t as women we will hold
together with women, and do common work with them too; not to give the
other sex too great an advantage over us. Indeed, you must not take it
ill of us, if in future we come to feel a little malicious satisfaction
when our lords and masters do not get on in the very best way together."

With much care, this wise, sensible person went on to examine more
closely how Ottilie proceeded with her little pupils, and expressed his
marked approbation of it. "You are entirely right," he said, "in
directing these children only to what they can immediately and usefully
put in practice. Cleanliness, for instance, will accustom them to wear
their clothes with pleasure to themselves; and everything is gained if
they can be induced to enter into what they do with cheerfulness and
self-reflection."

In other ways he found, to his great satisfaction, that nothing had been
done for outward display; but all was inward, and designed to supply
what was indispensably necessary. "In how few words," he cried, "might
the whole business of education be summed up, if people had but ears to
hear!"

"Will you try whether I have any ears?" said Ottilie, smiling.

"Indeed I will," answered he, "only you must not betray me. Educate the
boys to be servants, and the girls to be mothers, and everything is as
it should be."

"To be mothers?" replied Ottilie. "Women would scarcely think that
sufficient. They have to look forward, without being mothers, to going
out into service. And, indeed, our young men think themselves a great
deal too good for servants. One can see easily, in every one of them,
that he holds himself far fitter to be a master."

"And for that reason we should say nothing about it to them," said the
Assistant. "We flatter ourselves on into life; but life flatters not us.
How many men would like to acknowledge at the outset, what at the end
they must acknowledge whether they like it or not? But let us leave
these considerations, which do not concern us here.

"I consider you very fortunate in having been able to go so methodically
to work with your pupils. If your very little ones run about with their
dolls, and stitch together a few petticoats for them; if the elder
sisters will then take care of the younger, and the whole household know
how to supply its own wants, and one member of it help the others, the
further step into life will not then be great, and such a girl will find
in her husband what she has