第4章

Shewroteletterslongandloving，toRossdaily;tohermothertwiceaweek;andbythehelpofhersister’sauthoritysucceededinmaintainingafairlycompetentservantinherdesertedplace。

"Fatherwasboundhewouldn’t，"hersisterwroteher;"butIstoodrightuptohim，IcannowI’mmarried！——andGeraldtoo——thathe’dnorighttotakeitoutofmotherevenifhewasmadwithyou。Hemadeafussaboutyourpayingforthegirl——butthatwasonlyshowingoff——_he_couldn’tpayforherjustnow——that’scertain。Andshedoesverywell——agoodstronggirl，andquitedevotedtomother。"Andthenshescoldedfuriouslyabouthersister’s"workingout。"

Dianthaknewjusthowharditwasforhermother。Shehadfacedallsidesofthequestionbeforedeciding。

"Yourmothermissesyoubadly，ofcourse，"Rosswroteher。"IgoinasoftenasIcanandcheerherupabit。It’snotjustthework——shemissesyou。Bytheway——sodoI。"Heexpressedhisviewsonhernewemployment。

Dianthausedtocryoverherlettersquiteoften。Butshewouldputthemaway，dryhereyes，andworkonattheplansshewasmaturing，withgrimcourage。"It’shardonthemnow，"shewouldsaytoherself。"Itshardonme——some。Butwe’llallbebetteroffbecauseofit，andnotonlyus——buteverybody！"

Meanwhilethehappyandunhappyhouseholdsofthefairtownbuzzedincommentandgrewgreenwithenvy。

Insocialcirclesandchurchcirclesandclubcircles，asalsoindomesticcircles，itwasnoisedabroadthatMrs。EdgarPornehad"solvedtheservantquestion。"Newsofthismarvelofefficiencyandproprietywasdiscussedineveryhousehold，andnotonlysobutinbarber—shopsandotherdowntownmeetingplacesmentioned。Servantsgathereditatdinner—tables;andDiantha，muchamused，regathereditfromhernewfriendsamongtheservants。

Doesshekeeponjustthesame？"askedlittleMrs。ReeofMrs。Porneinanawedwhisper。

"Justthesameifnotbetter。Idon’tevenorderthemealsnow，unlessIwantsomethingespecial。Shekeepsacalendarofwhatwe’vehadtoeat，andwhatbelongstothetimeofyear，pricesandthings。WhenI

usedtoaskhertosuggest（onedoes，youknow：itissohardtothinkupavariety！），she’dalwaysbereadywithanidea，orremindmethatwehadhadsoandsotwodaysbefore，tillIaskedherifshe’dliketoorder，andshesaidshe’dbewillingtotry，andnowIjustsitdowntothetablewithoutknowingwhat’sgoingtobethere。"

"ButIshouldthinkthatwouldinterferewithyoursenseoffreedom，"

saidMrs。EllenADankshire，"Awomanshouldbemistressofherownhousehold。"

"WhyIam！IorderwheneverIspeciallywantanything。Butshereallydoesitmore——morescientifically。Shehasmadeastudyofit。Andthebillsareverymuchlower。"

"Well，Ithinkyouaretheluckiestwomanalive！"sighedMrs。Ree。"I

wishIhadher！"

Manyawomanwishedshehadher，andsome，callingwhentheyknewMrs。

Pornewasout，ordescendingintotheirownkitchensofaneveningwhenthestrangeMissBellwasvisiting"thehelp，"madeflatteringpropositionstohertocometothem。Shewasperfectlypoliteandagreeableinmanner，butrefusedallblandishments。

"Whatareyougettingatyourpresentplace——ifImayask？"loftilyinquiredthegreatMrs。Thaddler，ponderousandbeaded。

"Thereissurelynoobjectiontoyourasking，madam，"sherepliedpolitely。"Mrs。Pornewillnotmindtellingyou，Iamsure。"

"Hm！"saidthepatronizingvisitor，regardingherthroughherlorgnette。

"Verygood。WhateveritisI’lldoubleit。Whencanyoucome？"

"MyengagementwithMrs。Porneisforsixmonths，"Dianthaanswered，"andIdonotwishtoclosewithanyoneelseuntilthattimeisup。

Thankyouforyourofferjustthesame。"

"Peculiarlyoffensiveyoungperson！"saidMrs。Thaddlertoherhusband。

"Lookstomelikeoneoftheseliteraryimposters。Mrs。Pornewillprobablyappearinthemagazinesbeforelong。"

Mr。Thaddlerinstantlyconceivedalikingfortheyoungperson，"sightunseen。"

Dianthaacquiredquitealistofoffers;placesopentoherassoonasshewasfree;atpricesfromherpresentsevendollarsuptotheproposeddoubling。

"Fourteendollarsaweekandfound！——that’snotsobad，"shemeditated。

"Thatwouldmeanover$650clearinayear！It’sawondertomegirlsdon’ttryitlongenoughtogetastartatsomethingelse。Witheventwoorthreehundredahead——andanoutfit——itwouldbeeasiertomakegoodinastoreoranyotherway。Well——Ihaveotherfishtofry！"

Soshepursuedherway;and，withMrs。Porne’spermission——heldasortofgirl’sclubinherspotlesskitchenoneeveningaweekduringthelastthreemonthsofherengagement。Itwasa"StudyandAmusementClub。"Shegavethemshortandinterestinglessonsinarithmetic，insimpledressmaking，ineasyandthoroughmethodsofhousework。Shegavethemlistsofbooks，referredthemtoarticlesinmagazines，insidiouslytaughtthemtousethePublicLibrary。

Theyplayedpleasantgamesinthesecondhour，andgrewwellacquainted。

Totheeyeorearofanycasualvisitoritwasthesimplestandmostnaturalaffair，calculatedto"elevatelabor"andtomakehomehappy。

