. A woman who is neat and intelligent
generally proves to be a good housekeeper without special instruction;
but with cooking and sewing, "Who wishes to be a master must begin
betimes."

Arithmetic is a science which a girl needs to understand thoroughly--not
necessarily business arithmetic, which she can learn if occasion
requires, but the principles of arithmetic, and she should be able to
work in numbers quickly and accurately.

The tide of opinion is against me here. A boy must know arithmetic of
course, or how can he fulfill his destiny and make money? But a girl!
Nevertheless, no woman can manage a household properly, or even guide
her own affairs as a single woman, without a good knowledge of
arithmetic. Her money will be wasted, her servants will cheat her,
tradespeople will be demoralized by her. There may be so much money at
her command that she goes on serenely unaware of harm. She may perform
feats of charity, but what was meant to be a blessing becomes a curse
through her ignorance.

A millionaire who meant to give his daughter every advantage began as
usual with a French nurse and a German maid and a music master who could
command a fabulous price, while he engaged an artist of distinction to
oversee her untidy attempts at drawing. At last he remembered that she
ought to have a teacher in English, and a lady was engaged to teach
grammar and literature and history. "And arithmetic?" she asked. "A
little, perhaps. Girls need very little."

The millionaire's daughter came to take her lesson--a bright, handsome
girl, full of good nature. "I hate arithmetic, you know," she said
confidingly, shrugging her shoulders and puckering her brows. "And then,
what's the good of it for a girl?"

The teacher did not argue the question, but began her task. "If thirteen
yards of ribbon cost $3.25, how much will one yard cost?" As doing this
problem in her mind was quite out of Miss Malvina's power, she was
allowed paper and pencil. She wrinkled her forehead, curled her lip,
looked up and laughed, "I haven't the faintest idea, don't you know?" A
few judicious questions led her to see the necessity of dividing $3.25
by 13, and she went to work. After a season of struggle her countenance
cleared. "Upon my word, I've got the answer--25!" "Twenty-five what?"
"Twenty-five--why--twenty-five dollars!" "Wouldn't that be rather high
for ribbon?" asked the teacher. "Oh, I don't know," replied Miss
Malvina carelessly. "I'll tell y