No , I shall not forget , '' returned Psyche , thinking of Gage , not Giovanni . She stood before her work eying it intently for several minutes ; then , with an expression of great contempt for the whole thing , she suddenly tilted her cherished Venus on to the floor , gave the classical face a finishing crunch , and put on her hat in a decisive manner , saying briefly to the dismayed damsels , -- `` Good-by , girls ; I sha n't come any more , for I 'm going to work at home hereafter . '' II The prospect of pursuing artistic studies at home was not brilliant , as one may imagine when I mention that Psyche 's father was a painfully prosaic man , wrapt in flannel , so to speak ; for his woollen mills left him no time for anything but sleep , food , and newspapers . Mrs. Dean was one of those exasperating women who pervade their mansions like a domestic steam-engine one week and take to their sofas the next , absorbed by fidgets and foot-stoves , shawls and lamentations . There were three riotous and robust young brothers , whom it is unnecessary to describe except by stating that they were boys in the broadest sense of that delightful word . There was a feeble little sister , whose patient , suffering face demanded constant love and care to mitigate the weariness of a life of pain . And last , but not least by any means , there were two Irish ladies , who , with the best intentions imaginable , produced a universal state of topsy-turviness when left to themselves for a moment . But being very much in earnest about doing her duty , not because it was her duty , but as a means toward an end , Psyche fell to work with a will , hoping to serve both masters at once . So she might have done , perhaps , if flesh and blood had been as plastic as clay , but the live models were so exacting in their demands upon her time and strength , that the poor statues went to the wall . Sculpture and sewing , calls and crayons , Ruskin and receipt-books , did n't work well together , and poor Psyche found duties and desires desperately antagonistic . Take a day as a sample . `` The washing and ironing are well over , thank goodness , mother quiet , the boys out of the way , and May comfortable , so I 'll indulge myself in a blissful day after my own heart , '' Psyche said , as she shut herself into her little studio , and prepared to enjoy a few hours of hard study and happy day-dreams . With a book on her lap , and her own round white arm going through all manner of queer evolutions , she was placidly repeating , `` Deltoides , Biceps , Triceps , Pronator , Supinator , Palmanis , Flexor carpi ulnaris -- '' `` Here 's Flexis what-you-call-ums for you , '' interrupted a voice , which began in a shrill falsetto and ended in a gruff bass , as a flushed , dusty , long-legged boy burst in , with a bleeding hand obligingly extended for inspection . `` Mercy on us , Harry ! what have you done to yourself now ? Split your fingers with a cricket-ball again ? '' cried Psyche , as her arms went up and her book went down . `` I just thrashed one of the fellows because he got mad and said father was going to fail . '' `` O Harry , is he ? '' `` Of course he is n't !
It 's hard times for every one , but XXXXX will pull through all right .
Mrs. brothers duties end father fingers girls goodness intentions patient