Dianthastudiedandobserved。Theybroughthertheirpoorconfidences，painfullysimilar。Alwayspoverty——ortheywouldnotbethere。Alwaysignorance，ortheywouldnotstaythere。Theneitherincompetenceinthework，orinabilitytoholdtheirlittleearnings——orboth;andfurthertheTaleoftheOtherSide——theexactionsandrestrictionsoftheuntrainedmistressestheyserved;casesofwithheldwages;casesofendlessrequirements;casesofmostarbitraryinterferencewiththeirreceivingfriendsand"followers，"orgoingout;andcases，commonenoughtobehorrible，ofinsulttheycouldonlyescapebyleaving。

"It’snowages，ofcourse——andnorecommendation，whenyouleavelikethat——butwhatelsecanagirldo，ifshe’shonest？"

SoDianthalearned，madefriendsandlaidbroadfoundations。

Theexcellenceofhercockingwasknowntomany，thankstotheweekly"entertainments。"Noonerefused。Nooneregrettedacceptance。NeverhadMrs。Porneenjoyedsuchasenseofsocialimportance。

Allthepeoplesheeverknewcalledonherafresh，andpeoplesheneverknewcalledonherevenmorefreshly。Notthatshewasdirectlyresponsibleforit。Shehadnottriumphedcruellyoverherlesshappyfriends;norhadshecriedaloudonthestreetcornersconcerninghergoodfortune。Itwasnotherfault，nor，intruthanyone’s。Butinacommunitywherethe"servantquestion"isevenmorevexedthaninthecountryatlarge，wherethelocalproductisquiteunequaltothedemand，andwheredistancemakesimportationanexpensivematter，thefactofonewoman’shaving，asitappeared，settledthisvexedquestion，wasenoughtogiveherprominence。

Mrs。EllenA。Dankshire，PresidentoftheOrchardinaHomeandCultureClub，tookupthematterseriously。

"NowMrs。Porne，"saidshe，settlingherselfvigorouslyintoacomfortablechair，"Ijustwanttotalkthematteroverwithyou，withaviewtotheclub。Wedonotknowhowlongthiswilllast——"

"Don’tspeakofit！"saidMrs。Porne。

"——anditbehoovesustostudythefactswhilewehavethem。"

"Somuchisinvolved！"saidlittleMrs。Ree，theCorrespondingSecretary，liftingherpaleearnestfacewiththeperplexedfinelinesinit。"Weareallsotrulyconvincedofthesacrednessofthehomeduties！"

"Well，whatdoyouwantmetodo？"askedtheirhostess。

"Wemusthavethatremarkableyoungwomanaddressourclub！"Mrs。

Dankshireannounced。"Itisonecaseinathousand，andmustbestudied！"

"Sonobleofher！"saidMrs。Ree。"Yousayshewasreallyaschool—teacher？Mrs。Thaddlerhasputitaboutthatsheisoneofthesedreadfulwritingpersons——indisguise！"

"Ono，"saidMrs。Porne。"Sheisperfectlystraightforwardaboutit，andhadthebestofrecommendations。Shewasateacher，butitdidn’tagreewithherhealth，Ibelieve。"

"Perhapsthereisastorytoit！"Mrs。Reeadvanced;butMrs。Dankshiredisagreedwithherflatly。

"Theyoungwomanhasatheory，Ibelieve，andsheisworkingitout。I

respectherforit。Nowwhatwewanttoaskyou，Mrs。Porne，isthis：

doyouthinkitwouldmakeanytroubleforyou——inthehouseholdrelations，youknow——ifweaskhertoreadapapertotheClub？Ofcoursewedonotwishtointerfere，butitisaremarkableopportunity——very。YouknowthefineworkMissLucySalmonhasdoneonthissubject;andMissFrancesKellor。Youknowhowlittledatawehave，andhowgreat，howserious，aquestionitisdailybecoming！Nowhereisayoungwomanofbrainsandculturewhohasapparentlygrappledwiththequestion;herexampleandinfluencemustnotbelost！Wemusthearfromher。Thepublicmustknowofthis。"

"Suchanennoblingexample！"murmuredMrs。Ree。"Itmightleadnumbersofotherschool—teacherstoseethehighersideofthehomeduties！"

"Furthermore，"pursuedMrs。Dankshire，"thishasoccuredtome。Woulditnotbewelltohaveourladiesbringwiththemtothemeetingthemoreintelligentoftheirservants;thattheymighthearandseethe——thedignityofhouseholdlabor——soablysetforth？

"Isn’tit——wouldn’tthatbea——analmostdangerousexperiment？"urgedMrs。Ree;herhighnarrowforeheadfairlycrepedwithlittlewrinkles：

"Shemight——saysomething，youknow，thattheymight——takeadvantageof！"

"Nonsense，mydear！"repliedMrs。Dankshire。ShewasveryfondofMrs。

Ree，buthadsmallrespectforherjudgment。"Whatcouldshesay？Lookatwhatshedoes！Andhowbeautifully——howperfectly——shedoesit！I

wouldwagernow——_may_ItryanexperimentMrs。Porne？"andshestoodup，takingoutherhandkerchief。

"Certainly，"saidMrs。Porne，"withpleasure！Youwon’tfindany！"

Mrs。Dankshireclimbedheavilyuponacarefullyselectedchairandpassedherlargecleanplain—hemmedhandkerchiefacrossthetopofapicture。

"Iknewit！"sheproclaimedproudlyfromhereminence，andshowedtheclothstillwhite。"That，"shecontinuedinponderousdescent，"thatisKnowledge，AbilityandConscience！"

