Not so Aunt Rachel.

"I needn't ask," she began, "whether you got work, Timothy. I knew
beforehand you wouldn't. There ain't no use in tryin'. The times is
awful dull, and, mark my words, they'll be wuss before they're
better. We mayn't live to see 'em. I don't expect we shall. Folks
can't live without money, and when that's gone we shall have to
starve."

"Not so bad as that, Rachel," said the cooper, trying to look
cheerful; "don't talk about starving till the time comes. Anyhow,"
glancing at the table on which was spread a good plain meal, "we
needn't talk about starving till to-morrow, with that before us.
Where's Jack?"

"Gone after some flour," replied his wife.

"On credit?" asked the cooper.

"No, he's got the money to pay for a few pounds," said Mrs. Crump,
smiling, with an air of mystery.

"Where did it come from?" asked Timothy, who was puzzled, as his
wife anticipated. "I didn't know you had any money in the house."

"No more we had, but he earned it himself, holding horses, this
afternoon."

"Come, that's good," said the cooper, cheerfully, "We ain't so bad
off as we might be, you see, Rachel."