“And the ironing that is left is quite a day’s work?” “Well, it takes all my spare time on Tuesday; and I have been running down so much lately, that I am afraid I cannot do it through next summer.” Molly looked at her. She did, indeed, look as if she were worn out. She could understand that doing all the work for her family, washing, even, included, was nothing extraordinary for some women; but for this one, with her ambition to dress her children prettily, not to _look_ poor as well as _be_ poor, her fastidious husband, and her bringing-up,—it was an effort that was wearing her out. “Now this is the way I reckon,” said Molly. “You can get a strong, newly landed girl, for six or eight dollars a month. She may have nothing but health and industry, although I have known girls as capable as those who ask more, but more self-distrustful. Will not such a girl do more to help you for $8 the month than you get now for that money?” “Oh dear, yes. It seems to me if I had only some one to wash dishes every day I should be easy; but you forget the food.” “No, I do not; but, really, if you have time to give your own attention to that, and you would have then, your food would cost less, even with one extra to feed than now. It would not be so if you had to get an extra large steak or chops each day for that one, but with the varied cooking you could then practice, you would find it make only such difference as you can easily make up in some other way; for instance, you use baker’s bread; make it at home, and the difference in cost will be more than your girl will eat of it; then, as all children like rye bread, use it once or twice a week. You will make your expensive flour go much farther. Then if rye is not liked, or they get tired, use one week Indian and wheat bread, another, rice bread. I don’t think your husband or children would consider these breads anything but a treat, or know they came cheaper, and I should say nothing on that point till you found out their real tastes. One thing I don’t want to advise; and that is, the providing of any unpalatable or unwelcome food, be it ever so wholesome or cheap. Food eaten without relish is _not_ wholesome; and that is why, unless _time_ is given to cooking, the coarser parts of meat are not economical, because they require careful cooking. A hurried, slap-dash way of preparing any part of meat spoils it. Only the finest steaks or chops are eatable, when so abused; but it requires all their excellence to make them so.” “I am taking in all you say. You have startled me wonderfully about the girl; and the way you put it makes it seem as if it would be almost cheaper.”