"Idon’tseehowshegetsthetime！"breathedMrs。Ree，shakingherheadinawedamazement，andreflectingthatshewouldnotdaretrustMrs。

Dankshire’shandkerchiefonherpicturetops。

"WemusthaveheraddresstheClub，"thepresidentrepeated。"Itwilldoworldsofgood。Letmesee——apaperon——wemightsay’OntheTrueNatureofDomesticIndustry。’Howdoesthatstrikeyou，Mrs。Ree？"

"Admirable！"saidMrs。Ree。"Sostrong！sosuccinct。"

"Thatcertainlycoversthesubject，"saidMrs。Porne。"Whydon’tyouaskher？"

"Wewill。Wehavecomeforthatpurpose。Butwefeltitrighttoaskyouaboutitfirst，"saidMrs。Dankshire。

"WhyIhavenocontroloverMissBell’smovements，outsideofworkinghours，"answeredMrs。Porne。"AndIdon’tseethatitwouldmakeanydifferencetoourrelations。Sheisaveryself—poisedyoungwoman，butextremelyeasytogetalongwith。AndI’msureshecouldwriteasplendidpaper。You’dbetteraskher，Ithink。"

"Wouldyoucallherin？"askedMrs。Dankshire，"orshallwegoouttothekitchen？"

"Comerightout;I’dlikeyoutoseehowbeautifullyshekeepseverything。"

Thekitchenwasascleanastheparlor;andasprettilyarranged。MissBellwasmakingherpreparationforlunch，andstoppedtoreceivethevisitorswithaserenelycivilair——asofacountrystore—keeper。

"Iamverygladtomeetyou，MissBell，verygladindeed，"saidMrs。

Dankshire，shakinghandswithherwarmly。"Wehaveatheardsomuchofyourbeautifulworkhere，andweadmireyourattitude！Nowwouldyoubewillingtogiveapaper——oratalk——toourclub，theHomeandCultureClub，someWednesday，onTheTrueNatureofDomesticIndustry？"

Mrs。ReetookMissBell’shandwithsomethingoftheairofaBostonmaidenaccostingasaintfromHindoostan。"Ifyouonlywould！"shesaid。"Iamsureitwouldshedlightonthisgreatsubject！"

MissBellsmiledatthembothandlookedatMrs。Porneinquiringly。

"Ishouldbedelightedtohaveyoudoit，"saidheremployer。"Iknowitwouldbeveryuseful。"

"Isthereanydateset？"askedMissBell。

"AnyWednesdayafterFebruary，"saidMrs。Dankshire。

"Well——IwillcomeonthefirstWednesdayinApril。IfanythingshouldhappentopreventIwillletyouknowingoodseason，andifyoushouldwishtopostponeoraltertheprogram——shouldthinkbetteroftheidea——justsendmeword。Ishallnotmindintheleast。"

Theywentawayquitejubilant，MissBell’sacceptancewasannouncedofficiallyatthenextclub—meeting，andtheHomeandCultureClubfeltthatitwasfulfillingitsmission。

WHATDIANTHADID

CHAPTERVII。

HERESYANDSCHISM。

Youmaytalkaboutreligionwithafreeandopenmind，Fortendollarsyoumaycriticizeajudge;

Youmaydiscussinpoliticsthenewestthingyoufind，Andopenscientifictruthtoallthedeafandblind，Butthere’soneplacewherethebrainmustneverbudge！

CHORUS。

Oh，theHomeisUtterlyPerfect！

Andallitsworkswithin！

Tosayawordaboutit——

Tocriticizeordoubtit——

Toseektomendormoveit——

Toventuretoimproveit——

IsTheUnpardonableSin！

——"OldSong。"

Mr。Pornetookanafternoonoffandcamewithhiswifetoheartheirformerhousemaidlecture。Asmanyothermenaswereabledidthesame。

Allthemembersnotbedriddenwerepresent，andnearlyallthegueststheyhadinvited。

Somanyweretheacceptancesthatadowntownhallhadbeentaken;thefloorwasmorethanfilled，andinthegallerysatablockofservantgirls，moregorgeousinarraythantheladiesbelowwhisperingexcitedlyamongthemselves。Theplatformrecalleda"tournamentofroses，"and，sternlyimportantamongallthatfragrantloveliness，satMrs。Dankshirein"thechair"flankedbyMissTorbus，theRecordingSecretary，MissMassing，theTreasurer，andMrs。Ree，tremulouswithimportanceinherofficialposition。Alltheseladiesworeanairofhighemprise，evenmoreintensethanthatwithwhichtheyusuallyessayedtheirpublicduties。Theywererichlydressed，exceptMissTorbus，whocameasnearitasshecould。

Attheside，andsomewhatintherearofthePresident，onachairquitedifferentfrom"thechair，"discreetlygownedandofabafflinglyserenedemeanor，satMissBell。Alleyeswereuponher——evensomeoperaglasses。

"She’sagood—lookeranyhow，"wasonemasculineopinion。

"She’sapeach，"wasanother，"Tellyou——thechapthatgetsheriswellheeled！"saidathird。

Theladiesbenttheirhatstowardoneanotherandconferredinflowingwhispers;andinthegalleryeagerconfidenceswereexchanged，withgiggles。

OnthesmalltablebeforeMrs。Dankshire，shadedbyamagnificentbunchofroses，laythatcoreandcruxofallparliamentrydignity，thegavel;

aninstrumentnoself—respectingchairwomanmaybewithout;yetwhichshestillapproacheswithrespectfuluncertainty。

Inspiteofitslargesizeandhighsocialstanding，theOrchardinaHomeandCultureClubcontainedsomeelementsofunrest，andwhentheyearlyelectionofofficerscameroundtherewasalwaysneedforcarefulworkinpracticalpoliticstokeepthereinsofgovernmentinthehandsof"therightpeople。"

