’Tis true, she would often change her Servants, but not a Barrel the better Herring. If she got one, by chance, knew any thing of his Business, the rest never left boddering her ’till they had him out. It should never be said they demeaned themselves so much as to serve with one, who would spoil every thing by his Rashness, and disgrace the Service by his Ignorance. Now, by Rashness they meant resenting Insults and Injuries done their Lady; and by Ignorance, not knowing how to buy and sell, and live by the Loss. So that, all Things considered, it were a Marvel her Affairs should be in better Plight than they are, or her Debts be paid with more Ease and Expedition.
Betty, in the mean time, is come to an opulent Fortune, has her Rents well paid, and her Farms daily improving, and would improve ten times more, if her Sister could see her own Advantage so far, as to give her that Encouragement she is daily giving to Strangers, who give her nothing in Return but their Envy and Ill-will. But as it is, Betty’s in a good Way, and makes the most of a bad Market. And since she must not work for her Sister, she works for herself.
It had been a Custom of hers to buy every thing she wanted from her Sister’s Tenants and Tradesmen, though they used her abominably, and put off upon her the worst Goods they had. If the Farmer had damaged Hops, he sold them to Betty Ireland; if his Malt was blinked, away it went to her; and the Pothecary thought his decayed Drugs good enough for Betty, and instead of burning them, laid them by for her, as tho’ she were not a Christian, or had the same Inside as her Sister.
Betty could not help this contemptuous Treatment, as she had nothing she wanted at Home, by reason of her Laziness, though all Materials in abundance were at hand. ’Tis incredible to relate, but, at the Time I am speaking of, certain Fact, on her whole Estate there was not one to be found could make a Buckle for her Shoe, or a Pin to her Sleeve; a Pot, a Spit, or any Utensil to cook her Victuals, might as well be found among the Tartars as with her. She took every thing from her Sister at what Price she pleased, unsight unseen, and bought the Pig in the Poke. Necessity roused her from Stupidity and Sloth, she encouraged her Tenants to apply to Trades, assured them of a ready Market, and rewarded those that did their Work the best; and, at present, has every thing within herself. And tho’ it must be owned a very unreasonable, and not to be endured Instance of her Impudence, she proposes to dress in her own Manufactures, and does not mean to trouble her Sister any longer for cast Cloaths and unmerchantable commodities. But in every other Respect, she desires to keep up a good Correspondence with her, and is daily doing every thing in her Power, to gain her Favour, and procure her Regards. Whatever she can spare from her ordinary Expences, she, in some Shape or other, makes a Present of to her Sister, in Acknowledgement for Services done, and Kindnesses receiv’d in her Minority. Has Blanch a Favourite whom she cannot readily provide for, a poor Relation on hand, or Retainer to the Family, a broken Projector, or cast Serving-man; she has no more to do but acquaint Betty with it, who quickly puts him on a creditable Pension, and never refuses, though she run herself in Debt by it. Is Blanch engaged in a Brangle with her Tenants, (who, by the way, are cursedly litigious) and hard put to it for Hands to do her Business, Betty makes an Offer of sending her People to help her, and maintaining them abroad at her own Charges. Does a Tenant of Blanch come to favour her with a Visit, she receives him with Hospitality and Respect, and would sacrifice her Fortune to make his Entertainment agreeable.
If all this Complaisance should fail of its Effect, and not so succeed as to keep Blanch in good Humour, ’tis easy to say where the Fault must lie, and from what Causes her Discontents arise.
In the first Place, it has ever been the Fate of her Domesticks to be invincibly hated by her Tenants without Difference or Distinction, (for, to say Truth, they have no Head for Distingo’s:) There is but one Thing in the World they hate more, and that is Betty Ireland. Now, the Servants bear hard on Betty, to curry Favour with her Sister’s Tenants, who would go half Way to the D——l to have Betty d——d, are for ever cursing her, and laying all their Misfortunes at her Door. If the Clothier loses his Business, or has his Goods on Hand, ’tis all ’long of Betty: Wheat bears no Price, for Betty has glutted the Market. Whereas, in Fact, they never keep the same Markets. But they forget, they are all so idle and debauched, such gobling and drinking Rascals, and so expensive in blew Beer, that they are forced to put a double Price on every thing goes to Market; so that no Body will deal with them. Indeed, if it incenses them, that Betty won’t buy, burn her own Goods and take off theirs, they must e’en turn the Buckle behind. Blanch will be wiser, for her own sake, than lay Stresses on her Sister, from whom she gets more than by all the World beside, only to humour a Set of grumbling Churls, who don’t know what they would be at; and so extremely senseless, that it’s Matter of Wonder, their Oxen don’t ride them to the Market, and sell them. ’Tis true, a Linen-weaver, one of Blanch’s Tenants, prevailed on her lately to withdraw some Encouragement she had given Betty, and transfer it to a Stranger. But that was owing to bad Advice given her, by a Clerk she has since turned off, and sent a stroling among Brandy-shops and Ale-houses, to backbite his Lady for want of other Employment.
Another Cause of Blanch’s Dislike to her Sister was, a Fright she took, when she was just delivered, at some ill-looking People, who came from Betty’s Lands, and appeared under her Window. There’s no doubt but Blanch has as much Courage as any genteel Lady ought to have, and must have been in a Fit of low Spirits when she, and all her Tenants from her, took so senseless an alarm, as to run distracted thro’ Fear of half a Dozen Fellows cutting all their Throats in one Night, who were ready to run through Fire and Water for Fear of being hang’d themselves; yet certain it is, from this ridiculous Incident, and from nothing else, can be derived, that universal Hatred shewn her by Blanch’s Tenants, though they have never seen, spoken with, or had any Dealings whatever, either with Betty or her Tenants. People must be generous, as well as brave, to forgive those that frighten them.
There’s another Cause of Dislike among such as have Dealings with Betty’s Tenants who come on Business, or to visit her Sister, that they run in debt with them, and don’t pay. So do all their Neighbours, for that matter; but they complain of none but Betty, though it is very well known they make ample Reprisals on her; and one Bite of theirs, is worth a hundred of Betty’s, who are none but such as are despised at home, and can get neither Credit or Company there; for Betty is not yet arrived to that Degree of Politeness, as to court and caress Highway-men and Sharpers, only because they keep good Company, and are Gentlemen of nice Honour, but sincerely wishes her Sister to hang them all.
The last I shall mention (and, to be sure, a wise Cause of Dislike it is) Betty goes once, at least, every Year to pay her Sister a Visit, carries all her Money, puts on her best Cloaths, lives high as long as she has a Penny left. This vexes her Sister, and many a Slut and Flirt she calls Betty, at the very time she is throwing away her Money with both Hands for the Tradesmen and Shoeboys to scramble up. They are both Fools; One for shewing this Contempt, and the other for putting herself in the Way of it.
It is wished, but probably in vain, that the two Sisters would come to a better Understanding. They that have considered the true Interest of both, see plainly that the elder, and consequently the younger, must be shortly undone, if these Bickerings and ill Offices continue. So unnatural a Quarrel between near Relations must make them despised by all the Neighbours around, who are hourly taking the Advantage of it, and profiting themselves by the Hindrance the Sisters give to each other. But their Manners and Disposition are so different, that it’s next to impossible they should ever love one another; tho’, for mutual Interest, and to make that Figure in the Eye of the World which two Ladies of their Distinction and Fortune ought to assume, their Friends may agree to promote jointly their Interests, and never heed how peevish and untoward either of them may be, or pay any Regard to the fanciful Aversions, and ungrounded Jealousies, which are always inseparable from a female Breast.