DORA. I am sure we should understand it better than gentlemen understand about sewing.
L. My dear, I hope I always speak modestly, and under correction, when I touch upon matters of the kind too high for me; and besides, I never intend to speak otherwise than respectfully of sewing;—though you always seem to think I am laughing at you. In all seriousness, illustrations from sewing are those which Neith likes me best to use; and which young ladies ought to like everybody to use. What do you think the beautiful word "wife" comes from?
DORA (tossing her head). I don't think it is a particularly beautiful word.
L. Perhaps not. At your ages you may think "bride" sounds better; but wife's the word for wear, depend upon it. It is the great word in which the English and Latin languages conquer the French and the Greek. I hope the French will some day get a word for it, yet, instead of their dreadful "femme." But what do you think it comes from?
DORA. I never did think about it.
L. Nor you, Sibyl?
SIBYL. No; I thought it was Saxon, and stopped there.
L. Yes, but the great good of Saxon words is, that they usually do mean something. Wife means "weaver". You have all the right to call yourselves little "housewives," when you sew neatly.
DORA. But I don t think we want to call ourselves 'little housewives'.
L. You must either be house-wives, or house-moths; remember that. In the deep sense, you must either weave men's fortunes, and embroider them, or feed upon, and bring them to decay. You had better let me keep my sewing illustration, and help me out with it.