CHAPTER L~

Woman's. Work.

"The hand that rocks the cradle moves the world."

A woman cannot do the thing she ought.
Which means, whatever perfect thing she can
In life, in art, in science, but she fears

To let the perfect action take her part

And rest there; she must prove what she can do
Before she does it."-AURORA LEIGH.

LESSED, says Carlyle, "blessed is he who has found his work; let him seek no other blessedness." Equally blessed is the woman who has found her work. Life is, indeed, a burden to one who, day after day, must plod for a mere existence at some work for which there is no special adaptation, but it is peculiarly trying and discouraging to a woman, who cannot choose for herself the profession or vocation in life which will give her the most pleasure to follow in the toilsome effort of winning her own bread. "We all know," says a popular writer on these topics, "how much happier that woman is, who can cheerfully take up the work she likes, than the one who toils daily at uncongenial employ