It's th' sensiblest toy a child can have.

Let her play out in th' fresh air skippin' an' it'll stretch her legs an' arms an' give her some strength in 'em.'" It was plain that there was not a great deal of strength in Mistress Mary's arms and legs when she first began to skip.

She was not very clever at it, but she liked it so much that she did not want to stop.
"Put on tha' things and run an' skip out o' doors," said Martha.
"Mother said I must tell you to keep out o' doors as much as you could, even when it rains a bit, so as tha' wrap up warm." Mary put on her coat and hat and took her skipping-rope over her arm.
She opened the door to go out, and then suddenly thought of something and turned back rather slowly.
"Martha," she said, "they were your wages.

It was your two-pence really.

Thank you." She said it stiffly because she was not used to thanking people or noticing that they did things for her.