mrs. warren , who had been employed ever since mrs. barrs departure in commiserating with me on my friends illness , was now given a new object for her sympathy , and the frustration of inferior pencils which were either too hard or too soft , or broke off when one needed them most , immediately became her topic of choice ; for you understand that my own stupidity in failing to remember to renew the tip could never be an acceptable theme for one of my ladies .