32 EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYED. 



fine by half; and 'tisn't till they're fixed 

 for life that they find out how often " a silk 

 sock hides a sore toe.' 7 



How the squire and his lady did giggle 

 when they saw the wife I'd brought home, 

 though they did all they could to hide it, 

 and turn it off on something else ! " Let 

 them laugh that wins," thought I ; though 

 I did feel vexed, I must allow. But they 

 were a pattern of a master and mistress ; no 

 looking down upon those Providence had 

 placed under them, always a kindly look 

 or word for all that behaved themselves ; 

 but if there was any thing wrong, then look 

 out ; there was to go into master's room, 

 and such a lecture he was like a counsel- 

 lor. Dear me, if employers would but talk 

 a little more, in kindly way, to their peo- 

 ple, how many wrong notions would be got 

 rid of! Why, there isn't one master in a 

 hundred knows any thing about what goes 

 on in a man's mind, how it rankles in their 

 hearts to see a sick horse or a lame dog sat 

 up with ! while, if he's bad, he may lie at 

 home, and never so much as a kindly mes- 

 sage. Yet it's all for want of thought ; for 

 there's a deal lost by it. A kind heart's 



