to cure a girl of
conceit," she once said to a friend, "let her try to earn her living. As
long as she does not ask to be paid, everybody will praise her work, but
let her offer to sell her services and then see!"

I have not told this story to discourage girls who wish to be
independent, but to show them the difficulties in their way. There is no
doubt that every girl should be able to support herself. This very case
makes it clear. But it does not seem to me equally clear that every girl
should support herself, and certainly, if she does, it requires great
judgment to select the way.

Fifty years ago women were very dependent, but now many avenues are open
to them, and perhaps they have been urged almost too much to earn their
own living. I will therefore speak of some circumstances in which it
seems to me a girl is to be excused from that.

1. If she is rich, I think there are two objections to her earning
money. One is trite and has been often answered. She should not take the
bread out of the mouths of those who need it. I do not think this a very
strong objection, because every one who works and produces anything adds
to the wealth of the world, and sets others free to work for new ends.
But one can do good service, without working for money, and, in point of
fact, a woman who chooses any of the common ways of earning money
usually does shut out some one else.

To illustrate: I knew two school-girls who were classmates, both
excellent girls. Martha was the best scholar in school. Lucy was rather
dull, though not conspicuously so. Martha wished to teach, as her mother
was a widow and poor. She applied for a situation in a neighboring town,
but was told that some one had been before her, and though the matter
was not then decided, the school was at last given to the first-comer,
who proved to be Lucy. Lucy's father was a well-to-do merchant whose
name was known to the committee, and this settled the question. Lucy
herself was quite innocent. She had no wish to interfere with Martha.
Nor had she any special wish to teach. But she wanted a new silk dress,
and she thought she should like to earn it. Her friends said she showed
the right spirit and encouraged her. Martha and her mother suffered the
most pinching poverty while Lucy was earning her dress, and when Martha
at last found a place she proved to be a wonderful teacher, while Lucy
was a commonplace one. It might, of course, have been the other way. If
Lucy