She was always present at the Snowdon sewing circles, they heard, and frequently at its tea-drinkings, while never was there a sickbed but she was sure to find it, particularly if the sick one were poor and destitute.

This was very commendable and praiseworthy, they admitted, but they did not see how she could endure it.

Once Miss Asenath had ventured to ask her, and she had answered that all her best, most useful lessons, were learned in just such places--that she was better for these visits, and found her purest enjoyments in them.

To Miss Asenath and Miss Eudora, this was inexplicable, but Anna, disciplined by years of ill health, had a slight perception of higher, purer motives than any which actuated the family at Terrace Hill.

On the occasion of little Mrs.Roe's call it was Anna who apologized for her presumption, saying that Mrs.Roe really had the kindest of hearts; besides, it was quite natural for the villagers not to stand quite so much in awe of them now that their fortune was declining, and as they could not make circumstances conform to them, they must conform to circumstances.
Neither Asenath nor Eudora, nor the lady mother liked this kind of conformation, but Anna was generally right, and they did not annihilate Mrs.Roe with a contemptuous frown as they had fully intended doing.
Mrs.Johnson and her daughter Alice had been present, they heard, the latter actually joining in some of the plays, and the new clergyman, Mr.
Howard, had suffered himself to be caught by Miss Alice, who disfigured her luxuriant curls with a bandage, and played at blindman's buff.