her despair she
thought of _The Joy-bell_, and went off to see the editor.

"She was met at the office (poor child, how she could venture there
alone is a mystery to me) with the intelligence that _The Joy-bell_
had ceased to exist, and the editor had decamped with poor Poppy's
wages.

"Luckily I came home that evening, and found your poor little sister
in sad trouble. I am thankful to say I have been able to relieve her
present necessities without the slightest inconvenience to myself.
Jasmine has been greatly shaken, but she is better again now, and is
most anxious that you should not be troubled. I only tell you this
much, dear Primrose, because I consider it my bounden duty that you
should know how matters really stand. Rest happy about Poppy; her
money has been returned to her, and Jasmine has sufficient for her
present necessities. On second thoughts, I had better perhaps let you
into my little secret. I have borrowed ten pounds for Jasmine on that
valuable Spanish lace of her mother's. Do not imagine that the lace is
gone; it will be returned to Jasmine whenever she can refund the
money. It was necessary, dear Primrose, to take it, and I acted as I
am sure you would think right in the matter. Poppy had to be paid her
wages.

"Now, dear Primrose, I want to talk with you very seriously on another
matter. You must own, dear, that though you have tried bravely you
have not yet, any of you, succeeded in earning your living. It is
almost a year since you began to try, and you have made, I fear, but
small headway. You, Primrose, have done best, and have made fewer
mistakes than your sisters, but even you would not care to spend all
your life in continual reading to Mrs. Mortlock. Jasmine can only earn
a precarious and uncertain living by dressing dinner-tables. Of
course, no one even expects dear little Daisy to contribute to the
family purse at present, but at the same time she need not put us into
terrible frights, nor be in the power of wicked and designing people.
My dear girls have had a trial of their own way; and now I think they
ought to take the advice of those older and wiser than themselves.

"If, dear Primrose, you want to earn your living well--and nothing
makes a woman braver and better than being able to support
herself--you must be educated to take up some one profession in an
efficient manner. Money must be spent for this purpose, and you must
not be too proud to accept money from those who really