND ANNIE. 
she possessed the very loveliest, sunniest 
temper in the world. She could play ball 
with Dick and marbles with Sidney, and 
beat them both or he beaten herself, with 
the most perfect good humour. She could 
jump the rope, roll hoops, ride on horse¬ 
back, slide, and even skate a little; and she 
was never angry if any one excelled her in 
any of these accomplishments. She could 
sew and knit nicely,—though, to tell the 
truth, she was not very fond of either, and 
would rather he out in the fields and dig¬ 
ging in the garden than doing the prettiest 
piece of embroidery that ever was seen. I 
doubt, indeed, whether she would ever have 
taken a needle in her hand hut from a sense 
of duty. Annie was very fond of needle¬ 
work of all sorts, and not very fond of active 
exercise, to which she had had such an 
aversion that her health had really suffered 
very much for the want of it before she 
came to The Meadows; and even now she 
would, if permitted, sit over her work or 
her books from morning till night, or till 
she had such a headache and pain in her 
side as to disqualify her to do any thing 
more for two or three days. Annie liked 
