“I know that it would not be pleasant, mother; but, then, we must do something.”

“It must be something besides that, Mary.  I can’t listen to it.  It’s only a vulgar class of women who keep stores.”

“I am willing to take in sewing, mother; but, then, all I could earn would go but a little way towards keeping the family.  I don’t suppose I could even pay the rent, and that you know, is four hundred dollars.”

“Too true,” Mrs. Turner said, despondingly.

“Suppose I open a school?” suggested Mary.

“O no! no!  My head would never stand the noise and confusion.  And, any way, I never did like a school.”

“Then I don’t know what we shall do, unless we take some boarders.”

“A little more genteel.  But even that is low enough.”

“Then, suppose, mother we look for a lower rent, and try to live more economically.  I will take in sewing, and we can try for awhile, and see how we get along.”

“O no, indeed, child.  That would never do.  We must keep up appearances, or we shall lose our place in society.  You know that it is absolutely necessary for you and your brothers, that we should maintain our position.”

“As for me, mother,” said Mary, in a serious tone, “I would not have you to take a thought in that direction.  And it seems to me that our true position is the one where we can live most comfortably according to our means.”

“You don’t know anything about it, child,” Mrs. Turner replied, in a positive tone.

Mary was silenced for the time.  But a banishment of the subject did not, in any way, lesson the difficulties.  Thoughts of these soon again became apparent in words; and the most natural form of these was the sentence—­

“I don’t know what we shall do!” uttered by the mother in a tone of deep despondency.

“Suppose we take a few boarders?” Mary urged, about three weeks after the conversation just alluded to.

“No, Mary; we would be too much exposed:  and then it would come very hard on you, for you know that I cannot stand much fatigue,” Mrs. Turner replied, slowly and sadly.

“O, as to that,” said Mary, with animation:  “I’ll take all the burden off of you.”

“Indeed, child, I cannot think of it,” Mrs. Turner replied, positively; and again the subject was dismissed.

But it was soon again recurred to, and after the suggestion and disapproval of many plans, Mary again said—­

“Indeed, mother, I don’t see what we will do, unless we take a few boarders.”

“It’s the only thing at all respectable, that I can think of,” Mrs. Turner said despondingly; “and I’m afraid it’s the best we can do.”

“I think we had better try it, mother, don’t you?”

“Well, perhaps we had, Mary.  There are four rooms that we can spare; and these ought to bring us in something handsome.”

“What ought we to charge?”