Mrs。Thaddler，consciousofherNewYorkmillions，andMadamWeatherstone，consciousofherPhiladelphialineage，withMrs。JohnstonA。Marrow（"oneoftheBostonMarrows！"wasawesomelywhisperedofher），weretheheadsofwhatmightbecalled"theconservativeparty"inthissmallparliament;whileMissMirandaL。Eagerson，describingherselfas’ajournalist，’whoheldherplaceinlocalsocietylargelybyvirtueofthetacitdreadofwhatshemightdoifoffended——ledthemoreradicalelement。

MostofthememberswerequitecontenttofollowtheleadofthesolidlyestablishedladiesofOrchardAvenue;especiallyasthisleadershipconsistedmainlyinthepursuanceofamasterlyinactivity。Whenwealthandaristocracycombinewiththatcommoninertiawhichwedignifyas"conservatism"theyexertapowerfulinfluenceinthegreatartofsittingstill。

Neverthelessthereweremanyalertandconscientiouswomeninthislargemembership，andwhenMissEagersonheldthefloor，andurgedupontheclubsomeactiveassistanceinthemarchofevents，itneededallMrs。

Dankshire’sgeneralshiptokeepthemcontentwithmarkingtime。

Onthisauspiciousoccasion，however，bothsideswereagreedininterestandapproval。Herewasasubjectappealingtoeverywomanpresent，andeverymanbutsuchfewasmerely"boarded";eventheyhadmemoriesandhopesconcerningthisquestion。

SolemnlyroseMrs。Dankshire，herfullsilksrustlingabouther，andletonecleartapofthegavelfallintotheseaofsoftwhisperingandgutturalmurmurs。

Inthesilencethatfollowedsheutteredthemomentousannouncements：

"Themeetingwillpleasecometoorder，""Wewillnowhearthereadingoftheminutesofthelastmeeting，"andsoonmostconscientiouslythroughofficer’sreportsandcommitteesreportsto"newbusiness。"

Perhapsitistheirmorefrequentpracticeofreligiousrites，perhapstheirdevoutacceptanceofsocialrulingsandthedictatesoffashion，perhapsthelifelongreiteranceofsmalldutiesathome，orallthesethingstogether，whichmakeswomensoseriouslyletter—perfectinparliamentryusage。Butthesestatelyceremonieswereendedincourseoftime，andMrs。Dankshireroseagain，evenmoresolemnthanbefore，andcameforwardmajestically。

"Members———andguests，"shesaidimpressively，"thisisanoccasionwhichbringspridetotheheartofeverymemberoftheHomeandCultureClub。Asournameimplies，thisClubisformedtoservetheinterestsofTheHome——thoseinterestswhichstandfirst，Itrust，ineveryhumanheart。"

Atellingpause，andthelightpatterofglovedhands。

"Itssecondpurpose，"pursuedthespeaker，withthatmeasureddeliverywhichshowedthathercustom，asonememberputit，wasto"firstwriteandthencommit，""istopromotethecauseofCultureinthiscommunity。

OuraimisCultureinthebroadestsense，notonlyinthecurriculaofinstitutionsoflearning，notonlyinthosespreadingbranchesofstudyandresearchwhichtemptsusonfromheighttoheight"——（"proofofarborealancestrythat，"MissEagersonconfidedtoafriend，whosechokedgiggleattractedcondemningeyes）——"butinthemoreintimatefieldsofdailyexperience。"

"Mostofus，howeverwidelyinterestedinthehighereducation，arestill——andfindinthisourhighesthonor——wivesandmothers。"Thesenoveltitlescalledforthanotherroundofapplause。

"Assuch，"continuedMrs。Dankshire，"weallrecognizethedifficult——thewell—nighinsuperableproblemsofthe"——sheglancedatthegallerynowpayingawedattention——"domesticquestion。"

"Weknowhowontheonehandourhomesyawnunattended"——（"IyawnwhileI’mattending——eh？"onegentlemanintherearsuggestedtohisneighbor）——whileontheothertheranksofmercenarylaborareovercrowded。Whyisitthatwhilethepeaceandbeauty，thesecurityandcomfort，ofagoodhome，witheasylaborandhighpay，areopentoeveryyoungwoman，whosecircumstancesobligehertotoilforherliving，sheblindlyrefusesthesetrueadvantagesandlosesherhealthandtoooftenwhatisfarmoreprecious！——inthedinandtumultofthefactory，orthedangerousexposureofthepubliccounter。"

MadamWeatherstonewasmuchimpressedatthispoint，andbeatherblackfanuponherblackgloveemphatically。Mrs。Thaddleralsonodded;whichmeantagooddealfromher。Theapplausewasmostgratifyingtothespeaker，whocontinued：

"Fortunatelyfortheworldtherearesomewomenyetwhoappreciatethetruevaluesoflife。"AfaintblushcreptslowlyupthefaceofDiantha，butherexpressionwasunchanged。Whosohadmetandmanagedaroomfulofmercilesschildrencaneasilyfaceawoman’sclub。

"Wehavewithusonthisoccasionone，aswemysay，ourequalinbirthandbreeding，"——MadamWeatherstoneherelookedpainfullyshockedasalsodidtheBostonMarrow;possiblyMrs。Dankshire，whoseparentswereIowafarmers，wasnotunmindfulofthis，butshewentonsmoothly，"andwhosefirstemploymentwasthehonoredtaskoftheteacher;whohasdeliberatelycastherlotwiththedomesticworker，andbroughthertrainedintelligencetobearuponthesolutionofthisgreatquestion——TheTrueNatureofDomesticService。Intheinterestsofthisproblemshehasconsentedtoaddressus——ItakepleasureinintroducingMissDianthaBell。"

