No toil would ever break Abby down, for she was a strong woman; she had never worked too hard that she was aware of; but--she had always worked, and never done anything else.

No lover had ever looked into her eyes or taken her hand tenderly.

Not likely! she would say to herself with a scornful sniff, eyeing her homely face in the glass.

Men weren't such fools as they looked.
One or two had wanted to marry her house, as she expressed it, and had asked for herself into the bargain, not seeing how they could manage it otherwise.

They were not to blame for wanting the house, she thought with some complacency, as she glanced round her sitting-room.
Everything in the room shone and twinkled.