angs all the law and the prophets of
book-canvassing. For, if she has been a student of mankind she will
use great judgment in her vocation. She will call at the proper time,
at the proper place, upon the kind of people who will most likely want
to see her, or rather the book she has to offer. She will, by her
demeanor, win the respect of the men, the admiration of the women, and
the love of the children. It seems like saying a great deal too much,
but it is a fact, that there are some lady book-agents whose calls are
remembered as angels' visits, so agreeable were they in their manners,
so charming in conversation. It must be admitted, however, that there
are not many such women roaming up and down through the country.

Last of all, she must have great perseverance, and work continuously.
Women get very easily discouraged, no matter what occupation they
pursue, if they do not very quickly see some substantial return for
their work. The idea that "hope springs eternal in the human breast,"
was certainly never meant to apply to women; nor, maybe, was it meant
to, seeing that it occurs in the "Essay on Man." The female book-agent
is very much depressed if she does not make good earnings at the
start. Her depression so affects her spirits that she cannot be as
industrious as she otherwise would, and so she does more and more
poorly until, finally, she gives up the business. Men agents do not,
as a rule, become discouraged so easy. They know that provided they
have got a good book, published by a good house, it is only a question
of time when they will be making good earnings. Women should go to
work in the same spirit.

If poor success is apt to discourage a woman (and, in what I say now I
am only the mouthpiece of several publishers I have seen), a run of
very good luck is liable to demoralize her. It is said that some lady
agents, after making a considerable sum of money in a short space of
time, will at once stop work, and, retiring to their homes, will not
think of following the employment until their means are exhausted.
Of course that is foolish. While they are spending their time in
idleness some new-comer has been assigned to the field they found so
profitable. When they return to work it is with a listless spirit,
and it will be quite a while before they can summon up that old-time
energy, which comes, in any vocation, from long and continuous
performance.

Women book-agents--and, in defence of this ungallant r