Diantharosecalmly，steppedforward，bowedtothePresidentandofficers，andtotheaudience。Shestoodquietlyforamoment，regardingthefacesbeforeher，andproducedatypewrittenpaper。Itwasclear，short，andtosomemindsconvincing。

Shesetforththattheterm"domesticindustry"didnotdefinecertainkindsoflabor，butastageoflabor;thatalllaborwasoriginallydomestic;butthatmostkindshadnowbecomesocial，aswithweavingandspinning，forinstance，forcenturiesconfinedtothehomeanddonebywomenonly;nowdoneinmillsbymenandwomen;thatthisprocessofsocializationhasnowbeentakenfromthehomealmostallthemanufactures——asofwine，beer，soap，candles，picklesandotherspecialties，andpartofthelaundrywork;thattheotherprocessesofcleaningarealsobeingsocialized，asbythevacuumcleaners，theprofessionalwindow—washers，rugcleaners，andsimilarprofessionalworkers;andthateveninthepreparationoffoodmanykindsarenowspecialized，asbythebakerandconfectioner。Thatinserviceitselfwewerenowabletohirebythehourordayskilledworkersnecessarilyabovethelevelofthe"general。"

Agrowingrustleofdisapprovalbegantomakeitselffelt，whichincreasedasshewentontoexplainhowthepositionofthehousemaidisasurvivaloftheancientstatusofwomanslavery，thefamilywiththemaleheadandthegroupofservilewomen。

"Thekeynoteofallourdifficultyinthisrelationisthatwedemandcelibacyofourdomesticservants，"saidDiantha。

Amurmuraroseatthisstatement，butshecontinuedcalmly：

"Sinceitisnaturalforwomentomarry，theresultisthatourdomesticservantsconsistofaconstantlychangingseriesofyounggirls，apprentices，asitwere;andthecomplicatedandimportantdutiesofthehouseholdcannotbefullymasteredbysuchhands。"

Theaudiencedisapprovedsomewhatofthis，butmoreofwhatfollowed。

Sheshowed（Mrs。Pornenoddingherheadamusedly），thatsofarfrombeinghighlypaidandeasylabor，houseservicewasexactingandresponsible，involvingahighdegreeofskillaswellasmoralcharacter，andthatitwaspaidlessthanordinaryunskilledlabor，partofthispaymentbeingprimitivebarter。

Then，aswhispersandsporadiclittlespurtsofangrytalkincreased，theclearquietvoicewentontostatethatthislastmatter，thepositionofastrangeyounggirlinourhomes，wasofitselfasourceofmuchofthedifficultyofthesituation。

"Wespeakofgivingthemthesafetyandshelterofthehome，"——hereDianthagrewsolemn;——"Sofarfromsharingourhomes，shegivesupherown，andhasnoneofours，butthepoorestofourfoodandacrampedlodging;shehasneitherthefreedomnortheprivilegesofahome;andastoshelterandsafety——thedomesticworker，owingtoherpeculiarlydefencelessposition，furnishesaterriblepercentageoftheunfortunate。"

Ashockedsilencemetthisstatement。

"InEnglandshop—workerscomplainoftheoldcustomof’sleepingin’——theiremployersfurnishingthemwithlodgingaspartpayment;thisalsoisasurvivaloftheoldapprenticemethod。Withus，onlythedomesticservantisheldtothisantiquatedposition。"

Regardlessofthechilldispleasureabouthershecheerfullypursued：

"Letusnowconsidertheeconomicsideofthequestion。’Domesticeconomy’isafavoritephrase。Asamatteroffactourmethodofdomesticserviceisinordinatelywasteful。Evenwherethewifedoesallthehousework，withoutpay，westillwastelabortoanenormousextent，requiringonewholewomantowaituponeachman。Ifthemanhiresoneormoreservants，thewastesincrease。Ifonehundredmenundertakesomecommonbusiness，theydonotdivideintwohalves，eachmanhavinganothermantoservehim——fiftyproductivelaborers，andfiftycooks。

Twoorthreecookscouldprovideforthewholegroup;tousefiftyistowaste47percent。ofthelabor。

"Butourwasteoflaborisasnothingtoourwasteofmoney。For，saytwentyfamilies，wehavetwentykitchenswithalltheirfurnishings，twentystoveswithalltheirfuel;twentycookswithalltheirwages;incashandbartercombinedwepayabouttendollarsaweekforourcooks——$200aweektopayforthecookingfortwentyfamilies，foraboutahundredpersons！

"Threeexpertcooks，oneat$20aweekandtwoat$15wouldsavetothosetwentyfamilies$150aweekandgivethembetterfood。Thecostofkitchenfurnishingsandfuel，couldbereducedbynine—tenths;andbeyondallthatcomesourincrediblewasteinindividualpurchasing。

Whattwentyfamiliesspendonindividualpatronageofsmallretailers，couldbereducedbymorethanhalfifboughtbycompetentpersonsinwholesalequantities。Moreover，ourwholefoodsupplywouldriseinqualityaswellaslowerinpriceifitwasboughtbyexperts。

"Towhatdoesallthislead？"askedDianthapleasantly。

Nobodysaidanything，butthevisibleattitudeofthehouseseemedtosaythatitledstraighttoperdition。

"Thesolutionforwhichsomanyarelookingisnonewschemeofanysort;andinparticularitisnotthatoftrepeatedfore—doomedfailurecalled"co—operativehousekeeping。"

Atthisawaveofreliefspreadperceptibly。Theirritationrousedbythosepreposterousfiguresandaccusationswassomewhatallayed。Hopewasrelitindarkenedcountenances。

