Oh yes, in-laws.
My first mil came from very humble stock. Her father was an ag lab. She was one of 8 children. Her mother fell down the rotten staircase in their one up one down cottage, broke her neck and died. Her father married the widow next door (yes) who already had five children and they went on to have more. Mils elder sister got a job aged 12 with an elderly lady in the village and my mil soon followed her, aged 10. I raved about the immorality of taking two girls to be virtual slaves. My mil said scornfully, you don't know what you are talking about. For the first time in our lives, we slept in a bed, were taught to wash ourselves and our clothes, to eat good food, to have someone take an interest in our well-being and all we had to do in exchange was dust a few pretty ornaments.
This certainly changed my (received) view of domestic service into one of refuge rather than slavery.
OC
Last edited by Olde Crone; 03-02-24 at 13:37.
Reason: Sp
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