"But you forget her economical and wholesome prescriptions for disease, her directions for repairing and preserving clothing and provisions, that would be lost without them," answered Miss Smith.
"But one should always be prying into these things, and learn them for themselves," said Mr. Eastman.
"On the same principle, extended in its scale, every man might make his own house, furniture, and clothing," said Miss Norwood. "With the expenditure of much labor and research, she has supplied us with directions; and I think it would be vastly foolish for every wife and daughter to expend just as much, when they can be supplied with the fruits of hers, for the product of half a day's labor."
"Does your mother use it much?" asked Mrs. Eastman.
"Yes; she acknowledges herself much indebted to it."
"I shouldn't think she'd need it; she is so notable. Has she made many cheeses this summer?"
"Well, I've made more than I ever did a year afore--thirty in my largest hoop, all new milk, and twenty in my next largest, part skimmed milk. Our cheese press is terribly out of order, now. It must be fixed, Mr. Eastman. And I have made more butter, or else our folks haven't ate as much as common. I've made it salter, and there's a great saving in this."
"There's a good many ways to save in the world, if one will take pains to find them out," said Mr. Eastman.
"Doubtless; but I think the best method of saving in provisions is to eat little," said Clarina, as she saw Mr. Eastman _putting down_ his third biscuit.
"Why, as to that, I think we ought to eat as much as the appetite calls for," answered Mr. Eastman.
"Yes; if the appetite is not depraved by indulgence."
"Yes; it is an awful thing to pinch in eating," said Deborah.
"I never knew one to sin in doing it," said Miss Norwood. "But many individuals and whole families make themselves excessively uncomfortable, and often incur disease, by eating too much. There is, besides, a waste of food, and of labor in preparing it. In such families, there is a continual round of eating, cooking, and sleeping, with the female portion; and no time for rest, recreation, or literary pursuits."
"I have told our folks a great many times, that I did not believe that you lived by eating, over to your house," said Mr. Eastman. "I have been over that way before our folks got breakfast half ready; and your men would be out to work, and you women folks sewing, reading, or watering plants, or weeding your flower garden. I don't see how you manage."