"Theinefficiencyofadozentotteringhouseholdsisnotremovedbycombiningthem，"saidDiantha。Thiswasofdubiousimport。"Whyshouldweexpectagroupoffamiliesto"keephouse"expertlyandeconomicallytogether，whentheyaredrivenintocompanionshipbythefactthatnoneofthemcandoitalone。"

Againanuncertainreception。

"Everyfamilyisadistinctunit，"thegirlcontinued。"Itsneedsareseparateandshouldbemetseparately。Theseparatehouseandgardenshouldbelongtoeachfamily，thefreedomandgroupprivacyofthehome。

Buttheseparatehomemaybeservedbyacommonwatercompany，byacommonmilkman，byacommonbaker，byacommoncookingandacommoncleaningestablishment。Wearerapidlyapproachinganimprovedsystemoflivinginwhichtheprivatehomewillnomorewantacookshoponthepremisesthanablacksmith’sshoporsoap—factory。Thenecessaryworkofthekitchenlesshousewillbedonebythehour，withskilledlabor;

andweshallorderourfoodcookedinsteadofraw。Thiswillgivetotheemployeesarespectablewell—paidprofession，withtheirownhomesandfamilies;andtotheemployersasavingofabouttwo—thirdsoftheexpenseofliving，aswellasanendofallourdifficultieswiththeservantquestion。Thatisthewaytoelevate——toenobledomesticservice。Itmustceasetobedomesticservice——andbecomeworldservice。"

Suddenlyandquietlyshesatdown。

MissEagersonwasonherfeet。Sowereothers。

"MadamPresident！MadamPresident！"resoundedfromseveralpointsatonce。MadamWeatherstone——Mrs。Thaddler——no！yes——theyreallywerebothontheirfeet。Applausewasgoingon——irregularly——soondropped。Only，fromthegroupinthegalleryitwaswhole—heartedandconsistent。

Mrs。Dankshire，whohadbeengrowingredandredderasthepaperadvanced，whohadconferredinalarmedwhisperswithMrs。Ree，andMissMassing，whohadevenbeenseentoextendherhandtothegavelandfingeritthreateningly，nowrose，somewhatprecipitately，andcameforward。

"Order，please！Youwillpleasekeeporder。Youhaveheardthe——wewillnow——themeetingisnowopenfordiscussion，Mrs。Thaddler！"Andshesatdown。ShemeanttohavesaidMadamWeatherstone，byMrs。

Thaddlerwasmoreaggressive。

"Iwishtosay，"saidthatmuchbeadedladyinaloudvoice，"thatIwasagainstthis——unfortunateexperiment——fromthefirst。AndItrustitwillneverberepeated！"Shesatdown。

TwotightlittledimplesflickeredforaninstantaboutthecornersofDiantha’smouth。

"MadamWeatherstone？"saidthePresident，placatingly。

MadamWeatherstonearose，rathersulkily，andlookedabouther。Anagitatedassemblymethereye，buzzinguniversallyeachtoeach。

"Order！"saidMrs。Dankshire，"ORDER，please！"andrappedthreetimeswiththegavel。

"Ihaveattendedmanymeetings，inmanyclubs，inmanystates，"saidMadamWeatherstone，"andhaveheardmuchthatwasfoolish，andsomethingsthatweredangerous。ButIwillsaythatneverinthecourseofallmyexperiencehaveIheardanythingsofoolishandsodangerous，asthis。Itrustthatthe——doubtlesswellmeant——attempttothrowlightonthissubject——fromthewrongquarter——hasbeenalessontousall。Noclubcouldsurvivemorethanonesuchlamentablemistake！"Andshesatdown，gatheringherlargesatinwrapaboutherlikearetiringCaesar。

"MadamPresident！"brokeforthMissEagerson。"Iwasupfirst——andhavebeenstandingeversince——"

"Onemoment，MissEagerson，"saidMrs。Dankshiresuperbly，"TheRev。Dr。

Eltwood。"

IfMrs。Dankshiresupposedshewasstillfurthersupportingthecauseofcondemnationshemadeapainfulmistake。Theclothandthefinebearingoftheyoungclergymandeceivedher;andsheforgotthathewassaidtobe"advanced"andwasnewtotheplace。

"Willyoucometotheplatform，Dr。Eltwood？"

Dr。Eltwoodcametotheplatformwiththeeasyairofonetowhomplatformsbelongedbyright。

"Ladies，"hebeganintonesofcordialgoodwill，"bothemployerandemployed！——andgentlemen——whomIamdelightedtoseehereto—day！Iamgratefulfortheopportunitysograciouslyextendedtome"——hebowedsixfeetofblackbroadclothtowardMrs。Dankshire——"byyourhonoredPresident。

"AndIamgratefulfortheopportunitypreviouslyenjoyed，oflisteningtothemostrational，practical，wise，trueandhopefulwordsIhaveeverheardonthissubject。Itrusttherewillbeenoughopen—mindedwomen——andmen——inOrchardinatomakepossibleamongusthathigherbusinessdevelopmentofagreatartwhichhasbeensoconvincinglylaidbeforeus。Thisclubisdeservingofallthanksfromthecommunityforextendingtosomanytheprivilegeoflisteningtoourvaluedfellow—citizen——MissBell。"

Hebowedagain——toMissBell——andtoMrs。Dankshire，andresumedhisseat，MissEagersontakingadvantageofthedazedpausetooccupytheplatformherself。

"Mr。Eltwoodisright！"shesaid。"MissBellisright！Thisisthetruepresentationofthesubject，’byonewhoknows。’MissBellhasprickedourprettybubblesothoroughlythatwedon’tknowwherewe’restanding——butsheknows！Houseworkisabusiness——likeanyotherbusiness——I’vealwayssaidso，andit’sgottobedoneinabusinessway。NowIforone——"butMissEagersonwasrappeddownbythePresidentialgavel;asMrs。Thaddler，portentousandsevere，stalkedforward。

