se time and pains until he could send around to an
acquaintance and procure others, while his patient was waiting to be
relieved? Have your tools, girls, and keep them in order, and, if you
must sometimes lend, exact a speedy return, politely and gently, but
firmly, for we must sometimes insist on our rights, and then just as
firmly resolve not to borrow unless the circumstances are exceptional.
Have your own tools.

School-books should be laid aside as you leave them for other and more
advanced books, neither given away nor parted with out of the family,
though you may allow a younger sister or brother to use them, if you
choose. By-and-by you may be glad to have your school-books to refer to,
and you will find that they are as useful as much larger volumes, and
easier to keep at hand; they have been prepared by learned and
thoughtful experts, and have the advantage of being carefully condensed.
After your school-life is over you will very much enjoy the possession
of a shelf full of text-books, once your daily companions.

Your teachers will tell you of histories, books of travel, poems, and
novels which they would like you to read outside of your regular work.
Time spent in this way is very pleasant, so do not shirk your
supplementary reading. Do not, in fact, shirk anything. School days are
such happy days that they ought to be free from any omissions of which
conscience will have a right to complain.

Your dearest friend, and the next and next dearest, are at school with
you, and what pleasures you share, what ambitions, what confidences! Do
not let any stupid person laugh at you for being enthusiastic about your
friend; you have a beautiful time with her, and she has with you and if
any one makes fun of it, she shows that she has forgotten how girls
feel. Mothers never consider their daughter's friendships as matters of
small importance, and usually they love Marcia's and Edith's friends
almost as dearly as the girls themselves do. Be sure to have friends
whom you are proud to introduce to the dear mother, who is a girl's very
truest friend, when all is said.

May I speak to you now about something else? All this summer I have been
travelling twice a day on a suburban train. Early in the morning I have
hit the beautiful mountains, and, whirling through pleasant villages and
thriving towns, finally skirting lovely meadows and broad marsh-lands, I
have come to this busy, bustling city of New York. In the afternoo