Mrs. Mervin. Can you make good bread?
Norah. Good bread is it ye say? And indade I can make that same. I makes it with imtens, ma’am; and if it sours a bit, I puts a handful of salerathus into it, and it comes out of the oven as swate as a nut, and a fine color on it besides.
Emma. Dear me! I should think it might have a fine color with a handful of saleratus in it!
Mrs. Mervin. At what other place have you lived besides the one you mentioned?
Norah. Nowheres at all, ma’am; that’s the first place I wint when I came from the ould counthry.
Mrs. Mervin. How long did you live there, and what part of the work did you do?
Norah. Well, ma’am, I lived there three weeks, ’liven days, and a fortnight—barrin’ the two days that I staid out to take care of me cousin Mike; and I did the fine work, mostly, ma’am,—scrubbing, sifting ashes, and ’the likes of that. Do ye think ye would like to hire me, ma’am?
Mrs. Mervin. I guess not. I am afraid you haven’t had experience enough to do my work properly.
Norah. Well, ma’am, if that’s any thing I could buy at the store, I would be willing to spend a thrifle to get some, for the sake of livin’ wid ye.
Mrs. Mervin. Experience in housework cannot be bought at the stores; so you had better look somewhere else for a place.