"She isn't," said the Deacon. "But if she washes Monday, and irons Tuesday, and sweeps Wednesday, and bakes Thursday, and sews Friday and Saturday, what time has she left to make calls or receive them?"
Mr. Hardcap only shrugged his shoulders.
"How many calls does your wife make in a year?" I asked.
"Oh! we don't make no calls," said Mr. Hardcap. "We've got other work to do."
"And yet you expect your minister and his wife to call on you?" said
I interrogatively.
"I s'pose so," said he.
"I remember hearing you say that you thought it rather hard of Mrs. Work, just before they left, that she hadn't been inside of your house for six months. How many calls do you suppose Mrs. Mapleson would have to make in a year in order to call on every family once in six months?"
"Don't know," said Mr. Hardcap, shortly.
"Well," said the Deacon, "we've got over a hundred families in our parish. It would take nearly one call every day."
"Beside extra calls on the sick," I continued. "You will either have to give Mrs. Mapleson a servant or relinquish your expectation of receiving any calls from her; that is very evident."