yself to think as the human race
'as rightly found out yet what that purpose is. God's wyes is always
dark, and when it comes to women, they're darker nor they are
elsewheres. One thing I do know, and we'll be a lot more comfortable
when more of us finds it out--that God never made women for the
'ome."

In spite of her awe of him, Letty found this doctrine difficult to
accept.

"If God didn't make 'em for the home, mister, where on earth would you
put 'em?"

The wintry color came out again on the old man's cheeks. "If madam
would call me Steptoe," he said ceremoniously, "I think she'd find it
easier. I mean," he went on, reverting to the original theme, "that 'E
didn't make 'em to be cooks and 'ousemaids and parlormaids, and all
that. That's men's work. Men'll do it as easy as a bird'll sing. I
never see the woman yet as didn't fret 'erself over it, like a wild
animal'll fret itself in a circus cage. It spiles women to put 'em to
'ousework, like it always spiles people to put 'em to jobs for which
the Lord didn't give 'em no haptitude."

Letty was puzzled, but followed partially.

"I've watched 'em and watched 'em, and it's always the syme tyle.
They'll go into service young and joyous like, but it won't be two or
three years before they'll have growed cat-nasty like this 'ere Jyne
Cykebread and Mary Ann Courage. Madam 'ud never believe what sweet
young things they was when I first picked 'em out--Mrs. Courage a
young widow, and Jynie as nice a girl as madam 'ud wish to see, only
with the features what Mrs. Allerton used to call a little
hover-haccentuated. And now--!" He allowed the conditions to speak for
themselves without criticizing further.

"It's keepin' 'em in a 'ome what's done it. They knows it
theirselves--and yet they don't. Inside they've got the sperrits of
young colts that wants to kick up their 'eels in the pasture. They
don't mean no worse nor that, only when people comes to Jynie's age
and Mrs. Courage's they 'ave to kick up their 'eels in their own wye.
If madam'll remember that, and be pytient with them like------"

Letty cried in alarm, "But it's got nothin' to do with me!"

"If madam'll excuse me, it's got everything to do with 'er. She's the
missus of this 'ouse."

"Oh, no, I ain't. Mr. Allerton just brung me here----"

Once more there was the delicate emphasis with which he had corrected
other slips. "Mr. Allerton _brought_ madam, and told me to see that
she was put in 'er proper pl