i 9 4 MORE POT-POURRI 



nurses. The love and devotion they give to children not 

 their own is extraordinary. The highest life, which 

 George Eliot could imagine for ' Romola,' after the dis- 

 appointment and failure of her own life, was to attend and 

 minister to the children of others. Nurses will often 

 refuse to leave children, even when it is for their interest 

 to do so, knowing all the same, quite well, the time will 

 come when the children will leave them, as an animal 

 leaves its mother when it no longer wants her. I asked 

 a nurse of this type once, when she was getting old, why 

 she had never married. ' Oh, m'um,' she said, ' can't you 

 guess? I had passed my life in the nursery amongst 

 ladies and gentlemen ; my own class who wished to 

 marry me were distasteful to me, and I was too proud for 

 anything else.' This last half-sentence, with its faint 

 allusion to having once loved someone above her, touched 

 me supremely. Servants must so often pass through a 

 temptation of the kind pride in those they love being such 

 a great stimulus to the affection and constancy of women. 

 I think it is very desirable that children should early come 

 downstairs for their meals, and the nurse go to hers 

 with the other servants. She does not very often like 

 this ; but it is for her good, and much more for her own 

 happiness, that she should not lose touch with her class 

 and isolate herself on a slightly raised position, which, 

 from the very nature of the circumstances, can only lead 

 to unhappiness. 



Nothing is of more importance than to help servants 

 with their money affairs. They are very ignorant and 

 very improvident, though often very generous. The 

 extravagant servant will listen to no reason about putting 

 by for the * rainy day,' and the best among themselves con- 

 stantly help to support some of their own relations. If they 

 are willing and the mistress is tactful, talking over their 

 affairs is often of great use, especially in giving them an 



