from their mothers; besides, _your_ mother is a discreet
woman, and lives a long way off from London. You must know, then,
Billy, that I have two very dear friends--two ladies--who are in deep
poverty, and I want to give them money--"

"Well, why don't you give it 'em, Miss?" said Billy, seeing that Ruth
hesitated. "You must have lots of it to give away," he added, looking
contemplatively round.

"Yes, thank God, who gave it to me, I have, as you say, lots of it, but
I cannot give it to the dear ladies I speak of because--because--"

"They're too proud to take it, p'raps," suggested Billy.

"No; they are not proud--very far from it; but they are sensitive."

"What's that, Miss?"

Ruth was puzzled for a reply.

"It--it means," she said, "that they have delicate feelings, which
cannot bear the idea of accepting money without working for it, when
there are so many millions of poor people without money who _cannot_
work for it. They once said to me, indeed, that if they were to accept
money in charity they would feel as if they were robbing the really
poor."

"Why don't they work, then?" asked Billy in some surprise. "Why don't
they go to sea as stooardesses or somethink o' that sort?"

"Because they have never been trained to such work, or, indeed, to any
particular work," returned Ruth; "moreover, they are in rather delicate
health, and are not young. Their father was rich, and meant to leave
them plenty to live on, but he failed, and left them in broken health
without a penny. Wasn't it sad?"

"Indeed it was, Miss," replied the boy, whose ready sympathy was easily
enlisted.

"Well, now, Billy, I want you to go to see these ladies. Tell them that
you are a fisher-boy belonging to the North sea trawling fleet, and that
you have called from a house which wants a job undertaken. You will
then explain about the fishery, and how the wrists of the men are
chafed, and break out into painful sores, and how worsted mitts serve
the purpose at once of prevention and cure. Say that the house by which
you have been sent has many hands at work--and so I have, Billy, for
many ladies send the cuffs and things made by them for the fleet to _me_
to be forwarded, only they work gratuitously, and I want the work done
by my two friends to be paid for, you understand? Tell them that still
more hands are wanted, and ask them if they are open to an engagement.
You must be very matter-of-fact, grave, and businesslike, you