I often feel that the loss of a lady at the head of my household must be especially felt among the poor people around us--additionally so, as Mr.Andrewes is not married, and there is no lady either at the Rectory or here to visit the sick and encourage the mothers and children.

I fear that when I do anything for them it is often in a wrong way, or for wrong objects." "Well, sir," said Mrs.Bundle, an old grievance rushing to her mind, "I had thought myself of making so bold as to speak to you about that there Tommy Masden as you give half-crowns to, as tells you one big lie on the top of another, and his father drinks every penny he earns, and his mother at the back-door all along for scraps, and throwed the Christmas soup to the pig, and said they wasn't come to the workus yet; and a coat as good as new of yours, sir, hanging out of the door of the pawnshop, and giving me such a turn I thought my legs would never have carried me home, till I found you'd given it to that Tommy, who won't do a hand's turn for sixpence, but begs at every house in the parish every week as comes round, and tells everybody, as he tells yourself, sir, that he never gets nothing from nobody." "Well, well," said my father, laughing, "you see how I want somebody to look out the real cases of distress and deserving poverty.

Of course, I must speak to Mr.Andrewes first, Mrs.Bundle, but I am sure he will be as glad as myself that you should do what we have neither of us a wife to undertake." I know Nurse Bundle was only too glad to reconcile her honest conscience to staying at Dacrefield; and I think the allusion to the lack of a lady head to our household decided her at all risks to remove that reason for a second Mrs.Dacre.Moreover, the duties proposed for her suited her tastes to a shade.
Mr.Andrewes was delighted.

And thus it came about that, though my father would have been horrified at the idea of employing a Sister of Mercy, and though Bible-woman and district visitor were names not familiar in our simple parochial machinery, Mrs.Bundle did the work of all three to the great benefit of our poor neighbours.
Not, however, to the satisfaction of those who had hitherto leant most upon the charity of the Hall.

A certain picturesquely tattered man, living at some distance from the village, who was in the habit of waylaying my father at certain points on the estate, with well-timed agricultural remarks and a cunning affectation of half-wittedness and good-humour, got henceforward no half-crowns for his pains.
"Mrs.Bundle has knocked off all my pensioners," my father would laughingly complain.