er it stood than that of most of the fruit I saw
in the market. It was evident that our care in assorting our berries was
giving a good account of itself. Besides, I saw that the widow had the
jumbled-up berries of others on her stand, and heard her complain that
they remained on hand some hours after all mine had been sold. Then, was
it not the superiority of mine that had drawn forth such strong
commendation from my first customer, Mr. Logan? and had he not continued
to admire all that I did in the strawberry way? Setting aside the high
prices, I sometimes thought that this alone was worth all the pains we
had taken.

The season lasted about three weeks, during all which time our pastor
was a frequent visitor at our garden. As both he and Mr. Logan had been
made acquainted with my general object and plans, so from generals they
were at last taken into confidence as to particulars. I showed them
Fred's tally, and it appeared to me they entered into the study of it
with almost as much interest as we did ourselves. Though in many
respects a very small affair, yet it involved great results for me, and
our visitors both thought it might be turned to the advantage of others
also.

"I am astonished," said Mr. Seeley, one day, after examining Fred's
tally, and expressing himself in terms of admiration at the success of
our enterprise,--"I am astonished at the wasteful lives which so many of
our women are living. They seem utterly destitute of purpose. They make
no effort to give them shape or plan, or to set up a goal in the
distance, to be reached by some kind of industrious application. They
drift along listlessly and mechanically, in the old well-worn tracks,
trusting to accident to give them a new direction. It is a sad thing,
this waste of human existence!"

"But consider, Sir," I replied, "how limited are our opportunities, how
circumscribed the circle in which we are compelled to move, and with how
much jealousy the world stands guard upon its boundaries, as if it were
determined we should not overstep them. When women succeed, is it not
solely by accident, or, if there be such a thing, by luck?"

"Accident, Miss," replied Mr. Logan, "undoubtedly has something to do
with it. But observation, energy, and tact are much more important
elements of success. More than sixty years ago a young New-England girl
fell desperately in love with an imported straw bonnet which she
accidentally met with in a shop. The price was to