Juliet Sutherland Charles Franks and the Online Distributed ProofreadingTeamThe Works of E P RoeVOLUME TENWHAT CAN SHE DOILLUSTRATEDDEDICATION                  IF I WERE               TO DEDICATE THIS           BOOK IT WOULD BE TO THOSE      GIRLS WHO RESOLVE THAT THEY WILL NOTPLAY THE POOR ROLE OF MICAWBER THEIR ONLY CHANCE FOR     LIFE BEING THAT SOME ONE WILL TURN UP           WHOM THEY MAY BURDEN WITH                THEIR HELPLESS                    WEIGHTPREFACEThis book was not written to amuse to create purposeless excitementor to secure a little praise as a bit of artistic work It wouldprobably fail in all these things It was written with a definiteearnest purpose which I trust will be apparent to the readerAs society in our land grows older and departs from primitivesimplicity as many are becoming rich but more poor the changes thatI have sought to warn against become more threatening The ordinaryavenues of industry are growing thronged and it daily involves a morefearful risk for a woman to be thrown out upon the world withunskilled hands an untrained mind and an unbraced moral natureImpressed with this danger by some considerable observation by amultitude of facts that might wring tears from stony eyes I havetried to write earnestly if not wiselyOf necessity it touches somewhat on a subject delicate and difficultto treatthe skeleton in the closet of society But the evil existson every side and at some time or other threatens every home andlife It is my belief that Christian teachers should not timidly orloftily ignore it for mark it well the evil does not let us or oursalone It is my belief that it should be dealt with in a plainfearless manly manner Those who differ with me have a right to theiropinionThere is one other thought that I wish to suggest Much of the fictionof our day otherwise strong and admirable is discouraging in thisrespect In the delineation of character some are good some are badand some indifferent We have a lovely heroine a noble herodeveloping seemingly in harmony with the inevitable laws of theirnatures Associated with them are those of the commoner or baser sortalso developing in accordance with the innate principles of theirnatures The first are presented as if created of finer clay than theothers The first are the flowers in the garden of society the latterthe weeds According to this theory of character the heroine mustgrow as a mossrose and the weed remain a weed Credit is not due toone blame should not be visited on the other Is this true Is notthe choice between good and evil placed before every human soul savewhere ignorance and mental feebleness destroy free agency In thefield of the world which the angels of God are to reap is it not evenpossible for the tares to become wheat And cannot the sweetest andmost beautiful natural flowers of character borrow from the skies afragrance and bloom not of earth So Gods inspired Word teaches meI have turned away from many an exquisite and artistic delineation ofhuman life sighing God might as well never have spoken words ofhope warning and strength for all there is in this book The Divineand human Friend might have remained in the Heavens and never come toearth in human guise that He might press His great heart of worldwide sympathy against the burdened suffering heart of humanity Heneed not have died to open a way of life for all There is nothinghere but human motive human strength and earthly destiny We protestagainst this narrowing down of life though it be done with thefaultless skill and taste of the most cultured genius The children ofmen are not orphaned Our Creator is still EmmanuelGod with usEarthly existence is but the prelude of our life and even from thisthe Divine artist can take much of the discord and give an earnest ofthe eternal harmoniesWe all are honored with the privilege of coworking with HimIf I in my little sphere can by this book lead one father to train hischildren to be more strong and selfreliant one mother to teach herdaughters a purer more patient more heroic womanhoodif I haveplaced one more barrier in the tempters way and inspired one morewholesome fear and principle in the heart of the temptedif bylifting the dark curtain a moment I can reveal enough to keep onecountry girl from leaving her safe native village for unprotected lifein some great cityif I can add one iota toward a public opinion thatwill honor useful labor however humble and condemn and renderdisgraceful idleness and helplessness however gildedif chief ofall I lead one heavyladen heart to the only source of rest I shallbe well rewarded whatever is said of this volumeCONTENTSCHAPTER ITHREE GIRLSCHAPTER IIA FUTURE OP HUMAN DESIGNINGCHAPTER IIITHREE MENCHAPTER IVTHE SKIES DARKENINGCHAPTER VTHE STORM THREATENINGCHAPTER VITHE WRECKCHAPTER VIIAMONG THE BREAKERSCHAPTER VIIIWARPEDCHAPTER IXA DESERT ISLANDCHAPTER XEDITH BECOMES A DIVINITYCHAPTER XIMRS ALLENS POLICYCHAPTER XIIWAITING FOR SOME ONE TO TURN UPCHAPTER XIIITHEY TURN UPCHAPTER XIVWE CANT WORKCHAPTER XVTHE TEMPTATIONCHAPTER XVIBLACK HANNIBALS WHITE HEARTCHAPTER XVIITHE CHANGES OF TWO SHORT MONTHSCHAPTER XVIIIIGNORANCE LOOKING FOR WORKCHAPTER XIXA FALLING STARCHAPTER XXDESOLATIONCHAPTER XXIEDITHS TRUE KNIGHTCHAPTER XXIIA MYSTERYCHAPTER XXIIIA DANGEROUS STEPCHAPTER XXIVSCORN AND KINDNESSCHAPTER XXVA HORROR OF GREAT DARKNESSCHAPTER XXVIFRIEND AND SAVIOURCHAPTER XXVIITHE MYSTERY SOLVEDCHAPTER XXVIIIEDITH TELLS THE OLD OLD STORYCHAPTER XXIXHANNIBAL LEARNS HOW HIS HEART CAN BE WHITECHAPTER XXXEDITHS AND ARDENS FRIENDSHIPCHAPTER XXXIZELLCHAPTER XXXIIEDITH BRINGS THE WANDERER HOMECHAPTER XXXIIIEDITHS GREAT TEMPTATIONCHAPTER XXXIVSAVEDCHAPTER XXXVCLOSING SCENESCHAPTER XXXVILAST WORDSCHAPTER ITHREE GIRLSIt was a very cold blustering day in early January and even brilliantthronged Broadway felt the influence of winters harshest