Is idleness the root of all evil? Maria thought so.
I had never met a woman who was more programmed in free time. There was bread to bake, and cards to make, to say nothing of gardening.
And this applied to the children. My girls were lucky enough to spends weeks of their summer vacation at Maria’s home in the hills of Virginia. However, there was very little idle time. From the age of four, they were expected to get up and make their beds, put away their dishes after breakfast, feed the cats, help Maria with her errands, and pull weeds in the garden. And they were not paid.
Did they bristle at this? Most definitely. Did they learn how to work? Absolutely.