heart, which has set him to work, and made him save his money.  Why not let them begin to live the life while it is yet alive?  It wears by waiting; it cannot help it.  You must not expect a miracle of your boy; you must take the motive while it is fresh, and let it work in God’s way.  The power is there; but you must let the wheels be put in gear.  Simply, I advise you to permit the engagement, and the marriage.  If you do not, I think you will rob them of a part of their real history which they have a right to.  Marriage is a making of life together; not a taking of it after it is made.”

It was February when this letter was sent out.

One day in the middle of the month, Desire Ledwith, Hazel Ripwinkley, and Sylvie had business with Luclarion in Neighbor Street.  There was work to carry; a little basket of things for the fine laundry; some bakery orders to give.  There was always Luclarion herself to see.  Just now, besides and especially, they were all interested in Ray Ingraham’s rooms that were preparing in the next house to the Neighbors; a house which Mr. Geoffrey and others had bought, enlarged, and built up; fitting it in comfortable suites for housekeeping, at rents of from twenty-five to thirty dollars a month, each.  They were as complete and substantial in all their appointments as apartments as the Commonwealth or the Berkeley; there was only no magnificence, and there was no “locality” to pay for.  The locality was to be ministered to and redeemed, by the very presence of this growth of pure and pleasant and honorable living in its midst.  For the most part, those who took up an abiding here had enough of the generous human sense in them to account it a satisfaction so to contribute themselves; for the rest, there was a sprinkling of decent people, who were glad to get good homes cheap in the heart of a dear city; and the public, Christian intent of the movement sheltered and countenanced them with its chivalrous respectability.

Frank Sunderline and Ray were to live here for a year; they were to be married the first of March.  Frank had said that Ray would have to manage him and the Bakery too, and Ray was prepared to fulfill both obligations.

She was going to carry out here, with Luclarion Grapp, her idea of public supply for the chief staple of food.  They were going to try a manufacture of breadstuffs and cakestuffs, on real home principles, by real domestic receipts.  They were going to have sale shops in different quarters,—­at the South and West ends.  Already their laundry sustained itself by doing excellent work at moderate prices; why should they not, in still another way meet and play into the movement of the time for simplifying it, and making household routine more independent?