"You don't know anything about it, child," Mrs. Turner replied, in a positive tone.
Mary was silenced for the time. But a banishment of the subject did not, in any way, lesson the difficulties. Thoughts of these soon again became apparent in words; and the most natural form of these was the sentence—
"I don't know what we shall do!" uttered by the mother in a tone of deep despondency.
"Suppose we take a few boarders?" Mary urged, about three weeks after the conversation just alluded to.
"No, Mary; we would be too much exposed: and then it would come very hard on you, for you know that I cannot stand much fatigue," Mrs. Turner replied, slowly and sadly.
"O, as to that," said Mary, with animation: "I'll take all the burden off of you."
"Indeed, child, I cannot think of it," Mrs. Turner replied, positively; and again the subject was dismissed.
But it was soon again recurred to, and after the suggestion and disapproval of many plans, Mary again said—
"Indeed, mother, I don't see what we will do, unless we take a few boarders."
"It's the only thing at all respectable, that I can think of," Mrs. Turner said despondingly; "and I'm afraid it's the best we can do."