Read "A Bit of Rough Road" by Amy Le Feuvre online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
IT was quite a week before Hope grasped the reins of home government, and as she feared, she made many mistakes. If she taught Anne a few lessons in method and cleanliness, Anne taught her some in economy, for as yet Hope had little idea of the value of money. Mr. St. Clair was curiously punctilious in all business matters; he told his daughter he had never been in debt during the whole of his rough colonial life, and Brian informed her that this trait had made him quite conspicuous amongst his happy-go-lucky neighbours. He insisted now upon having weekly books from the tradesmen; and putting aside a certain sum for housekeeping, would not exceed it by a penny.
Hope was aghast at the end of her first week to find that she had exceeded it by a couple of pounds. She promptly supplied the deficit from her own purse, but determined not to err in like manner again. Her days were very full. She found her mending-basket never empty. Her father made great demands on her time and attention, and she was not sure of half an hour to herself throughout the day. The first Sunday had been pouring wet, and none of the family had gone to church, but one afternoon in the following week, she found that she could attend the cathedral service.