She was very fond of children, and
knew how to amuse them and to take care of them. As she had half a dozen
younger brothers and sisters, she had ample opportunity to make herself
useful.
She was a capital story-teller, and always had a story on hand to divert
a wayward child, or to soothe the little sister who was lying awake, and
afraid of the dark. She wrote a great many little stories, printed them
with a pen, and bound them in pretty covers. Most of them were destroyed
long ago.
Maria took her part in all the household work. She knew how to do
everything that has to be done in a large family where but one servant
is kept, and she did everything thoroughly. If she swept a room it
became clean. She might not rearrange the different articles of
furniture in the most artistic manner, but everything would be clean,
and there would be nothing left crooked. If a chair was to be placed, it
would be parallel to something; she was exceedingly sensitive to a line
out of the perpendicular, and could detect the slightest deviation from
that rule. She had also a sensitive eye in the matter of color, and felt
any lack of harmony in the colors worn by those about her.
Maria was always ready to "bear the brunt," and could at any time be
coaxed by the younger children to do the things which they found
difficult or disagreeable.
The two youngest children in the family were delicate, and the special
care of the youngest sister devolved upon Maria, who knew how to be a
good nurse as well as a good playfellow.
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