Nobody

"Not all so nice."

"But like her?"

"Not in everything. No, they were not most of them so clever, and mostof them did not know so much, and were not so accomplished."

"But they were like her in other things?"

"No," said Lois, standing still; "she is a head and shoulders abovemost of the women I saw; but they were of her sort, if that is what youmean."

"That is what I mean. She is not a bit like people here. We must seemvery stupid to her, Lois."

"Shampuashuh people are not stupid."

"Well, aunt Anne isn't stupid; but she is not like Mrs. Barclay. Andshe don't want us to be like Mrs. Barclay."

"No danger!" – said Lois, very busy now at her work.

"But wouldn't you like to be like Mrs. Barclay?"

"Yes."

"So would I."

"Well, we can, in the things that are most valuable," said Lois, standing still again for a moment to look at her sister.

"O, yes, books – But I would like to be graceful like Mrs. Barclay. Youwould call that not valuable; but I care more for it than for all therest. Her beautiful manners."

"She has beautiful manners," said Lois. "I do not think manners canbe taught. They cannot be imitated."

"Why not?"

"O, they wouldn't be natural. And what suits one might not suitanother. A very handsome nose of somebody else might not be good on myface. No, they would not be natural."

"You need not wish for anybody's nose but your own," said Madge."That will do, and so will mine, I'm thankful! But what makes herlook so unhappy, Lois?"

"She does look unhappy."

"She looks as if she had lost all her friends."

"She has got one, here," said Lois, sweeping away.

"But what good can you do her?"

"Nothing. It isn't likely that she will ever even know the fact."

"She's doing a good deal for us."

A little later, Mrs. Barclay came down to her room. She found it, asalways, in bright order; the fire casting red reflections into everycorner, and making pleasant contrast with the grey without. For it wascloudy and windy weather, and wintry neutral tints were all that couldbe seen abroad; the clouds swept along grey overhead, and the earth laybrown and bare below. But in Mrs. Barclay's room was the cheeriest playof light and colour; here it touched the rich leather bindings ofbooks, there the black and white of an engraving; here it was caught intin folds of the chintz curtains which were ruddy and purple in hue, and again it warmed up the old-fashioned furniture and lost itself in abrown tablecover. Mrs. Barclay's eye loved harmonies, and it found themeven in this country-furnished room at Shampuashuh. Though, indeed, thepiles of books came from afar, and so did the large portfolio ofengravings, and Mrs. Barclay's desk was a foreigner. She sat in hercomfortable chair before the fire and read her letters, which Lois hadlaid ready for her; and then she was called to breakfast.

Mrs. Barclay admired her surroundings here too, as she had often donebefore. The old lady, ungainly as her figure and uncomely as her facewere, had yet a dignity in both; the dignity of a strong and truecharacter, which with abundant self-respect, had not, and never had, any anxious concern about the opinion of any human being. Whoever feelshimself responsible to the one Great Ruler alone, and does feel thatresponsibility, will be both worthy of respect and sure to have it inhis relations with his fellows. Such tribute Mrs. Barclay paid Mrs.Armadale. Her eye passed on and admired Madge, who was very handsome inher neat, smart home dress; and rested on Lois finally with absolutecontentment. Lois was in a nut-brown stuff dress, with a white knittedshawl bound round her shoulders in the way children sometimes have, theends crossed on the breast and tied at the back of the waist. Brown andwhite was her whole figure, except the rosy flush on cheeks and lips; the masses of fluffy hair were reddish-brown, a shade lighter than herdress. At Charity Mrs. Barclay did not look much, unless for curiosity; she was a study of a different sort.

"What delicious rolls!" said Mrs. Barclay. "Are these your work, Miss

Charity?"

"I can make as good, I guess," said that lady; "but these ain't mine.

Lois made 'em."

"Lois!" said Mrs. Barclay. "I did not know that this was one of youraccomplishments."

"Is that what you call an accomplishment," said Charity.

"Certainly. What do you mean by it?"

"I thought an accomplishment was something that one could accomplishthat was no use."

"I am sorry you have such an opinion of accomplishments."

"Well, ain't it true? Lois, maybe Mrs. Barclay don't care for sausages.

There's cold meat."

"Your sausages are excellent. I like such sausage very much."

"I always think sausages ain't sausages if they ain't stuffed. AuntAnne won't have the plague of it; but I say, if a thing's worth doingat all, it's worth doing the best way; and there's no comparison in mymind."

"So you judge everything by its utility."

"Don't everybody, that's got any sense?"

"And therefore you condemn accomplishments?"

"Well, I don't see the use. O, if folks have got nothing else to do, and just want to make a flare-up – but for us in Shampuashuh, what's thegood of them? For Lois and Madge, now? I don't make it out."

"You forget, your sisters may marry, and go somewhere else to live; andthen" —

"I don't know what Madge'll do; but Lois ain't goin' to marry anybodybut a real godly man, and what use'll her accomplishments be to herthen?"

"Why, just as much use, I hope," said Mrs. Barclay, smiling. "Why not?The more education a woman has, the more fit she is to content a man ofeducation, anywhere."

"Where's she to get a man of education?" said Charity. "What you meanby that don't grow in these parts. We ain't savages exactly, but thereain't many accomplishments scattered through the village. Unless, asyou say, bread-makin's one. We do know how to make bread, and cake, with anybody; Lois said she didn't see a bit o' real good cake all thewhile she was in Gotham; and we can cure hams, and we understand horsesand cows, and butter and cheese, and farming, of course, and that; butyou won't find your man of education here, or Lois won't."

"She may find him somewhere else," said Mrs. Barclay, looking at

Charity over her coffee-cup.

"Then he won't be the right kind," persisted Charity; while Loislaughed, and begged they would not discuss the question of her possible"finds"; but Mrs. Barclay asked, "How not the right kind?"