And, truth to tell, Jones and the little Joneses look well on it.

But two things in addition to the rent test her managing powers.
Boots for the children! and coal for the winter! The latter difficulty she gets over by paying one shilling per week into a coal club all the year through.

When Jones is in work she buys extra coal, but when the winter comes she draws upon her reserves at the coal merchant's.
But the boots are more difficult.

To his credit let it be said that Jones mends the family's boots.

That is, he can "sole and heel," though he cannot put on a patch or mend the uppers.