o large for her slender
purse, so she determined to make one for herself. With no guide but
recollection of the charming novelty she had seen, no other pattern to
work by, no opportunity of unbraiding it to see how it was made, no
instruction whatever, she persevered until she had produced a bonnet
that filled the hearts of her female friends with envy, as well as with
ambition to copy it. This was the origin of the once famous Dunstable
bonnet. From this accidental beginning there sprung up a manufacture
which now employs ten thousand persons, most of whom are women, and the
product of which, in Massachusetts alone, amounts to six millions of
hats and bonnets annually. This girl thus became a public benefactor.
She opened a new and profitable employment to women, and at the same
time enriched herself."

"Yes," added Mr. Seeley, "and there are many other employments for
female skill and labor that may yet be opened up. This that you are
toiling in, Lizzie, may turn out something useful. I presume that even
bonnets cannot be more popular than strawberries."

"I should think so," interrupted Fred, "It is the women only who wear
the one, but it looks to me as if the whole world wanted the other."

Well, when our little crop had all been sold, I found that it amounted
to nearly twelve hundred quarts, and that it produced three hundred and
eighty dollars clear of expenses. This was quite as much as we expected;
besides, it was enough to enable me to quit the factory altogether, and
stay at home with my mother. And there was a fair prospect of this
release being a permanent one, as it was very certain I now understood
the whole art and mystery of cultivating strawberries. There was another
encouraging incident connected with this season's operations. It
appeared that our pastor had mentioned me and my labors to a number of
his friends, among whom was one who wanted to set out a large field with
plants, all of which he purchased of me, amounting to sixty dollars.
This was a most unexpected addition to our income.

But my sister Jane did not seem at all anxious to give up the factory. I
had, a good while before, let in an idea that there was some other
attraction about the establishment besides the sewing-machine. I
noticed, that, now we had so considerably increased our means, she was
more dressy than ever, and spent a great deal more time at her toilet
before leaving for the factory, as if there were some one there to whom