MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 107 



" My dear Lavvy, I'm afraid you know nothing about the 

 matter," Miss Badsworth said. Her faith in her principles 

 was a Httle shaken. 



" I daresay not, auntie, but unfortunately it has to be 

 learnt. It seems to me that you, and I, as your assistant 

 and secretary, form a case in point. Here we are set down 

 to men's work through no choice of our own, and what is 

 more we have to get through with it, and, as you say, 

 ' educate the public mind to recognise woman's worth '. I 

 don't know what you think of it, but to me it appears a 

 difficult job." 



" I quite agree with you, Lavvy. I would gladly give up 

 my share." 



" I don't think you would, auntie ; I cannot believe you 

 would shirk a responsibility. Theory and practice are two 

 different things,, and it's only natural that we should think 

 anything better than that which we have to do. Don't let us 

 give in almost before we are started." 



" I'm not inclined to give in, Lavvy ; but it's all so 

 strange, so different from anything to which I have been 

 accustomed." 



" It's only man's work in woman's hands, after all, 

 auntie," Lavvy said, laughing; but she rose, went behind 

 Miss Badsworth's chair, put her arms under her aunt's chin, 

 raised her face and kissed her. 



Miss Badsworth in turn smiled as she looked up into the 

 steady brown eyes. 



"Where are we to begin, Lavvy ? " 



" The beginning is the best place, auntie, with most 

 things, but, unfortunately, we are plumped down in the 

 middle in this case, and have to carry on our work according 

 to accepted ideas, and, if the truth be told, I fear we neither 

 of us know how to do it. What to most men, brought up in 

 the country, would be a simple matter of detail, is to us a 

 novelty. It's like being set down to play Chopin with only 

 a smattering of scales and exercises. We may have an 

 idea of what the results ought to be, but the practical part of 



