r's address, that she might write to her; but, the place being
vacant, she might come to-morrow morning: her wages were named, and
immediately accepted; and thus did Mary obtain her situation.

People say you cannot be too particular when you choose servants; and,
to a certain degree, this is true; but this extreme caution, however
selfishness and prudence may dictate it, is but too often the cause of
servants who have committed an error, and have in consequence been
refused a character, being driven to destitution and misery, when they
had a full intention, and would have, had they been permitted, redeemed
their transgression.

Mary was resolved to be a good and honest girl. Had the lady of the
house been very particular, and had others to whom she might afterwards
have applied been the same, all her good intentions might have been
frustrated, and she might have been driven to despair, if not to her
former evil courses. It is perhaps fortunate that everybody in the
world is not so particular as your very good people, and that there is
an occasional loophole by which those who have erred are permitted to
return to virtue. Mary left the room delighted with her success, and
went down to Joey in the servants' hall. The servants soon found out
from Mary that she was coming to the house, and one of the men chucked
her under the chin, and told her she was a very pretty girl. Mary drew
back, and Joey immediately resented the liberty, stating that he would
not allow any man to insult his sister, for Joey was wise enough to see
that he could not do a better thing to serve Mary. The servant was
insolent in return, and threatened to chastise Joey, and ordered him to
leave the house. The women took our hero's part. The housekeeper came
down at the time, and hearing the cause of the dispute, was angry with
the footman; the butler took the side of the footman; and the end of it
was that the voices were at the highest pitch when the bell rang, and
the men being obliged to answer it, the women were for the time left in
possession of the field.

"What is that noise below?" inquired the master of the house.

"It is a boy, sir--the brother, I believe of the girl who has come as
under-housemaid, who has been making a disturbance."

"Desire him to leave the house instantly."

"Yes, sir," replied the butler, who went down to enforce the order.

Little did the master of the house imagine that in giving that order he
was turning