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。