ersation on the authors we read. Here, too, we need to
be attentive. No bright American girl can afford not to read a few pages
of some good author every day of her life. Mere story-books are not
sufficient. Keep on hand a book which is a serious undertaking, and plod
straight through it. I have made this a rule all my life, and I advise
you to do the same.

Those who have had the good fortune to be early taught another language
besides your own, and who understand French or German, should keep on
hand a book in one of those languages, and read a chapter or two every
day. If I could I would like to persuade you of the importance of doing
something along the line of a study or an accomplishment every single
day. Even a few minutes regularly devoted will tell in time to
advantage. The president of one of our great New England colleges used
to say to the students, "Nothing can stand before the day's works."
People who set apart a little while every morning or every afternoon for
a definite purpose, and then never allow themselves to lose that time,
making it up if they are interrupted by extra effort on the next day,
soon surpass the brilliant people who are capable of great exertions now
and then, but never do anything patiently day by day. I wish, too, that
I could say to you as strongly as I feel, "love your work." "The labor
we delight in physics pain." It seems to me a dreadful thing to go to
one's work with the spirit of a slave. We should always put into our
work our best thoughts, our best hope, and the motive of true love. No
matter what the work, the way we go about it gives it worth and dignity,
or makes it petty and mean.

Another caution is, do not talk very much about what you are doing.
Nothing is so weak as vanity. Somewhere in the world there is always
somebody doing such work as ours quite as well as we can do it, and we
have no right to inflict upon our friends the story of our personal
endeavors or failures. It is well to omit from our daily conversation as
much as possible references to ourselves and to what we are engaged
upon. I want my girls to become interesting women, and the woman who is
really interesting thinks and talks of others more than of herself.

It is a good plan, in order to fix on your mind what you read and wish
to remember, to keep a commonplace book. Here you may copy poems which
please you, dates of striking events, bits of description, and
entertaining anecdotes. One girl frien