Yes, I suppose Mary might not have been quite pliable enough for Mr. Collin's purposes. But I mean is that she would have been good as a preachers wife because she WAS moralizing and followed her 'duty'. She would have been a good schoolmarm or missionary. She probably just ended up a spinster though. Do you think she could ever make a living for herself (such as the main character did in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall?). I wonder how many of us would have been considered 'blue-stockings' back then? I do remember, in the last chapter of the book, Austen mentioning the fates of the two unwed sisters. Let me see if I can find it.... It says that "Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her time with her two elder sisters. In society so superior to that she had generally known, her improvement was great. She was not of so ungovernable a temper as Lydia; and, removed from the influence of Lydia's example, she became by proper attention and management, less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid." And it also says this "Mary was the only daughter who remained at home; and she was neccissarilly drawn from the pursuit of accomplishments by Mrs. Bennet's being quite unable to sit alone. Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but she could still moralise over every morning visit; and as she was no longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters' beauty and her own, it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the change without much reluctance." That would be terrible to be constantly told that you were not pretty in comparison to your sisters and that you were not an interesting person to be around. CMK

An interesting article . . . but . . . its light hearted nature can't entirely detract from the reality of the lives of the huge majority of girls and young women in modern day Pakistan. Perhaps given another two hundred years they may be where we are today.

Looks like the past home owners were going for a transitional look, but ended up with a weird hybrid of transitional/eclectic. Nothing inherently wrong with it I guess and looking at it. It doesn't seem you would have to do anything really extensive to get the modern look you are going for. Id start with the cabinets myself. That concrete sink just has to go. Im not sure what the last home owners were thinking with that one. It does not fit well with the current look of the bathroom nor would it fit the modern look you are looking for. Its a Leviathan of a sink that draws the eye away from everything else. The drawer fronts are already flat which is great for the modern look you are going for. I would opt to remove the shaker style cabinet doors though and replace them with flat front doors the same species of wood. Id also re-stain the cabinets to a darker color to give them a little more contrast in the room. If you plan to do it yourself opt for a nice General Finishes or Old Masters Gel stain that can go right over the existing finish. Last but not least for the cabinet door and drawer pulls. Change them out for something longer. 8 to 10 inch bar style pulls will go a long way to updating the look If you are really a stickler for detail and you want to really get into it. Get rid of the block glass around the shower and opt for a frame less plate glass instead. Maybe even add a knee wall where the block glass is between the shower and the toilet. Id also get rid of the mosaic tile on the floor of the shower. It just looks drab. Look for something with the same color variations as the wall tile, but with a little more pop to them. Last but not least for the shower. The shower trim kit to me completely go against the modern look you are going for. The trim can be changed out easily. Just opt for something of the same brand. If you go with a different brand then you will get into having to change the shower and diverter valves which means tearing out wall tile and plumbing. To much of a hassle. Stick with the same brand. Id get rid of that eclectic style ceiling light. For something with a more modern look. That square pot light over the toilet is really hurting the look of the bathroom. The vanity light over the sink is to eclectic and would need to go. The mirror is just to small and the frame around it does not suit the look you are going for. Also the wall mount faucet. Very traditional looking. Nothing wrong with the faucet being wall mounted I would just replace it with something more modern like a the Delta Trinsic wall mount faucet. Just my opinion on what should be done. I am not sure just how for into a remodel you were looking to get though

Mrs S, if you don’t think the US has a class system based on money, you cannot be very observant. In the US, money clearly gives status to its possessors, even when those possessors have little else to offer the community at large. The servants aren’t mentioned because generally their doings don’t advance the story. Modern novels rarely go in depth on the bus drivers, check out staff, wait staff etc that the central characters interact with unless it’s germane to the story. Rich households generally supported a large number of servants, who in a time of no welfare and limited charitable institutions, might otherwise have been homeless and starving. Even rich women worked to a greater or lesser extent. Most ran their households, planning menus, purchasing food and other supplies, directing the servants in extra duties according to the season, nursing sick members of an often extended family. They were also expected to take an interest in the community at large, visiting the sick and elderly poor and bringing them food and medicines, providing extras for the “ragged schools” and setting a good example for others. Less well off women also did all the family sewing and other tasks.