Year: 1873




'All the bonnets worn in our family
had been made by me from the time | was
quite a small girl. Ny materials were apt
TO be scant yet | generally succeeded in
producing presentable article. One day,
III making a call, | found young friend
bewildered over her first effort at bonnet.
manufacture. Ny longing to handle her
profusion of rich material was so great
that while we were talking | took the work
from her. In less than an hour | had
fashioned a most stylish little bonnet.
My friend was in an ecstasy Of delight,
and told me that if / would only go into
the millinery business she would get me
all the custom l needed. At once l con-
fided to her my desire for profitable occu-
PATTON and the result was that she gave
several orders from her owD family, with
promise of others from her friends, pro-
vided my parents would permit me to ac-
cept them.


II went home in high glee, which was
only dampened by dread of the opposi-
ton l must encounter. When | first
brOached the subject the dear souls were
shocked. They would not object to my
teaching, but my father said that so long
as he was able to keep roof over our
heads, he would not be disgraced by hav-
ing a daughter of his earn her livelihood
by menial exertions. How would it be, ;
said |, if | could write a book?' That
would be quite different matter was the
reply. Or what if | would play the organ,
or sing in church?' That, too, 1 was told
would be considered unexceptionable.
We'll, then, petulantly exclaimed, if the
Lord had endowed me with aptitude for
teaching, or imagination for authorship,
or talent for music, painting or sculpture,
and these gifts had been fostered by edu-
cation, it would be respectable to convert


them into money, but itwould be degrade
ton to end my present sham life in any
other way. Dear parents, let me prove the
| falsity of this theory, let me have my way
| and promise you that | will win the
esteem, through my digniied earnestness
of all those whose good opinion is worth
having. Besides, | will make money
enough to educate those of your daughters
| who are more gifted than for such call
ings as you now deem respectable. Those
| of Us who should be so fortunate as to
| marry well will make much better wives
for not squandering our youth in idle
| frivOlitv.'


Before long l was happy in the con
| victiOn that | had converted my parents. |
| have always found that when prejudice
4 piiiiNto u tiN Sopo pCbpI1, tilSiS 10 iiltIS
difficulty in forcing the scales to fall from
their eyes, if truths are propsrly presented
| Our neighbors were considerably Mortified


when they found that my fathers daugh
| ter had become tradeswoman, but | as
| sumed, as a matter of course, the dignity
of my choice, thus forcing respect 1t did
my heart good to find how many girls
! situated as | had been, protited by my eX
| ample and set to work. | derived such
| wholesome benefit from my eXertions
| that | longed to 90 forth on a crusade
| against idleness and | was truly happy
| when | succeeded In earning money
| enough to execute my plans for the girls
My sister Rita developed talent for music
and glorious voice, and has long since
| repaid me for all that | expended upon
musical education. She has a salary Other
| $500 year for singing in a church choir
| and derives a nice income besides from
teaching music. Laura, our little landscape
| painter, made the acquaintance of heI
| Coming Man" through the sale of heI
| first picture. She makes a most dainty
housekeeper, but her marriage has not
| lost her to art, for her husband is proud
of her talents, and is constantly encourag
| ing her to new efforts in her studio Sister
MOllie is a veritable little schOolmarm, is





Liza Addie and Helen are too young to


have their future mapped out for them
but | think the former will be a writer


one of these days. Father and mother
| are delighted with the result of my exper-
iment.


Through friend who passed several
weeks here this summer, | became inter.
ested in your place, and upon communi-
patIn r with t!r Martin induced tc
plan the establishment which we hope to
have in operation next week. A lady will
be here shortly to attend to the dress max
| ing department, although both it and the
| millinery will be under my supervision
We purpose seeking assistance among the
| unemployed young girls of your town,
and anticipate soon having sufficiently
well-trained force to execute anv number
of orders. Perhaps what / am doing may
| be the commencement of an effort to i'm
prove the business interests of your town
There is no reason why it should not be
developed into one of the most flourish
ing towns in this part of the country
Your situation is excellent your water
power fine: all that you need is to concen-
trate your wealth and your energies at
home, countenance and support the estab-
lishment of all industrial branches, rem
der it to the advantage Of tirst-class pro
fessors of art, science and literature to
take up their abode here, in order that the
talent existing among those who cannot
afford to 90 abroad for culture may not
run to waste. And now let me crave your
indulgence for having so long occupied
your time. Knowing how thoroughly my
heart is in my work, you may compre-
hend why | was liable to fall into the
culpable egotism of supposing that it was
my individual self in whom YOU were all
interested. In conclusion, let me hope
that may not prove unworthy of having
once been mistaken for Gail Hamilton
As the last words were uttered, loud ap-
plause rang through the hall Judge
Alden forgot his eyeglasses as he sprang
forward to shake the speaker by the hand.
Others followed his example, and in a few
minutes plain Annie Dodge was surround
eG by as flattering attentions as had been
accorded to the supposed Gail Hamilton.
The demonstration came from the hearts
of the people, for they were filled with re-
speCt for the earnest, unaSsuming woman.
One and all gave promises Of encourage
ment ana support, and Miss Dodge went
back to the hotel in very different frame
of mind from that in which she had sal
lied forth.


Three years have elapsed since the oc-
currence of the events just recorded, and
those who formerly knew the town where
my story is located would scarcely recog-
rize It now Miss Dodge's enterprise
. L j -