They loved God, and were truly pious, and were hardly aware of it; for those were not days of much inquiry.

People did their duty and were happy, and did not reason as to "why" they did it, nor try to ascertain if there were a legitimate cause for the effect.
But about the beginning of this century, a different day began to dawn over Sandal-Side.

The young heir came to his own, and signalized the event by marrying the rich Miss Lowther of Whitehaven.

She had been finely educated.

She had lived in large cities, and been to court.