Explore "Mrs Turner's Cautionary Stories: Good Girls and Bad" by Elizabeth Turner on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Maria intended a letter to write, / But could not begin (as she thought) to indite, / So went to her mother with pencil and slate, / Containing "Dear Sister," and also a date.
"With nothing to say, my dear girl, do not think / Of wasting your time over paper and ink; / But certainly this is an excellent way, / To try with your slate to find something to say.