he public. Anna Dickinson spoke on
politics; since then she entered the dramatic profession. Susan B.
Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, spoke about woman-suffrage, a subject
which seems for the time to have died out. Olive Logan talked on
social topics; now she is in Europe. Mrs. Livermore is the only
female orator of that time who is now before the public, and she is
as successful now as she was then.

* * * * *

As public readers, women who have a talent in that direction have an
excellent chance at the present time. "Readings" are getting to be a
very popular form of entertainment. The theatres are offering such
poor and trashy attractions that many educated people who want to be
amused, are forced to seek diversion in this way. The general spread
of culture is also, probably, creating a taste in this direction.

The lady who would succeed as a public reader must, like the actress,
be good-looking. The most successful lady readers now before the
public are physically attractive. Some of them are large, fine-looking
women, while others are petite; but no matter what the particular
style of beauty may be, they are all pleasing in their personal
appearance.

The woman who wants to make public reading a profession will do all
she can to get her name and profession before the public. At first
she will give free readings before church societies. In this way she
will gradually become known, and, after a while, she will be able
to appear before some lyceum in the small outlying towns. If she
is favorably received she will be invited to come again, and so,
gradually, her name and fame will become known, and if she has the
necessary talent she will eventually command very good pay.

At first she will give free readings. Her readings for pay will, in
the beginning, bring her from $10 to $25 a reading. After that the
compensation will increase, according to her reputation as a reader.
The very best female readers, or "elocutionists," as they prefer to
term themselves, receive as much as $500 for one entertainment.

The social position which a lady occupies will have much to do with
her success. If she has a large circle of influential friends in good
social standing, provided, of course, she is talented, she will find
the road to success much easier than it otherwise would be.

BOOK-AGENTS.

Canvassing for books is a business in which some men have been known
to make $10,000 a year