acknowledged that "one man's meat might
be another man's poison," and contented
herself thenceforward with an occasional
remonstrance, when she thought the purchaser was
too young and innocent to be acquainted
with the evil effects green tea produced on
some constitutions; and an habitual sigh
when people old enough to choose more
wisely would prefer it.

I went over from Drumble once a quarter
at least, to settle the accounts, and see
after the necessary business letters. And,
speaking of letters, I began to be very much
ashamed of remembering my letter to the
Aga Jenkyns, and very glad I had never
named my writing to any one. I only hoped
the letter was lost. No answer came. No
sign was made.

About a year after Miss Matey set up
shop, I received one of Martha's hieroglyphics,
begging me to come to Cranford very
soon. I was afraid that Miss Matey was ill,
and went off that very afternoon, and took
Martha by surprise when she saw me on
opening the door. We went into the kitchen,
as usual, to have our confidential conference;
and then Martha told me she was expecting
her confinement very soon—in a week or
two; and she did not think Miss Matey was
aware of it; and she wanted me to break the
news to her, "for indeed Miss!" continued
Martha, crying hysterically, "I'm afraid she
won't approve of it; and I'm sure I don't
know who is to take care of her as she should
be taken care of, when I am laid up." I
comforted Martha by telling her I would remain
till she was about again; and only wished
she had told me her reason for this sudden
summons, as then I would have brought the
requisite stock of clothes. But  Martha was
so tearful and tender–spirited, and unlike her
usual self, that I said as little as possible
about myself, and endeavoured rather to
comfort Martha under all the probable and
possible misfortunes which came crowding
upon her imagination. I then stole out of the
house–door, and made my appearance, as if I
were a customer, in the shop, just to take Miss
Matey by surprise, and gain an idea of how
she looked in her new situation. It was
warm May weather, so only the little half–
door was closed; and Miss Matey sate behind
her counter, knitting an elaborate pair of
garters: elaborate they seemed to me, but
the difficult stitch was no weight upon her
mind, for she was singing in a low voice to
herself as her needles went rapidly in and
out. I call it singing, but I dare say a musician
would not use that word to the tuneless
yet sweet humming of the low worn voice. I
found out from the words, far more than from
the attempt at the tune, that it was the Old
Hundredth she was crooning to herself: but
the quiet continuous sound told of content,
and gave me a pleasant feeling, as I stood in
the street just outside the door, quite in
harmony with that soft May morning. I went
in. At first she did not catch who it was,
and stood up as if to serve me; but in
another minute watchful pussy had clutched her
knitting, which was dropped in her eager joy
at seeing me. I found, after we had had a
little conversation, that it was as Martha said,
and that Miss Matey had no idea of the
approaching household event. So I thought I
would let things take their course, secure that
when I went to her with the baby in my
arms I should obtain that forgiveness for
Martha which she was needlessly frightening
herself into believing that Miss Matey would
withhold, under some notion that the new
claimant would require attentions from its
mother that it would be faithless treason to
Miss Matey to render.

But I was right. I think that must be an
hereditary quality, for my father says he is
scarcely ever wrong. One morning, within a
week after I arrived, I went to call Miss
Matey, with a little bundle of flannel in my
arms. She was very much awe–struck when
I showed her what it was, and asked for her
spectacles off the dressing–table, and looked
at it curiously, with a sort of tender wonder
at its small perfection of parts. She could
not banish the thought of the surprise all
day, but went about on tip–toe, and was very
silent. But she stole up to see Martha, and
they both cried with joy; and she got into a
complimentary speech to Jem, and did not
know how to get out of it again, and was
only extricated from her dilemma by the
sound of the shop–bell, which was an equal
relief to the shy, proud, honest Jem, who
shook my hand so vigorously when I
congratulated him that I think I feel the pain of it yet.

I had a busy life while Martha was laid up.
I attended on Miss Matey, and prepared her
meals; I cast up her accounts, and examined
into the state of her canisters and tumblers.
I helped her too occasionally in the shop;
and it gave me no small amusement, and
sometimes a little uneasiness, to watch her
ways there. If a little child came in to ask
for an ounce of almond–comfits (and four of
the large kind which Miss Matey sold weighed
that much), she always added one more by
"way of make–weight" as she called it,
although the scale was handsomely turned
before; and when I remonstrated against
this, her reply was "The little things like it
so much!" There was no use in telling her,
that the fifth comfit weighed a quarter of an
ounce, and made every sale into a loss to her
pocket. So I remembered the green tea and
winged my shaft with a feather out of her
own plumage. I told her how unwholesome
almond comfits were; and how ill excess in
them might make the little children. This
argument produced some effect; for,
henceforward, instead of the fifth comfit, she
always told them to hold out their tiny palms,
into which she shook either peppermint or
ginger lozenges, as a preventive to the
dangers that might arise from the previous