had the pleasure of
transmitting five guineas to them, as the reward of their industry; and
we may imagine the complacency and satisfaction with which they revealed
the history of their labours and earnings to their friend Mr Barker.
He was as much pleased as they expected, and even more surprised. He
asked them how they intended to apply the money. They replied without
hesitation, to the children's school expenses; for their only object was
to make themselves less burdensome to their friends. Mr Barker would
not allow of this. He recommended them to lay by their earnings as a
separate fund, to be applied when any extraordinary occasion should
arise. He kindly added, that money so earned should bring some pleasure
in its expenditure to those who had obtained it by industry, and that he
did not see why their parlour should not in time be graced by a pair of
globes, or even a piano, honourably obtained by their own exertions.
This was a splendid prospect, and an animating one for these good girls,
and they determined to set to work again, as soon as the holidays should
afford them leisure. It was now necessary, however, to try their hands
at something else, as Mr Blyth had given notice that it would be some
months before he should want a further supply of the articles on which
they had hitherto so profitably employed their ingenuity.

What should they next attempt? This was a difficult question to answer,
and the girls determined to look about them, and observe, and wait for
the present, and not expect to earn more money before the holidays. So
they spent their leisure time through April and May in reading and
drawing for improvement, and in work, of which their hands were always
full.

When Midsummer came, and Jane made up her accounts at the close of her
first year of housekeeping, she thought she had every reason to be
satisfied and grateful. She had the encouragement also of Mr Barker's
warm approbation of her self-denying industry, and of her excellent
management. He gave her encouragement of another kind also. He told
her that Mr Everett had expressed his entire satisfaction in her
conduct to the children under her care, and his intention of either
raising her salary, or doing something equivalent to this, at the end of
the next year. The lady whose school Isabella and Harriet attended,
also spoke in praise of the girls to Mr Barker, and told him that their
good principles, their influential sense of re