What would she do then?
"Come and help you nurse the folk, Goody," said Patience, cheerfully.
Her heart would fail her sometimes at the outlook, but she was too
busy to think much about it. Only the long evenings had been
pleasanter when Stead used to teach Ben to read Dr. Eales's books and
tell her bits such as she could understand than now when he grudged a
candle big enough to be of any use, and was only plaiting rushes and
reckoning up what everything would bring.
Ben was a bright little fellow, and could read as well as his
brother. He longed for school, for when boys were not obliged to
learn, some of them wished to do so. There was a free grammar school
about three miles off to which he wanted to go, and Patience, who was
proud of his ability, wished to send him, neither of them thinking
anything of the walk.
Stead, however, could see no use in more learning than he had
himself. Neither he nor Jeph had been to school. Why should the
child go? He could not be spared just as he was getting old enough
to be of some use and save time, which was money.
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