If appearances count for anything, Mrs. Black had certainly not combed her hair within several weeks, and the grime on her face and clothes was a sickening sight to contemplate.
"Good morning, madam; my name is Peele; I'm to work at the saw-mill, and Mr. Hall says you'll furnish me board."
"All right, just make yourself at home," she invited bashfully, and the next moment she disappeared into the dark recess of the only living room.
Strictly on time, Mr. Black arrived for the noonday meal, and forthwith we proceeded to the dining-room.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Black began making apologies, but, with a few jokes, I set them at ease, assuring them that I wouldn't be hard to please.
To see the hard side of life would make a better man of me anyway, I reflected.
There was no attempt to have clean dishes, for two sets or more of children had already eaten, and others were yet coming in.
The meal consisted of rice, honey and bread. So far as I could see there was nothing else. I now saw how a man could be boarded for thirty cents a day.
They'll have something more substantial for supper, I thought, beginning to crust the top of a black-looking, half-done biscuit. The biscuits were unusually large ones, weighing nearly two pounds each.