were occasionally allotted to supper, to conversation, or to reading
after supper to the family. This allotment she called her fund, upon
which she used to draw, to satisfy her other debits; and in this she
included visits received and returned, shows, spectacles, &c. which, in a
country life, not occurring every day, she used to think a great
allowance, no less than two days in six, for amusements only; and she was
wont to say, that it was hard if she could not steal time out of this
fund, for an excursion of even two or three days in a month.
If it be said, that her relations, or the young neighbouring ladies, had
but little of her time, it will be considered, that besides these four
hours in the twenty-four, great part of the time she was employed in her
needle-works she used to converse as she worked; and it was a custom she
had introduced among her acquaintance, that the young ladies in their
visits used frequently, in a neighbourly way, (in the winter evenings
especially,) to bring their work with them; and one of half a dozen of her
select acquaintance used by turns to read to the rest as they were at
work.
This was her usual method, when at her own command, for six days in the
week.