he half dozen leading translators, and all others
must either lie unread or be translated by those who do not need any
money for their work. Yet there are books which ought to be translated,
though they will not pay. And how rare it is to translate well! Even
rarer than to write English well. If a woman is aware that she has grace
in expressing herself, and a delicate perception of the meaning of
words, and the power to comprehend the thought of a writer, then can she
do better with time and money than to perfect her knowledge of a
language so that she can make a good translation of some fine book which
would otherwise be neglected? If she should also have some poetic gift,
she might even translate poems which ought to be known. Probably no poem
was ever poetically translated for money.

There is another occupation for rich women more exclusively womanly--the
care of children. I remember a rich mother who did this work well. She
had a nurse, indeed, to relieve her of some of the drudgery, though she
did not shrink from this, too, when it was needed; but the greater part
of the day was passed with her children. She knew what words they heard
and what actions they saw. She identified herself thoroughly with them.
I will not say that she knew all their thoughts, but I think she knew
all they were willing to express to any one. She entered into their
games and taught them to play. But though she was so much with them she
did not let them feel that she had no other uses for her time. She read
or wrote or sewed at one end of the long nursery, while they played at
the other. She tried to develop their independence, and she trusted them
little by little, more and more, as she saw they had strength to take
care of themselves. She studied their characters, and gave much thought
to the way to correct their faults. Sometimes a single word of reproof
or command was the result of hours of thought, but they could not know
that. At last they seemed to be thoroughly self-governing. They did the
right thing instinctively, whether she was there to see them or not. If
they were in doubt they came of their own accord to ask her advice, not
requiring her command.

By degrees she separated herself from them for most of the day simply to
teach them self-reliance, not because she was tired of her task. The
hours of separation were still given to them. She thought of them and
studied for them, and planned ways of making herself most charming t