Mrs. Lennox and Molly had often talked again over the advisability of the former getting help in her house, or not; Molly was strongly of the opinion that, as her health was before everything, it certainly was advisable and truly economical, but she did not venture to urge it, because she knew everything would depend on the kind of girl they would get; yet it seemed that any one with but two good qualities, willingness and strength, must be a great gain to a woman situated as her friend was.
“I do dread green girls, they generally are so stupid.”
“I confess they often are; so are those not green, only they conceal their stupidity better, and often add conceit to it; but it seems to me what you are in urgent need of is a pair of strong arms; if you get those, you can do without the brains, or supply them; you never stop to ask if the woman you hire to wash and iron is stupid or not, she simply does the work set for her; and if one pays a girl low wages, and she does just the work you show her, like a machine, every day instead of two days a week, won’t you be better off?”
“Yes. When I think of the matter like that, I see I should, even if I have to follow her round for a month or so.”
“Yes, you will be saving your muscles.”
“And I might then get time to think of my children’s minds as well as their bodies; my life is so sordid, I never read a line; and when Mr. Lennox reads to me I am sorry to say I am too pre-occupied to listen. It is a frightful waste of life.”
She sighed, and on the last of these conversations said: “Mrs. Bishop, I’ve resolved to try the experiment. I am not so afraid of the increased butcher bills since I have so many of your recipes.”
“I don’t believe you need be; but you can easily get an idea of what you will spend. I think it a good plan to write out a sort of list every week; it saves thinking each day what to have for dinner, and, of course, can be modified according to market prices. I limit myself to certain prices: and, if I find some articles dear one day, I can easily change; for instance, cauliflowers have been wonderfully cheap this fall, and twice I have got a small one—large enough for us two—for 10 cents; to-day I meant to have fried cauliflower, and found a very small one was 20 cents; of course I did not get it. You might draw up some sort of a list of provisions for a certain time, allowing for the extra person, and get a close idea of your probable expenses.”
“I wish you would help me.”
“I will, gladly.”