The Downstairs Girl: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Jo pleads with Mrs. English to keep her job, but Mrs. English says Jo just doesn’t make “economic sense.” At last, Jo goes home to Old Gin, who has raised her like a father. He perches like a bird when he sits and has fits of severe coughing. He is always saving money for Jo’s future, but she stresses it should be for both of their futures.

Jo leaves Old Gin and goes to her room, which is under the print shop, where she can sometimes hear Mrs. Bell and Mr. Bell—she’s been eavesdropping on them for most of her life. Today, she hears the Bells arguing about the latest edition, along with their son (and writer), Nathan. Mrs. Bell tells Nathan that if the paper doesn’t soon get more subscribers, it will lose its sponsors (who are based in the North), meaning the Bells might have to move. They discuss how modernizing Aunt Edna, a newspaper column for women, might be one way to attract more subscribers.