458 BLINKIN
will have enough to live on, they will buy a shop for her, she is quite capable of managing it only let Heaven send a young man of acceptable parentage, so that one's husband shall have no need to blush with shame when he is asked about his son-in-law's family and connections.
And this is really what they used to do, for when their daughters were sixteen, they gave them in mar- riage, and at twenty the daughters were "old," much- experienced wives. They knew all about teething, chicken-pox, measles, and more besides, even about croup. If a young mother's child fell ill, she hastened to her bosom crony, who knew a lot more than she, having been married one whole year or two sooner, and got advice as to what should be done.
The other would make close inquiry whether the round swellings about the child's neck increased in size and wandered, that is, appeared at different times and different places, in which case it was positively nothing serious, but only the tonsils. But if they re- mained in one place and grew larger, the mother must lose no time, but must run to the doctor.
Their daughters knew that they needed to lay by money, not only for a dowry, but because a girl ought to have money of her own. They knew as well as their mothers that a bridegroom would present himself and ask a lot of money (the best sign of his being the right sort!), and they prayed God for the same with- out ceasing.
No sooner were they quit of household matters than they went over to the discussion of their connections and alliances it was the greatest pleasure they had.
