The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-18

leaves him one whole trained girl, and he
could easily supply the place of the other"
Miss Sophy shook her head doubtfully.
He might be willing to do il" she said,
but hardly think So"
well, you may leave that question to me.
Now, for the other; what is your salary?'
Seven dollars week"
show much do you pay for board?"
"Three and hall"
$50 at the end of four weeks you have
| fourteen dollars, not counting your board I;
| Just what you would get by doing half the
| work, If you had no board to pay. want
| you and Julia to come and live at my house /;
| l will charge you the same board, three and
half week, and pay you the same salary
for your off week, so that your two weeks
work for me would cover your four weeks
board, and your two weeks at the store would
leave the same amount of money in your
hand at the end of the month. Do you see
how beautifully my plans work? declare
l deserve apatentp
u see great many beautiful things about
1t" said Miss Sophy, with shining eyes, "but
don't see where you are to get paid for our
board"
"Of course am making an outlay; I'll tell
you what for presently. just want to make
you understand first that 1t is not on you and
Julia; you are fairly to earn your board.
Now for my plan. l am crazy to start cook
ing and sewing school for poor children, be-
cause am persuaded that big part of the
misery OF poor homes comes from the women
not knowing how to cook and sew. want
you and Julia to take week about, managing
this for me-"
"But, Mrs. Hoffman, we can't cook or sew
ourselves" said Sophy.
That's one more objection than gave
you leave to make, but L pass it by. I'm a
splendid cook, and irst-rate seamstress,
for you to teach the school. Now, don t give
me any answer till you have talked it over
with Julia"
The OILY answer Miss Sophy could make
was soft kiss on her friends hand. What
she and Julia thought of the plans needs no
| telling.
By one of the little wheels, working to-
gether for good" In Gods blessed providence
| Mr. Parsons was ready to accept the pro.
posal at once. There happened to be at this
| time saleswoman out of employment whom
ne deslred to secure; he promptly accepted
| woman.
>, MI. Hoffman never again, as long as he
lived, saw his wife look ennuied or dull
anybody who has tried to cipher out one
page OF that great life-book, what. can l do
to help?" knows how rapidly other pages
unroll themselves. clearly and distinctly, be-
fore the eyes. This. cooking and sewing
school brought along in its train unnumbered
other things, here and there, that seemed
crying out to be done, and Mrs. Hoffman's
days were full. She kept her promise about
not spelling her husbands home-lfe with the
presence of her protegees. A long room that
had been Intended for her laundry, but
which she did not use, as her washing and
ironing were done out of the house, was par
titioned into kitchen and dining-room, where
the cooklng-class took their lessons In pre-
pairing and serving meals. A little table in
this dining-room was set apart for Julia and
Sophy themselves, and though they could
not be expected to devOur all the food pre-
pared, they kept such of it as they wanted,
dividing the rest for the children to take
home
The two teachers had a bedroom in the
third story, and adjoining it stting-room,
where the sewing-clasS gathered This was
taught after dark, and the c0oking-cla in
the afternoon, in order to catch the public
school children, and, as a matter of fact,
mothers often came to both. In the morn
ings, besides getting ready for their afternoon
and evening work, Mrs. Hoffman strictly re-
CURED each girl to spend an hour or more in
the open air; and as there was material for
both classes to buy, and great number Of
protegees to be ''looked after" this law was
readily obeyed. Mr.. Hoffman's part of the
scheme was paying for the materials used
and the teachers salaries, and he emphati-
cally declared that, simply from a selfish
standpoint, it was one of HIS best paying in
vestments.
But all earthly plans are liable to inter-
ruptiOn, and Ii looks yerV much as il ,Julia
was soon to desert this charming work. Her
young man. has been promoted, and de-
claresit is high time she was cooking and
sewing for him.
but that will only leave room for some
other pale-faced girl TO get her color back,
under your goodness, Mr.. Hoffman," says
Julia, her own cheeks showing at this par
ticular moment red enough for two girls