exactly what you want, wages and all. And
put it into some family Sunday paper,--the 'Christian Register,' for
instance. Those things get read over and over; and the same paper
lies about a week. In the dailies, one thing crowds out another; a
new list every night and morning. See here, I'll write one now.
Perhaps it wouldn't be too late for this week. Would you go out of
town?"

"_Wouldn't_ I? I think sometimes that's just what ails me; wanting
to see soft roads and green grass and door-yards and sun between the
houses! But I couldn't go far, of course."

Desire's pencil was flying over the paper.

"'Wanted; a permanent situation in a pleasant family, as seamstress,
by a young girl used to all kinds of sewing, who will bring her own
machine. Would like a room to herself, and to have her meals
orderly and comfortable, whether with the family or otherwise.
Wages'--What?"

"By the day, I could get a dollar and a quarter, at least; but for a
real good home-place, I'd go for four dollars a week."

"'Wages, $4.00 per week. A little way out of town preferred.' There!
There are such places, and why shouldn't one come to you? Take that
down to the 'Register' office to-morrow morning, and have it put in
twice, unless stopped."

"Thank you. It's all easy enough, Miss Ledwith. Why didn't I work it
out myself?"

"It isn't quite worked out, yet. But things always look clearer,
somehow, through two pairs of eyes. Good-night. Let me know what you
hear about it."

"She'll surprise some family with such a seamstress as they read
about," said Bel Bree, on the door-step. "I should like to astonish
people, sometime, with a heavenly kind of general housework."

"That was a good idea of yours about the Sunday paper," said Sylvie,
as she and Hazel and Desire went back into the library to put away
the books. "But what when the common sort pick up the dodge, and
the weeklies get full of 'Wanteds'? Nothing holds out fresh, very
long."

"There _ought_ to be," said Desire, "some filtered process for these
things; some way of sifting and certifying. A bureau of mutual
understanding between the 'real folks,'--employers and employed. I
believe it might be. There ought to be for this, and for many
things, a fellowship organized, between women of different outward
degree. And something will happen, sooner or later, to bring it
about. A money crisis, perhaps, to throw these girls out of
shop-employment, and to make heads of households loo