MEAHURE FOR MEASURE. 119 



"A year passed and the lady returned with good 

 news and a grateful offering. The charm had wrought 

 wonders. Her household was never in such goodly 

 condition, the wastage had stopped, the continual anx- 

 iety over insufficient income had ceased, her husband 

 was delighted, her neighbors full of praise. She begged 

 for a renewal of the charm, declaring that she would 

 not be without it for much mone}^ 



" The monk broke the seal and showed the contents 

 of the box. It was empty! 'See,' he said, 'there is 

 no charm here ! That which has wrought the good re- 

 sults over which you rejoice, has been your own care 

 for every part of your house. As you went to each 

 room you saw what was needed and supplied it, wh?i,t 

 was wrong and righted it. Your eyes were upon all your 

 men and maids, as well as on their work every da}-, and 

 they felt the influence of this oversight. There has 

 been no other charm than this, and you need no other. 

 Go, lady, and henceforth hold faithfully to the rule and 

 habit of the past year, and be assured that your home 

 will be a well-ordei"ed, prosperous and happy one.' " 



"Truly," said the Mistress, "that was a wise old 

 monk. I can vouch for it that a constant personal 

 inspection of all one's house, especially of the cuddies 

 and corners, will work like a charm toward good 

 housekeeping. But really, I don't quite take the ap- 

 plication of your story to the German peasants and 

 their canker-worms." 



" Indeed ! Then you are not apt as usual to see a 

 point. In fighting insect pests it is precisely as in 



