Poor Mrs.Woodward's health had not improved during the last two years; she was nervous, anxious about Percy, and inclined to be fretful and tearful.

The increased income-tax and the added cost of living made her constantly full of financial cares; she was not a very good manager, and the thought of the future oppressed her.
"I don't know what's to be done with you, Winona, when you leave school!" she remarked plaintively one evening.

"I feel that you ought to go in for something, but I'm sure I don't know what! I'd hoped you were going to turn out clever, and win a scholarship for College, and get a good post as a teacher afterwards, but there doesn't seem the least chance of your doing that.

It's all very well this hockey and cricket that's made such a fuss of at schools nowadays, but it doesn't seem to me that it's going to lead to anything.

I'd rather you stuck to your books! Yes, your future's worrying me very much.