Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-08-11

as 1 had already made IL at home about
twenty times myself, was not able to coir
even a smile out of it,
"What would you recommend?"
"Let me see," and my friend put his
hand TO his brow as If in deep thought. 81
have it Smithson let Bessie try wood en-.
craving. That is the best thing going fol
women. You see it can be done entirely al
home. Here is publisher who wants au
engraving. lie has IL drawn on tho block
by an artist. Bessie will simply call at his
store and get it--or he can send to her
Then, when it is finished-tho work re-
quires very little room-she can take il
back and get her money. 1t is tho very
thing for lady-nice, clean, genteel, easy
and highly remunerative. II had twon-
ty daughters they should all learn wood
engraving
"Twenty daughters in world like
this - thought l. GLOW recklessly Simp-
son talksr'
"What is the rate of compensation for
wood engraving, Simpson,
''Oh, it varies, OF course, according 10
proficiency, like everything else. 1 know,
however, that l had little block engraved
the other day; it was finished in three days,
and paid $50 for it. That looks like good
| prices for the workman, doesn't it2 and
the beauty of the thing is this-that ii
makes no difference whether the work is
| done by a man or woman-the result, and,
of course, the price is the same. What does
| Mr.. r.Livingstone, the publishers care wheth-
er his wood-euts are made by John Jones
or Bessie Simpson, so that they are done
wellH"
Aller parting from Simpson, l was so
struck with the force of what he had said,
that determined to investigate the matter
further. l called, therefore, on a certain
publisher, with whom L had a speaking ac-
quaintance.
Mr.. Books received me with the usual
degree of poiteness accorded to visitors by
business men rs soon as they ascertain that
aid visitor does not wish TO buy anything.
He did not seem TO be busy, and yet he did
not ask me to take seat; he kept me
standing at the end of his desk and replied
TO my questions civilly but very curtly.
"No; they did not care who engraved
hhOiA Nhh7g 81 Abul NtlO tiOhV NtAls
"Yes the work could be done by a lady
at home" mo; the wages were not low (;
they were very high; they were extottlon-
ate" YES; they often had work TO give
out"
Here Mr.. Books opened his ledger as a
sign for me TO go; and l took the hint,
thanked him-to which thanks lie respond
ed with u Shorthand left.
The thing had good look, so far, how
ever. Bessie evidently had got on the
wrong track; wood engraving evidently
was the work for which woman wSs pecul-
iarly fitted. Every new authority l con-
suited confirmed me further in this Opin-
ion.
That very day, however, Bessie came
home in splendid spirits. a carpet manu-
facturer had called at the school, and taken
fancy TO the patterns. He had pur-
chased two of them for ten dollars, and
said he should probably need more. He
was coming up 10 see her that very eve
ming, TO give her some idea about the styles
he wanted.
When he came / was greatly surprised.
From Bessie's description | had expected
n sage looking business man of about so.
IDste ad, he seemed to my venerable eyes
an enthusiastic young man of about 80. 1t
took him just three hours by the clock to
unfold his views as TO those patterns.
new it, because l remained up TO eleven
o'clock TO hear the result of the conference.
AMER he had gene, l went into the parlor.
"Why, what has kept Mr.. Ingram here
all this time, Bessie? That pattern bust
ness seems 10 be a very intricate one"
"Oh, he soon finished that, papa. lie
gave me his ideas, and said he would come
up again Thursday evening, to see how the
patterns looked. He said he had no doubt
lac could take all my patterns"
"And what price, Bessie ?-t looks
like business
"Oh, he said might set my own price
he felt such an interest in the cause of wo-
man."
"Indeedr' and opened my eyes. "And
when the business was settled, what then
did you talk about2"
"Oh, how should know, papa? About
poetry, and flowers, and birds, and married
life-I assure you he is very nice and in
telligent man, papa"
"Irs getting late-.et us go 10 bed, Bes-
sic, ,"saidI.
Let me cut the matter short. Bessie
ca me 10 me one day, and said, "Dear papa,
Mr.. Ingram says he loves me and asked
my consent TO speak 10 you about it,"
took her in my arms. "Bessie, my
darling, 1 can never consent TO it. You
must not sacrifice yourself for even me,
your father"
Sacrifice myself, papa, how you talk.
Mr.. Ingram is kind and good. Aud he
says he can help the girls, he thinks, to get
good places. But he is willing that shall
accept him conditionallyi so that, after six
months, if either of us wishes TO cancel the
engagement, either shall have the light 10
do So"
Well, the six months elapsed, and as
Bessie then declared that she loved Mr.. In
grain, the wedding took place. And this
was the end of Bessie's designlng-for l
never saw any carpets made after the pat
terms. In fact, Mr.. Ingram said that they
were all above the public taste at present,
and he was keeping them untiltrue art was
better appreciated.-Th NeiO Century.
"
The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery
Society, in recently issued appeal to all