"Itisnotmyhabittomakepublicspeeches，"shebegan，"normydesire;

butthisisatimewhenpromptanddecisiveactionneedstobetaken。

ThisClubcannotaffordtocountenanceanysuchfarragoofmischievousnonsenseaswehaveheardto—day。Imoveyou，MadamPresident，thataresolutionofcondemnationbepassedatonce;andthemeetingthendismissed！"

Shestalkedbackagain，whileMrs。MarrowofBoston，inclear，coldtonessecondedthemotion。

Butanothervoicewasheard——forthefirsttimeinthatassembly——Mrs。

Weatherstone，thepretty，delicatewidowerdaughter—in—lawofMadamWeatherstone，wasonherfeetwith"MadamPresident！Iwishtospeaktothismotion。"

"Won’tyoucometotheplatform，Mrs。Weatherstone？"askedMrs。

Dankshiregraciously，andthelittleladycame，visiblytrembling，butholdingherheadhigh。

Allsatsilent，allexpected——whatwasnotforthcoming。

"Iwishtoprotest，asamemberoftheClub，andasawoman，againstthegrossdiscourtesywhichhasbeenofferedtotheguestandspeakeroftheday。InanswertoourinvitationMissBellhasgivenusascholarlyandinterestingpaper，andImovethatweextendheravoteofthanks。"

"Isecondthemotion，"camefromallquarters。

"Thereisanothermotionbeforethehouse，"fromothers。

Criesof"MadamPresident"aroseeverywhere，manyspeakerswereontheirfeet。Mrs。Dankshiretappedfranticallywiththelittlegavel，butMissEagerson，bysheervocalpower，tookandheldthefloor。

"Imovethatwetakeavoteonthisquestion，"shecriedinpiercingtones。"LeteverywomanwhoknowsenoughtoappreciateMissBell’spaper——andhasanysenseofdecency——standup！"

Quitealargeproportionoftheaudiencestoodup——veryinformally。

Thosewhodidnot，didnotmeantoacknowledgelackofintelligenceandsenseofdecency，buttoexpressemphaticdisapprovalofMissEagerson，MissBellandtheirviews。

"Imoveyou，MadamPresident，"criedMrs。Thaddler，atthetopofhervoice，"thateverymemberwhoisguiltyofsuchgrosslyunparlimentaryconductbeherebydroppedfromthisClub！"

"Weherebyresign！"criedMissEagerson。"_We_drop_you！_We’llhaveaNewWoman’sClubinOrchardinawithsomewarmthinitsheartandsomebrainsinitshead——evenifithasn’tasmuchmoneyinitspocket！"

Amidsternrappings，hissings，criesof"Order——order，"andfrantic"Motionstoadjourn"themeetingbrokeup;theclubelementsdissolvingandreformingintotwobodiesasbysomeswiftchemicalreaction。

Greatwastherejoicingofthedailypress;someamusementwasfelt，thoughcourteouslysuppressedbythemenpresent，andbymanynotpresent，whentheyheardofit。

Someladiesweresoshockedandgrievedastowithdrawfromclub—lifealtogether。Others，insterndignity，upheldtheshakenstandardsofHomeandCulture;whilethemostconspicuousoutcomeofitallwastheimmediateformationoftheNewWoman’sClubofOrchardina。

WHATDIANTHADID

CHAPTERVIII。

Behindthestraightpurplebacksandsmoothpurplelegsontheboxbeforethem，MadamWeatherstoneandMrs。Weatherstonerolledhomesilently，asilenceofthunderousportent。Anotherpurplepersonopenedthedoorforthem，andwhenMadamWeatherstonesaid，"Wewillhaveteaontheterrace，"itwasbroughtthembyafourth。

"Iwasastonishedatyourattitude，Viva，"begantheoldlady，atlength。"OfcourseitwasMrs。Dankshire’sfaultinthefirstplace，buttoencouragethat，——outrageousperson！Howcouldyoudoit！"

YoungMrs。Weatherstoneemptiedherexquisitecupandsetitdown。

"Asuddenaccessofcourage，Isuppose，"shesaid。"Iwasastonishedatmyself。"

"Iwhollydisagreewithyou！"repliedhermother—in—law。"NeverinmylifehaveIheardsuchnonsense。Talklikethatwouldbedangerous，ifitwerenotabsurd！Itwoulddestroythehome！Itwouldstrikeattherootsofthefamily。"

Vivaeyedherquietly，tryingtobearinmindtheweightofatradition，thehabitsofalifetime，theeffectoflongyearsofuninterruptedworshipofhouseholdgods。

"Itdoesn’tseemsotome，"shesaidslowly，"Iwasmuchinterestedandimpressed。Sheisevidentlyayoungwomanofknowledgeandexperience，andputhercasewell。Ithasquitewakedmeup。"

"Ithasquiteupsetyou！"wasthereply。"You’llbeillafterthis，I

amsure。Hadn’tyoubettergoandliedownnow？I’llhavesomedinnersenttoyou。"

"Thankyou，"saidViva，risingandwalkingtotheedgeofthebroadterrace。"Youareverykind。No。Idonotwishtoliedown。I

haven’tfeltsothoroughlyawakein——"shedrewapinkclusterofoleanderagainsthercheekandthoughtamoment——"inseveralyears。"

Therewasanewlookabouthercertainly。

"Nervousexcitement，"hermother—in—lawreplied。"You’renotlikeyourselfatallto—night。You’llcertainlybeillto—morrow！"

