Out of the house there were the most contradictory opinions of her, especially if the voices of women were to be listened to.

She was 'an ill-favoured, overgrown thing'; 'just as bonny as the first rose i' June, and as sweet i' her nature as t' honeysuckle a-climbing round it;' she was 'a vixen, with a tongue sharp enough to make yer very heart bleed;' she was 'just a bit o' sunshine wheriver she went;' she was sulky, lively, witty, silent, affectionate, or cold-hearted, according to the person who spoke about her.

In fact, her peculiarity seemed to be this--that every one who knew her talked about her either in praise or blame; in church, or in market, she unconsciously attracted attention; they could not forget her presence, as they could that of other girls perhaps more personally attractive.

Now all this was a cause of anxiety to her mother, who began to feel as if she would rather have had her child passed by in silence than so much noticed.

Bell's opinion was, that it was creditable to a woman to go through life in the shadow of obscurity,--never named except in connexion with good housewifery, husband, or children.