She kept strict accounts,

balancing the bills for corn and meal against current market prices for eggs and chickens,

being tremendously proud if her book showed a profit.

On the whole she did well, for the fowls had a free run on the common at the back of the house, and could thus pick up much for themselves.

With the help of the poultry, and a good vegetable garden, Beatrice was able to make her small housekeeping allowance supply the needs of the family, but there were no luxuries at the Parsonage.

The girls possessed few or none of the pretty trifles dear to their gender,

their pocket money was scanty almost to vanishing point, and they had early learnt the stern lesson of “doing without things”.