Vivaturnedatthisandagainastonishedtheoldladybyserenelykissingher。"Notatall！"shesaidgaily。"I’mgoingtobewellto—morrow。Youwillsee！"

Shewenttoherroom，drewachairtothewidewestwindowwiththefaroffviewandsatherselfdowntothink。Diantha’sassuredpoise，herclearreasoning，hercourage，hercommonsense;andsomethingoftendernessandconsecrationshediscernedalso，hadtoucheddeepchordsinthiswoman’snature。Itwaslikethesoundoffardoorsopening，windowsthrownup，thejingleofbridlesandclatterofhoofs，keenbuglenotes。Asenseofhope，ofpower，ofnewenthusiasm，roseinher。

OrchardinaSociety，eagerlyobserving"youngMrs。Weatherstone"fromherfirstappearance，hadalwaysclassifiedheras"delicate。"Besidethefirmfeaturesandhighcolorofthematron—in—office，thispalequietslenderwomanlookedlikeameekandtransientvisitor。Butherwhiteforeheadwasbroadunderitssoft—hangingeavesofhair，andherchin，thoughlackinginprognathousprominenceorbull—dogbreadth，hadacertaindepthwhichgavehopetothephysiognomist。

Shewasstrangelyrousedandstirredbytheafternoon’sevents。"I’mlikethatmanin’Phantastes’，"shethoughtcontemptuously，"whostayedsolonginthatdungeonbecauseitdidn’toccurtohimtoopenthedoor！

Whydon’tI——？"sheroseandwalkedslowlyupanddown，herhandsbehindher。"Iwill！"shesaidatlast。

Thenshedressedfordinner，revolvinginhermindcertainsuspicionslongsuppressed，butnowflamingoutinclearconvictioninthelightofDiantha’swords。"Sleepingin，indeed！"shemurmuredtoherself。"Andnobodydoinganything！"

Shelookedherselfintheeyeinthelongmirror。Hergownwasanimpressiveone，herhaircoiledhigh，agoldbandringeditlikeacrown。Aclearredlitherchecks。

Sherang。LittleIlda，thenewestmaid，appeared，gazingatherinshyadmiration。Mrs。Weatherstonelookedatherwithneweyes。"Haveyoubeenherelong？"sheasked。"Whatisyourname？"

"No，ma’am，"saidthechild——shewasscarcemore。"Onlyaweekandtwodays。MynameisIlda。"

"Whoengagedyou？"

"Mrs。Halsey，ma’am。"

"Ah，"saidMrs。Weatherstone，musingtoherself，"andIengagedMrs。

Halsey！""Doyoulikeithere？"shecontinuedkindly。

"Ohyes，ma’am！"saidIlda。"Thatis——"shestopped，blushed，andcontinuedbravely。"Iliketoworkforyou，ma’am。"

"Thankyou，Ilda。WillyouaskMrs。Halseytocometome——atonce，please。"

Ildawent，moreimpressedthaneverwiththedesirabilityofhernewplace，andmistress。

AsshewasabouttopassthedoorofMr。MatthewWeatherstone，thatyounggentlemansteppedoutandinterceptedher。"Whitherawaysofast，mydear？"heamiablyinquired。

"Pleaseletonepass，sir！I’monanerrand。Please，sir？"

"Youmustgivemeakissfirst！"saidhe——andsincethereseemednoescapeandshewasinhaste，shesubmitted。Hetooksix——andsheranawayhalfcrying。

Mrs。Halsey，littleaccustomedtotakeordersfromherrealmistress，andrestingcomfortablyinherroom，hadhalfamindtosendanexcuse。

"I’mnotdressed，"shesaidtothemaid。

"Wellsheis！"repliedIlda，"dressedsplendid。Shesaid’atonce，please。’"

"Aprettytimeo’day！"saidthehousekeeperwithsomeasperity，hastilybuttoninghergown;andshepresentlyappeared，somewhatheated，beforeMrs。Weatherstone。

Thatladywassitting，coolandgracious，herlongivorypaper—cutterbetweenthepagesofanewmagazine。

"Inhowshortatimecouldyoupack，Mrs。Halsey？"sheinquired。

"Pack，ma’am？I’mnotaccustomedtodoingpacking。I’llsendoneofthemaids。Isityourthings，ma’am？"

"No，"saidMrs。Weatherstone。"ItisyoursIreferto。Iwishyoutopackyourthingsandleavethehouse——inanhour。Oneofthemaidscanhelpyou，ifnecessary。Anythingyoucannottakecanbesentafteryou。

Hereisacheckforthefollowingmonth’swages。"

Mrs。Halseywasnearlyaheadtallerthanheremployer，astoutshowywoman，handsomeenough，red—lipped，andwithamoistandcraftyeye。

Thiswassosuddenamisadventurethatsheforgotherusualcaution。

"You’venorighttoturnmeoffinaminutelikethis！"sheburstforth。

"I’llleaveittoMadamWeatherstone！"

"IfyouwilllookatthetermsonwhichIengagedyou，Mrs。Halsey，youwillfindthatamonth’swarning，oramonth’swages，wasspecified。

Herearethewages——astothewarning，thathasbeengivenforsomemonthspast！"

"Bywhom，Ma’am？"

"Byyourself，Mrs。Halsey——Ithinkyouunderstandme。Oscarwilltakeyourthingsassoonastheyareready。"

Mrs。Halseymethersteadyeyeamoment——sawmorethanshecaredtoface——andlefttheroom。

Shetookcare，however，tocarrysomeletterstoMadamWeatherstone，andmeeklyannouncedherdischarge;also，bysomecoincidence，shemetMr。

Matthewinthehallupstairs，andweepinglyconfidedhergrievancetohim，meetingimmediateconsolation，bothsentimentalandpractical。