Delafield, E.M. The Provincial Lady has a nice house, a nice husband (usually asleep behind The Times) and nice children. In fact maintaining Niceness is the Provincial Ladys goal in life - her raison detre. She never raises her voice, rarely ventures outside Devon (why would she?), only occasionally allows herself to become vexed by the ongoing servant problem and would be truly appalled by the confessional mode which has gripped the late twentieth century. The Provincial Lady, after all is part of what made Britain great.