III.] MAKING BREAD. 53 



irity ? It is very certain, that if the practice were as 

 prevalent as I could wish, there would be a large de- 

 duction from the regular baking population; but 

 would there be any harm if less alum were imported 

 into England, and if some of those youths were left 

 at the plough, who are now bound in apprenticeships 

 to learn the art and mystery of doing that which 

 every girl in the kingdom ought to be taught to do 

 by her mother ? It ought to be a maxim with every 

 master and every mistress, never to employ another 

 to do that which can be done as well by their own 

 servants. The more of their money that is retained 

 in the hands of their own people, the better it is for 

 them altogether. Besides, a man of a right mind 

 must be pleased with the reflection, that there is a 

 great mass of skill and ability under his own roof. 

 He feels stronger and more independent on this ac- 

 count, all pecuniary advantage out of the question. 

 It is impossible to conceive any thing more contemp- 

 tible than a crowd of men and women living together 

 in a house, and constantly looking out of it for peo- 

 ple to bring them food and drink, and to fetch* their 

 garments to and fro. Such a crowd resemble a nest 

 of unfledged birds, absolutely dependent for their 

 very existence on the activity and success of the old 

 ones. 



92. Yet, on men go, from year to year, in this state 

 of wretched dependence, even when they have all 

 the means of living within themselves, which is cer- 

 tainly the happiest state of life that any one can en- 

 joy. It may be asked, Where is the mill to be found? 

 where is the wheat to be got ? The answer is, 

 Where is there not a mill ? where is there not. a 

 market ? They are every where, and the difficulty 

 is to discover what can be the particular attractions 

 contained in that long and luminous manuscript, a 

 baker's half-yearly bill. 



93. With regard to the mill, in speaking of fami- 

 lies of any considerable number of persons, the mill 

 has, with me, been more than once a subject of obser- 

 vation in print. I for a good while experienced the 



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