Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/316

332 very rare. Husband and wife work at the same occupation, and get good earnings, which makes living easy. The skillful workman soon builds his own house. The women can earn from three to fifteen francs a day; the greater number, however, less than five. They like their work, but become, in consequence, less clever as housewives; give themselves no time to attend to cooking, and their clothes, and often not even to take care of the child which is ill, which cannot be compensated for by any amount of pecuniary gains. This working-life is assuredly not altogether good for married women. For the unmarried, it