His advice had been invaluable.

He had helped in choosing carpenters and painters and it was owing to his suggestion that Mrs.Barnes had refrained from engaging an East Wellmouth young woman to help in the kitchen.
"You could find one, of course," said the captain.

"There's two or three I could think of right off now who would probably take the job, but two out of the three wouldn't be much account anyhow, and the only one that would is Sarah Mullet and she's engaged to a Trumet feller.

Now let alone the prospect of Sarah's gettin' married and leavin' you 'most any time, there's another reason for not hirin' her.

She's the everlastin'est gossip in Ostable County, and that's sayin' somethin'.
What Sarah don't know about everybody's private affairs she guesses and she always guesses out loud.