have got your ten children and nothing to feed them on, then you
think that the gentlefolks who would not marry because they had not
enough to keep families on, are to stint and starve themselves to keep
_your_ families. Does that seem fair?"

Mrs. Mitchell stitched away; the others did not reply.

Miss Sutton went on: "If I had ten children, or even two children, I
could not afford to give you what I do." Here she put down a
half-crown on the table. "Now, listen to a plan I have in my head. You
know, Mrs. Mitchell, what we West-end ladies have to pay for our
mantles, even the plainest and simplest we can get; two guineas and a
half, and upwards to any price you like to name. You also know what
you receive for making them."

"Yes, miss, I do;" and Mrs. Mitchell shook her head.

"How much is it?"

"I get ninepence; some of the women only get sevenpence halfpenny."

Mrs. Rowles could not believe her ears.

"Well, say ninepence. Now, I and some of my friends are going to buy
the materials, and pay you for the work just the difference between
the cost of materials and the price we should pay in a shop. Do you
see?"

"Yes, miss, I see; but it won't do," and Mrs. Mitchell shook her head
again.

"Why not?"

"Because ladies like to go to a shop and see hundreds of different
mantles, and choose the one they like best."

"We shall have dozens of paper patterns to choose from, and the
cutting-out will be done by a friend of mine who is very clever at it.
I shall begin by ordering my winter mantle at once. I shall give about
eight shillings a yard for the stuff; three yards makes twenty-four
shillings; then some braid or something of the sort, say six yards at
two shillings; that is twelve; twenty-four and twelve are thirty-six;
a few buttons and sundries, say five shillings; thirty-six and five
are forty-one. I shall give you seven shillings for the work, and I
shall have a handsome mantle for two pounds eight shillings. Better
than ninepence, and finding your own cotton and sewing-silk. Eh?"

"Yes, Miss Sutton; it is very kind of you. But it won't do. There are
too many of us women; and you ladies, you all like to go shopping."

"You see," said Miss Sutton, turning to Mrs. Rowles, "what we want to
do is to get rid of the _middleman_. We are going to try if we can
persuade the great shop-keepers to come face to face with the people
who actually do the work. I don't know how we shall succeed, but we
will make an ef