I never bother my head about the 'rolling stock' or the 'permanent way' of my intuitions; I know they'll bring me to the right conclusion, and I leave them to work out their Bradshaw for themselves." In the meantime Jemima Stubbs was pouring out a recital of her grievances into the ever-sympathetic ear of Caleb Bateson.
"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, my lass," he had said in his cheery voice, laying a big hand in tender caress upon the girl's narrow shoulders.
"And how should I, Mr.Bateson, not having a beau nor nobody to talk to ?" she replied in her quavering treble.

"What with havin' first mother to nurse when I was a little gell, and then havin' Johnnie to look after, I've never had time to make myself look pretty and to get a beau, like other gells.

And now I'm too old for that sort of thing, and yet I've never had my chance, as you may say." "Poor lass! It's a hard life as you've had, and no mistake." "That it is, Mr.Bateson.Men wants gells as look pretty and make 'em laugh; they don't care for the dull, dowdy ones, such as me; and yet how can a gell be light-hearted and gay, I should like to know, when it's work, work, work, all the day, and nurse, nurse, nurse, all the night?
Yet the men don't make no allowance for that--not they.

They just see as a gell is plain and stupid, and then they has nothing more to do with her, and she can go to Jericho for all they cares." "You've had a hard time of it, my lass," repeated Bateson, in his full, deep voice.
"Right you are, Mr.Bateson; and it's made my hair gray, and my face all wrinkles, and my hands a sight o' roughness and ugliness, till I'm a regular old woman and a fright at that.

And I'm but thirty-five now, though no one 'ud believe it to look at me." "Thirty-five, are you?
B'ain't you more than that, Jemima, for surely you look more ?" "I know I does, but I ain't; and lots o' women--them as has had easy times and their way made smooth for them--look little more than gells when they are thirty-five; and the men run after 'em as fast as if they was only twenty.