mistress as to holidays, Sundays, and so on, during which time the
new servant stood silent and impassive in the door-way between the
back kitchen and the kitchen, or, as it is called in those regions,
the house-place.

As before said, Elizabeth was by no means, a personable girl, and her
clothes did not set her off to advantage. Her cotton frock hung in
straight lines down to her ankles, displaying her clumsily shod feet
and woolen stockings; above it was a pinafore--a regular child's
pinafore, of the cheap, strong, blue-speckled print which in those
days was generally worn. A little shabby shawl, pinned at the throat,
and pinned very carelessly and crookedly, with an old black bonnet,
much too small for her large head and her quantities of ill kept
hair, completed the costume. It did not impress favorably a lady who,
being, or rather having been very handsome herself, was as much alive
to appearances as the second Miss Leaf.

She made several rather depreciatory observations, and insisted
strongly that the new servant should only be taken "on trial," with
no obligation to keep her a day longer than they wished. Her feeling
on the matter communicated itself to Johanna, who closed the
negotiation with Mrs. Hand, by saying.

"Well, let us hope your daughter will suit us. We will give her a
fair chance at all events."

"Which is all I can ax for, Miss Leaf. Her bean't much to look at,
but her's willin' sharp, and her's never told me a lie in her life.
Courtesy to thy missis, and say thee'lt do thy best, Lizabeth."