ious symptoms, and Dr. George asked the San
Francisco physician to call to see her twice a week at least. The San
Francisco physician thought "a year at Carlsbad, and a year at Nice,
would be a good thing;" but, failing these, he ordered copious
quantities of expensive drugs, and the reserve fund shrank, though the
precious three hundred and twelve dollars was almost intact.

Poor Mrs. Chadwick sent tearful monthly letters, accompanied by checks
of fifty to sixty-five dollars. One of the boarders had died; two had
gone away; the season was poor; Ah Foy had returned to China; Mr.
Greenwood was difficult about his meals; the roof leaked; provisions
were dear; Mrs. Holmes in the next street had decided to take boarders;
Eastern people were grumbling at the weather, saying it was not at all
as reported in the guide-books; real-estate and rents were very low;
she hoped to be able to do better next month; and she was Mrs. Oliver's
"affectionate Clementine Churchill Chadwick."

Polly had held a consultation with the principal of her school, who had
assured her that as she was so well in advance of her class, she could
be promoted the next term, if she desired. Accordingly, she left
school in order to be more with her mother, and as she studied with
Edgar in the evening, she really lost nothing.

Mrs. Howe remitted four dollars from the monthly rent, in consideration
of Spanish lessons given to her two oldest children. This experiment
proved a success, and Polly next accepted an offer to come three times
a week to the house of a certain Mrs. Baer to amuse (instructively) the
four little Baer cubs, while the mother Baer wrote a "History of the
Dress-Reform Movement in English-Speaking Nations."

For this service Polly was paid ten dollars a month in gold coin, while
the amount of spiritual wealth which she amassed could not possibly be
estimated in dollars and cents. The ten dollars was very useful, for
it procured the services of a kind, strong woman, who came on these
three afternoons of Polly's absence, put the entire house in order, did
the mending, rubbed Mrs. Oliver's tired back, and brushed her hair
until she fell asleep.

So Polly assisted in keeping the wolf from the door, and her sacrifices
watered her young heart and kept it tender. "Money may always be a
beautiful thing. It is we who make it grimy."

Edgar shared in the business conferences now. He had gone into
convulsions of mirth over Polly's system