in the barn, threshing out some wheat."

Mrs. Levy went to interview the milk dealer; Jane was cold and went into
the cottage to warm herself. "It is well I'm at ironing today," said
Mrs. Brent, "for so I hev a good fire. Come your ways in, ma'am, and sit
on the hearth. Let me make you a cup o' tea."

"My friend will be here in a few minutes," Jane answered. "She only
wants to make a bargain with Mr. Brent for all his milk."

"Then she won't be back in a few minutes; Sam Brent does no business in
a hurry. It's against his principles. You bed better hev a cup o' hot
tea."

It seemed easier to Jane to agree than to dispute, and as the kettle was
simmering on the hob it was ready in five minutes. "You see," continued
Mrs. Brent, "I hev a big family, and washing and ironing does come a bit
hard on me now, but a cup o' tea livens me up, it does that!"

"How many children have you, Mrs. Brent?"

"I hev been married seventeen years, and I hev ten lads and lasses--all
of them fair and good and world-like. God bless them!"

"Ten! Ten! How do you manage?"

"Varry well indeed. Sam Brent is a forelooking man. They hev a good
father, and I try to keep step with him. We are varry proud of our
childer. The eldest is a boy and helps his father with the cows main
well. The second is a girl and stands by her mother--the rest are at
school, or just babies. It _is_ hard times, it is that, but God blesses
our crust and our cup, and we don't want. We be all well and healthy,
too."

"I wonder you are not broken down with bearing so many children."

"Nay, not I! Every fresh baby gives me fresh youth and health--if I do
it justice. Don't you find it so, ma'am?"

"No."

"How many hev you hed?"

"One. A little girl."

"Eh, but that's a shame! What does your good man say?"

"He would like more."

"I should think he _would_ like more. And it is only fair and square he
should _hev_ more! Poor fellow!"

"I do not think so."

"Whatever is the matter with thee?"

"I think it is a shame and a great wrong for a woman to spend her life
in bearing and rearing children."

"To bear and to rear children for His glory is exactly and perfectly
what God sent her into the world to do. It is her work in the days which
the Lord her God gives her. Men He told to work. Women He told to hev
children and plenty o' them."

"There are more women working in the factories than men now."

"They hev no business there. They are worse for it every