xury.
No one needs to wear a feather in her hat in order to keep alive. But we
know that we must eat, be clothed and have shelter in order to live.
In times of great business depression people stop spending money, as far
as possible. They cease buying feathers and other luxuries. In this way,
girls who earn their living by doing work connected with luxuries are
likely to lose their employment during times of financial depression. But
if the girl who has earned her living curling feathers is a good cook,
she is reasonably sure of employment even in bad times. Workers such as
artists of all kinds, musicians, writers, actors, painters, sculptors,
handicraft workers, architects and so on are likely to experience
difficulties during times of financial depression. Many workers in these
classes agree that it is advisable for them to have other work of a
different character which they may use as occasion requires.

The girl who is a musician may add to her profession a knowledge of
poultry farming or rose growing. Roses may be called a luxury, it is true,
but the world will never consent to live without roses. Or the girl who
is an artist may make and sell blouses. The girl who is a writer may find
productive work of the same character as the musician, or she may turn to
fruit farming or become a paid housekeeper. Every worker should make an
effort to understand the connection between the character of her work and
the likelihood of her obtaining steady employment.

CHAPTER XXVIII

WHAT ONE GIRL CAN DO FOR ANOTHER

"No work will have as much happiness as it ought to have, or will be as
well done as it should be, until fellow-workers exchange experiences and
advice with one another."

Every girl can learn something about her work from others in the same
occupation. To learn from a friendly fellow-worker is pleasant and easy
compared with the difficulty that we find in learning from people who are
not specially interested in showing us how to work. Some of the happiest
groups of workers are those who have organized to promote friendship and
good feeling amongst girls and women who are in the same occupation.

This is what the girls of one such group say of the benefit of belonging
to a friendly social organization of which the members are fellow-workers:
"It improves our work, because we know how the others do theirs and we
want to do as well as they do. We talk over problems in our work, and
hearing the various idea