and keep his business moving on to suit him. I wish the business were done at less expense, and he could afford more work to these women at a better price. But you are not obliged to take work from the shop, when you could help me and save the expense of a girl. If you do take it, you ought to have double the price you are doing that vest for, and give the money to those that need it.”

"I'm sure I shan't work for nothing, mother; and I shan't work for a living either,-(glancing at us, and seeming to say, 'as these factory girls do ')-but I will have some more of that— what-do-you-call it, lace—and Mary Wallace is cutting a cupid cameo for me, you know.” "I didn't know it, my child."

"I might as well help her as anybody else-she's poor's Job's turkey, you know. And what was I going to say? Oh-the jeweler on Main-street, below Lawrence there, that has such a queer name—that makes me think of a speckled fowl"

"Mr. Dominick?"

Yes, Dominick. Well, he's been keeping a bracelet for me these three weeks, and I want the lace, cameo, and bracelet, before next Sunday, you know, ma.”

"I did not know anything about it, Arabella."

"And take the shine off from Clara Keezle. She'll come out then in a new rig, and cut a great shine. If I don't make this vest and that boy's jacket this week, and get the lace, at least, and make it up, I shan't go to meeting next Sunday! Pa'll pay me good wages for all I do. There's where I have an advantage over Clara and the other girls that's taking work out of our shop. They

work for a'most nothing, as they are able to, and it's fashionable, and pa'll pay me good wages. And if I can't get 'em done, you know Betty'll come out of the kitchen, when her work is done, and help me. She's a hoosher to help out an undertaking, and she makes a needle fly."

Betty receives only a dollar a week, and you get her to earn a dollar a week for you in the time she needs to do her own sewing. It is all wrong, Bell,-all very wrong; and if I had my way, it should not be so. Do let Miss Logan take that vest and jacket to her mother, and you go without the lace and jewelry a little while longer."

"I don't see what you mean, ma: you say pa can't afford to buy the things I want, and keep his business advertised, (he could if he was a mind to) and how am I to do? I want to be like other girls, you know; other girls of all the first families does so

"Not the first families, I think, my child,-not the daughters of the best bred and most sensible families; but only

"What do you call first, pray, if Sheriff Keezle's, Mr. Pinchbeck's, Dr. Mushroom's, and their circle, arn't of the number ?"

I certainly think they are not, Bell,—at least I never ranked them as high as the Downses, Olneys, and hundreds of the real aristocracy whom I could name."

'Well, I never saw any first class if those I have mentioned are not. You know, ma, they are the most fashionable

1

"And they go to Newport every summer, you know, and give all the dinners and suppers here in Merrimack that anybody cares to attend. All their daughters has these things, and they make it fashionable to take in sewing and buy them in that way, and I don't want to be left behind, when they've taken so much pains to enjoy my society. If you talk so about these things, I don't know what you will say when you see the gold watches we have all agreed to get with money earned by sewing for Hickory Hall."

"I wish I might say something to break up this evil fashion, and bring relief to many poor women you are all helping to oppress and starve. suppose I cannot do much; but you go, girls, to Mrs. Logan, and tell her to be patient as she can, and may-be something can be done to relieve her. I will give her her rent for a quarter at least. That is mine: my father gave me that, and I will do as I choose with the rent, if my husband does less advertising and lessens the number of his clerks. Tell her that her rent is paid for a quarter, and I'll run over and see her to-morrow."

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How can you go to-morrow, ma, and leave me to look after all my company? And you certainly can't go next day, for it is Sunday."

"Tell her I'll come to-night, and again to-morrow, and Sunday, if I can do her any good. How, is the little girl considered dangerous? and do you need any watchers or help? We can any of us watch

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into a

Ma, it gives me such a headache when I go tight sick-room and watch—even two hours, you know."

You can go into a close ball-room and dance all night, and not have a headache; but I can go any night and get plenty of watchers at any time. Do let me know when your mother wants assistance, and tell her I'll certainly come over to-night.”

We thanked the good woman for her kindness, took a little courage from her sympathetic words, and left the Puffit mansion without seeing its lord. The next day, however, we saw him, and put in our humble plea for the seamstresses. At first we thought he would grant our request, for he smiled gallantly, and said, “I am very happy to see you, ladies;" but he had a great many more calls of that kind, he was sorry to add, than he could possibly answer; and his business was so expensive, he was under so many obligations to his friends, (meaning the high families that took sewing from his shop) and the times were so dull, he could not indulge his operatives with any more work, or with any better pay.

XVIII.

We found an opening, at last, for poor Bessie Plympton, and she came to Merrimack. This event was not the smallest of my joy, for her fair and lowly spirit was still bound to my own with many grateful and tender ties. But what a time she had getting here! She rigged herself out in all her new and "span-clean clothes," that she might win an indulgent smile from the stage driver, and secure a seat; and I thought myself, when she arrived, that I never saw her in better trim. Her.extra flesh only made her look more wholesome, and her hair was as straight as she could comb it, and all nicely tied away under a neat and comely cap. Her bonnet, to be sure, was three years old, and was much longer in front than the fashion now, but it was very neat, and clean, and so was her collar, and so were her black silk dress and purple silk apron. But after all that, she was treated with indignities, and had her poor heart deeply wounded.

"The driver was cross as a dog when I axed him for a seat in the stage," said she; "and he told me in a huff, 'his seats was for white folks.' I couldn't help cryin, I couldn't, then, and he seed it, and sot silent. Then I