One day, when Miss Sally came down stairs, she found Miss Placid seated at a table, making a pin-cloth for her wax-doll, in order to keep its frock clean, while her sister had taken possession of the middle of the window-seat, of which Sally begged to partake, and desired her to move a little farther, and make room for her, which Ellen very crossly refused.--Do pray, sister! said she, get another seat for yourself, for you cannot come here, I assure you!--There is room enough for us both, said Sally, and all the chairs are occupied. One has got a paper on it full of William's shells; another has a band-box with my aunt's gauze; and those two by the door, our dolls are asleep upon; you keep one employed with your work, and I must not take that, for it is the chair my aunt was sitting on, and I suppose she will want it again on her return.--I do not care, said Ellen; I tell you, I shall not let you come! so you may stand, if you like it, or go to the other window, cannot you?--But I want to be near the table! so pray do, returned Sally, endeavouring to squeeze herself into the seat; while her sister, putting her hand against the wainscot, kept her place with all the force she was mistress of; nor would give up an inch to the endeavours of Sally, who now likewise growing warm by opposition, exerted all her force to maintain the part she had gained; till at last she got pretty near the centre, without having indeed any considerable advantage; for both sisters were as close to each other as can well be imagined, each with an extended arm against the window-shutter, and pushing against each other with increasing anger and malevolence. Jemima had kindly gotten up at the beginning of the contest, and made an offer of her chair to either of the combatants; but they were both so much displeased, that they paid no attention to her good-natured proposal; and, at length, Miss Ellen, to secure her situation, set her foot against the table, and, struggling with all her force, overset it, with every thing that was upon it, on the ground. Scissors, work bags, doll's clothes, gauze ribbons, and various other things, fell in confusion on the floor; among which number were a phial of physic and a China cup, in which Mrs. Placid was going to take a medicine which had been ordered for her, and which being broken in the fall, the draught was spilled among the before-mentioned articles. But the worst part of the accident remains still to be mentioned: poor Jemima's doll, which had lain before her to fit on the things she was making for it, was, in the disastrous fall, broken to pieces. She endeavoured in vain to catch it, but the overthrow of the table was too sudden for her to prevent it, and the noise of the affray brought Mrs. Placid, who had been up stairs to fetch some thread, into the room. [Illustration]