44 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



We went into several cottages belonging to 

 the poor labourers. They are either built of 

 brick, or of frame-work filled in with bricks and 

 plaster, with good doors and glass windows ; and 

 inside, every thing, though shewing poverty, 

 gave the idea of comfort. The walls papered, 

 or nicely white-washed, the floors scowered and 

 sprinkled with sand ; plates, cups, and saucers 

 displayed on shelves; beds with clean patch- 

 work quilts ; and in two of the houses,, wooden- 

 clocks to call the people up to their business. 

 And to all of them there was a detached shed 

 for the pig, unlike the filthy place left, between 

 the posts, that support the floor of the Brazilian 

 huts. In the last cottage we visited, we found 

 that the hospitable people it belonged to had 

 contrived to make room for a poor traveller and 

 her child. She had come there on Saturday 

 evening, when they gave her lodging for charity. 

 On Sunday, she begged permission to remain, be- 

 cause she did not think it right to travel on that 

 day ; and on Monday she grew ill, and has been 

 in bed ever since. These good people seemed 

 so kind and generous to her, though very poor 

 themselves, that my aunt is much interested for 

 them. 



How gratifying it is to see the poorest people 

 assisting each other, even when really distressed 

 themselves, but the most delightful thing of all, 

 dear Mamma, is that there are no slaves here ; 



