Joseph's presence there rather encouraged hilarity, for he was a merry urchin, and stood not in the same awe of his father as did his comrades.

Kindness was the law of the house, but it was the kindness of thorough discipline.
Neither the master nor the mistress believed in the liberty that brings licence in its train.
Life went very quietly, smoothly, and monotonously within the walls of that busy house.

Trade was brisk just now.

The fashion lately introduced amongst fine ladies of having whole dresses of gold or silver lace, brought more orders for the lace maker than he well knew how to accomplish in the time.

He and his son and his apprentices were hard at work from morning to night; and glad enough was the master of the daily-increasing daylight, which enabled him and those who were glad to earn larger wages to work extra hours each day.
Being thus busy at home, he went less than was his wont abroad, and heard but little either of the sullen comet which hung night after night in the sky, or of the whispers sometimes circulating in the city of fresh cases of the distemper.
These last, however, were growing fewer.