lesson at all, she would prefer to take
it from her husband.

The poor women's petticoats was another source of trouble. Before the
autumn was over,--by the end of October,--when Mary had been two months
at Manor Cross, she had been got to acknowledge that ladies living in
the country should employ a part of their time in making clothes for
the poor people; and she very soon learned to regret the
acknowledgment. She was quickly driven into a corner by an assertion
from Lady Sarah that, such being the case, the time to be so employed
should be defined. She had intended to make something,--perhaps an
entire petticoat,--at some future time. But Lady Sarah was not going to
put up with conduct such as that. Mary had acknowledged her duty. Did
she mean to perform it, or to neglect it? She made one petticoat, and
then gently appealed to her husband. Did not he think that petticoats
could be bought cheaper than they could be made? He figured it out, and
found that his wife could earn three-halfpence a day by two hours'
work; and even Lady Sarah did not require from her more than two hours
daily. Was it worth while that she should be made miserable for
ninepence a week,--less than L2 a-year? Lady George figured it out
also, and offered the exact sum, L1 19_s._, to Lady Sarah, in order
that she might be let off for the first twelve months. Then Lady Sarah
was full of wrath. Was that the spirit in which offerings were to be
made to the Lord? Mary was asked, with stern indignation, whether in
bestowing the work of her hands upon the people, whether in the very
fact that she was doing for the poor that which was distasteful to
herself, she did not recognise the performance of a duty? Mary
considered a while, and then said that she thought a petticoat was a
petticoat, and that perhaps the one made by the regular petticoat-maker
would be the best. She did not allude to the grand doctrine of the
division of labour, nor did she hint that she might be doing more harm
than good by interfering with regular trade, because she had not
studied those matters. But that was the line of her argument. Lady
Sarah told her that her heart in that matter was as hard as a nether
millstone. The young wife, not liking this, withdrew; and again
appealed to her husband. His mind was divided on the subject. He was
clearly of opinion that the petticoat should be obtained in the
cheapest market, but he doubted much about that three-halfpence in two
hours. I