"Her earnestness was so expressive of her being uneasy without her
work, that Flora answered, 'Well my dear whatever you like best,'
and produced a basket of white handkerchiefs. Little Dorrit gladly
put it by her side, took out her little pocket-housewife, threaded
the needle, and began to hem."

I learned that word in the Army, when a missing button could get you extra duty.I had a packet of needles, olive drab and black thread, plus a pair of miniature scissors in my toiletry case along with my razor, comb and hairbrush.
I have seen the word corrupted to "hussif".