She loved the good opinion of her neighbours, and it always gave her pleasure to oblige them; but, in this case, she had been tried beyond endurance.

She had little heart now to touch her preserves, and so went off to her chamber and sat down, overcome by painful feelings.
In the mean time, Hannah went to work, and, by dint of half an hour's hard scouring, got the kettle to look something like itself.

She then went up and told Aunt Mary that every thing was now ready for doing the preserves over again.
"I reckon we'll not boil them over to-day, Hannah," she replied.

"It's Saturday, and you've got a good deal of cleaning to do, and I don't feel much like touching them.

The preserves won't get much worse by Monday." Hannah, who understood her mistress's feelings, and sympathized with her, because she loved her, did not urge the matter, but at once withdrew and left Aunt Mary to her own unpleasant reflections.