I replied that I had been so informed, and then betrayed as
much natural interest in regard to the vocations and purposes of the
organization as I thought would be prudent. I should have liked to bring
up every possible argument against the folly of a young lady of her
position and prospects extinguishing the very light of her existence in
that hard, cold, soul-chilling house which I knew so well, but the
circumstances did not warrant that. I was obliged to content myself with
very simple questions.
"'How do the sisters employ themselves?' I inquired.
"'In all sorts of ways,' she said. 'Some nurse or teach, and others work
for wages, like ordinary people, except that they do not have anything
to do with the money they earn, which is paid directly to the house.'
"'I think,' I then remarked, 'that there are a good many employments
which would give the sisters very pleasant occupation, such as
decorative art or clerical work.'
"At this her face brightened. 'Clerical work is very nice. I tried that
once, myself.'
"'Was it book-keeping?' I asked.
"'Oh, no,' she answered; 'I shouldn't have liked that. It was writing
from dictation. I worked regularly so many hours every morning. It was a
book which was dictated to me,--sketches of travel; that is, it was
partly travel and partly fiction.
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