a-io Bureau of Farmeks' Institutes. 



her business until it grew into one of the largest wholesale and 

 retail establishments in the city. Fur eight years she remain; d 

 at her post, sent her two brothers to college, and at the end of 

 that time, returned to her own college, and took her degree. To 

 many she seemed to be wasting her talents and her education 

 on hats, but she knew what she could do, and she had the courage 

 of her convictions. 



A young girl who had a very sweet voice was being urged by 

 her friends to give up her trade as a dressmaker and give parlor 

 concerts. " lS T o," said she, " my father would have made a splen- 

 did farmer, but he tried to be a lawyer, and he failed; my mother 

 loved to sew, but tried to be a teacher, and failed, and I am not 

 going to give up the thing I can do well for something I can do 

 only fairly well, and I feel sometimes that I would like to write 

 on my sign, * Mary Blank, dressmaker, by the grace of God/ 

 for I am not ashamed of the gifts He has given me." 



"I suppose I might call myself a visiting gardener," an ener- 

 getic young woman in IsTew Jersey answered, when asked about 

 her work. " You see, nearly all the people about here have 

 garden plots attached to their homes, although comparatively few 

 of them keep a horse. When I was thrown on my own resources, 

 I recognized these two facts, and, being fond of farming, deter- 

 mined to try working other people's gardens. I secured a horse 

 and man and soon had as many gardens as I could manage. 



" I take my gardens in rotation ; that is, I break up the whole 

 of them in the autumn; in the spring I give them the second 

 working over; then I go back, lay them off, plant the earlier 

 varieties of seeds; so my gardens all come together. 



" One great advantage of my profession is that the pay is sure. 

 I engage to do the work by the year for a stated sum. Before 

 planting I consult the taste of the family as to vegetables pre- 

 ferred. Then my one effort is to see that the supply is at least 

 equal to the demand, and I can safely say I seldom fail to give 

 satisfaction." 



So I would say to you, don't be ashamed or afraid to use the 

 gift you possess. If you are fond of the care of milk and the 

 making of butter, perfect yourself in it. Look upon your work 

 with pride, ami let your only shame be, to market an article which 

 falls below the high standard of excellence you have put before 

 you. 



Better far a first-class buttermaker by the grace of God than 

 a second or third-class school teacher by the grace of nobody. 



