se a home. In fact, the earnings of
book-agents, even the best of them, cannot even be approximately
stated. It is sufficient to say that a woman with the proper
qualifications, who strictly attends to her business, who is
persevering, full of courage, and who works diligently, is sure
to succeed. No, there is one thing more needed--a good book.

There are a great number of subscription books offered to agents every
year, but out of the whole lot very few of them are of real value. And
yet, it is not necessary that a book should be, intellectually
speaking, first-class, in order to meet with a sale. Some books issued
by subscription at the present time cost $20 and $30 apiece. There is
a cyclopedia for which the price is over $100. Such books as these, it
has been found, must be sold by male agents only. It has also been
discovered that women are most successful in the sale of books of a
religious or semi-religious character, issued at a reasonable price.
The reason for this is apparent. They are brought in contact with the
female members of families, and in thus meeting members of their own
sex they are at no loss for interesting topics of conversation. For
the successful book-agent, it is needless to say, does not, the moment
she enters a house, present her wares and cry boldly "Buy"; she "leads
up" to the business in hand.

In selecting a book a woman should go to a first-class publisher and
pick out a work which, according to her judgment (and without much
regard to what he may say, because he may very often be wrong), will
meet a popular household demand. Let her beware of all the small
catch-penny kind of publications; reproductions, from old and worn-out
stereotype plates, of books that no one, who really cares for books,
will be likely to buy. There are so many good subscription books
coming from the press in the present day that there is hardly any
excuse for a woman who will waste her time in canvassing for poor
ones. Of course, the hasty books outnumber the books of real merit,
but there are enough of the latter to furnish employment to all the
women who will be likely to engage in this occupation.

To give an example of the kind of publisher to be avoided, I may state
that in a large Eastern city there is a man who makes it his business,
at certain seasons of the year, to advertise for young lady agents. He
always wants "_young_ ladies," and he always wants them to be without
experience. He publishes but