l, fantastic music had been in reality only a harsh horn
accompanied by a concertina or some other stupid instrument jangling
vile music. The young boys and girls were all a common, stupid lot, and
the odour of the stock yards permeated the room. But when the mystical
music begins again, and the dance starts, presto! change, and I am again
floating in rhythmic space and the faces and dim lights have changed
into one glorious central flame.

"I shall never forget one awful night, when my mother, who had heard
that I was at the dance, came into the hall, and there before all the
boys and girls dragged me out and away to our home. I was so ashamed
that I did not show myself in that dance-hall again for months. I
cannot help thinking my mother was wrong, for I needed some outlet to my
energy. Like many a poor working girl, I had developed into womanhood
early and consequently was full of life. The dance satisfied this life
instinct, which, when that outlet was made difficult, sought some other
way.

"At that time I had a position as nurse-maid, my duties being to take
care of two beautiful, but spoiled children, who had never received
proper care, because their mother a wealthy woman, was too indolent, to
make any effort in that direction, spending most of her time lying in
bed with some novel in her hand. The house was filled with sensational,
sentimental books. They were to be found in every room, stacked away in
all the corners.

"At first I attempted to do what I thought was my duty, that is, to keep
the children neat and clean and try to train them to be more gentle and
obedient, but I soon saw that what their mother wanted was for me to
keep them out of her way. My ambition about them faded away, and I
sought only to fulfil my mistress's wishes. I used to take the two
children up into the store-room, in which were all sorts of
miscellaneous things, including stacks and stacks of paper-covered
novels, lock the door, and allow the children absolute liberty, while I
sat down comfortably and examined the books.

"Here a new life opened before me. I read these novels constantly every
day and half the night, and could hardly wait for the children to have
their breakfast, so eager was I to get at my wonderful stories again.
Even when it was necessary to take the children out for an airing, a
novel was always hidden in my clothes, which I would eagerly devour as
soon as I was out of sight of the house. During the four wee