ill try to teach a
so-called ignorant fisherman, is most amazing. If he but knew how
shrewdly he is criticised, afterwards....

Education even is esteemed not so much for the knowledge it provides,
still less for its wisdom, as for the advantage it gives a man in
practical affairs; the additional money it earns him. "No doubt they
educated people knows a lot what I don't," says Tony, "an' can du a lot
what I can't; but there's lots o' things what I puzzles me old head
over, an' them not the smallest, what they ain't no surer of than I be.
Ay! an' not so sure, for there's many on 'em half mazed wi' too much
o'it."

8.

[Sidenote: _BESSIE_]

Bessie has finally left school. The excitement, the chatter, the sudden
air of superiority over the other children, the critical glance round
the room when she returns home.... She has learnt next to nothing of
school-work--which matters little, since she is strong, hopeful, and
has a genuine wish to do her best. What does matter is, that she is
careless, inclined to be slatternly, and has no idea of precision
either in speech or work. (Few girls have.) This is in part, no doubt,
mere whelpishness to be grown out of presently. She picks up some piece
of gossip. "Mother! Mrs Long's been taken to hospital. Her's going to
die, I 'spect."

"No her an't gone to hospital nuther. Dr Bayliss says as her's got to
go if she ain't better to-morrow. Isn't that what you've a-heard now?"

"Yes--but I thought her'd most likely be gone 'fore this," says Bessie
without, apparently, the least sense of shame, or even of inexactitude.

The other day she reached down a cup to get herself a drink of water.
Then she took some pains to see if the cup still _looked_ clean, and
finding it did, she replaced it among the other clean ones on the
dresser.

Her mother sent her out to the larder for some more bread. Bessie
brought in a new loaf.

"That ain't it," said Mrs Widger. "There's a stale one there."

"No, there ain't."

"Yes, there is."

"I've looked, an't I?"

"Yu go an' look again, my lady."

"Well, 'tis dark, an' I an't got no light to see with."

Protesting vehemently, Bessie found the stale loaf. Were I her
mistress, she would irritate me into a very bad temper, and then, by
her muddle-headed willingness, would make me sorry. She is untrained.
School has in no way disciplined her mind. From early childhood, of
course, she has had to do many odd jobs for her mother, but a woman
w