Ruth

The narrative resumes five years later. Leonard has grown into an intelligent and sweet little boy adored by his mother, Faith, Sally, and Mr. Benson. The group of adults sometimes disagrees on how best to raise Leonard; for example, they decide one day that Mr. Benson should hit Leonard as punishment for telling lies, but Sally intervenes and points out the hypocrisy, saying, “I think it’s for them without sin to throw stones at a poor child” (153).

Ruth is happily employed in the Bradshaw family, where Mr. Bradshaw tries to guide his children toward obedience and integrity, even though his wife is often more lenient with them. Ruth takes care of Mary and Elizabeth, who are significantly younger than Jemima and Richard. Richard spends most of his time in London, working and training to eventually take over his father’s business. He puts on a pretense of sharing his father’s strict moral views but seems to lead a much more liberal life in secrecy; for example, he admits to Jemima that he sometimes goes to the theatre. Jemima sometimes feels constrained by her father’s strict discipline and morality, but as a young woman, she has much less freedom than her brother.