e to make a dress of it for her twelve-year-old
daughter, with an addition of three yards of blue to match. I told her
I could make a beautiful child's dress, a very suitable and pretty
combination. The next day the girl was measured and the dress began
and by the end of the week it was to be tried on. When the dress was
done she was so pleased that I did her work as long as I was in the
business of dressmaking, which lasted ten years. This was the
beginning.

After Mrs. Bird had started me she was obliged to go to her home, so I
advertised for a forewoman. The next day I engaged a competent woman,
Mrs. Sheek from Nevada. She brought her sewing machine and was well up
in the ideas and ways of a shop. She saw right away I was new in the
art, but she and I soon understood what was needed. In one month
things went with such perfect system we were able to take in all the
work that was brought to us. Our window was always dressed and the
figure robed in the last garment finished, and we were becoming so
popular I was obliged to get more help. Before the year was out I had
ten girls constantly employed and three machines running all the time.
These were busy days, what with concerts, singing in churches and at
funerals, rehearsals, dressmaking and roomers. I also made costumes of
singers and actresses who heard of my ability. When singing, my
costumes attracted attention and I received many customers who were
struck by my gowns. Mrs. P.D. Bowers, the famous actress, sent for me
at the Palace and ordered her costumes for Amy Robsart, also other
costumes and dominos. Emilie Melville was my customer for her concert
and opera robes; so was Mme. Mulder and Mme. Elezer. I made the robes
for Signora Bianchi in the opera of "Norma," for Mrs. Tom Breese and
Mrs. Nick Kittle. Mrs. Tom Maguire and Mrs. Mark McDonald were regular
customers for years. Mrs. Maynard, a wealthy banker's wife, who lived
on Bush street, and her daughters justly appreciated my work, and I
found in Mrs. Maynard a lifelong friend. I continued in this busy way,
always hearing good news of the improvement in my husband in
Melbourne. He had been gone now a year and a half and I had received
encouraging letters from him and at last he informed me he would come
soon and take me and the boys to Melbourne to live. All the time he
was gone I had been paying off this tremendous amount of indebtedness
of his failure, and keeping it as a secret from him so as to surprise
h