I always say that men are the same as kittens--you should take 'em straight from their mothers, or else not take 'em at all; for, if you don't, you never know what bad habits they may have formed or what queer tricks they will be up to." "Maybe the manager's nephew ain't altogether the sort of husband you'd expect for a Farringdon," said Mrs.Bateson thoughtfully; "I don't deny that.

But he's wonderful fond of her, Mr.Christopher is; and there's nothing like love for smoothing things over when the oven ain't properly heated, and the meat is done to a cinder on one side and all raw on the other.

You find that out when you're married." "You find a good many things out when you're married, Mrs.Bateson, and one is that this world is a wilderness of care.

But as for love, I don't rightly know much about it, since Hankey would always rather have had my sister Sarah than me, and only put up with me when she gave him the pass-by, being set on marrying one of the family.

I'm sure, for my part, I wish Sarah had had him; though I've no call to say so, her always having been a good sister to me." "Well, love's a fine thing; take my word for it.