considered as well as love. And she don't even know how to do plain
sewing. Only look at the bottoms of her dresses, with the braid
hanging; and I know she never mends her stockings--I had it from the
woman who washes them. Only think of my son, who has always had his
stockings mended as smooth as satin, either going with holes in them,
or else having them gathered up in hard bunches and getting corns.
I can't and I won't have it!"

Caroline finished all her remarks with that, setting her mouth hard.
It was evident that she was firm in her decision. I suggested mildly
that the girl had never been taught, and had always had so much money
that she was excusable for not knowing how to do all these little
things which the Linnville girls had been forced to do.

"I know all that," said Caroline; "I am not blaming her so much
as I am her mother. She had better have stopped reading Browning
and improving her own mind and the village, and improved her own
daughter, so she could walk in the way Providence has set for a
woman without disgracing herself. But I am looking at her as she is,
without any question of blame, for the sake of my son. He shall not
marry a girl who don't know how to make his home comfortable any
better than she does--not if his mother can save him from it."

Louisa asked timidly--we were both of us rather timid, Caroline was
so fierce--if she did not think she could teach Harriet.

"I don't know whether I can or not!" said Caroline. "Anyway, I am not
going to try. What kind of a plan would it be for me to have her in
the house teaching her, where Harry could see her every day, and
perhaps after all find out that it would not amount to anything. I'd