"And who cooks?"
"Mary Frances cooks."
"And who washes the children's clothes?"
"Mary Frances, she washes, an' Mary Frances, she mends an' does everything."
When I looked at the wizen little girl, with her sallow blue skin and her skinny little arms and hands, I could scarcely keep back the tears, but I spoke very cheerily to her and complimented her on the get-up of the family, which truly showed ingenuity.
She told me she was 10 and Easter Anne 8. I could scarcely believe the tiny child was 10, but I promised to make some clothes for them before the next day the rector came, which will be Sunday three weeks. She did not seem excited or even pleased, but answered "Yessum" in a listless voice to all I said.
I asked some of the other people about them and found there was great indignation about the wife. These people are severe on the erring; it seems necessary to their self-respect.
September 19.
Bonaparte has been away on a little vacation and I have been superintending all the work personally for the past two weeks, and it is impossible to get a decent day's work done. The women just scratch the ground a little with their hoes when your eyes are on them, and as soon as you allow yourself to be diverted for a moment they stand quite idle.
September 21.