eldest apprentice served her faithfully, and was her journeyman four
years after his time was out; then she took him in partner to one-fourth
of the trade, and when her son came of age, she gave the apprentice one
of her daughters, and enlarged his share to a third, gave her own son
another third, and kept a third for herself to support the family.

Thus the whole trade was preserved, and the son and son-in-law grew rich
in it, and the widow, who grew as skilful in the business as her husband
was before her, advanced the fortunes of all the rest of her children
very considerably.

This was an example of the husband's making the wife (but a little)
acquainted with his business; and if this had not been the case, the
trade had been lost, and the family left just to divide what the father
left; which, as they were seven of them, mother and all, would not have
been considerable enough to have raised them above just the degree of
having bread to eat, and none to spare.

I hardly need give any examples where tradesmen die, leaving nourishing
businesses, and good trades, but leaving their wives ignorant and
destitute, neither understanding their business, nor knowing how to
learn, having been too proud to stoop to it when they had husbands, and
not courage or heart to do it when they have none. The town is so full
of such as these, that this book can scarce fall into the hands of any
readers but who will be able to name them among their own acquaintance.

These indolent, lofty ladies have generally the mortification to see
their husbands' trades catched up by apprentices or journeymen in the
shop, or by other shopkeepers in the neighbourhood, and of the same
business, that might have enriched them, and descended to their
children; to see their bread carried away by strangers, and other
families flourishing on the spoils of their fortunes.

And this brings me to speak of those ladies, who, though they do,
perhaps, for want of better offers, stoop to wed a trade, as we call it,
and take up with a mechanic; yet all the while they are the tradesmen's
wives, they endeavour to preserve the distinction of their fancied
character; carry themselves as if they thought they were still above
their station, and that, though they were unhappily yoked with a
tradesman, they would still keep up the dignity of their birth, and be
called gentlewomen; and in order to this, would behave like such all the
way, whatever rank they were levelled