“I shall stand on the Common, and proclaim aloud, ’Here’s a nice young missionary, in want of a job!  Charity for sale cheap!  Who’ll buy? who’ll buy?’” said Maggie, with a resigned expression, and a sanctimonious twang to her voice.

“I shall wait and see what comes to me, since I don’t know what I’m fit for;” and Marion gazed out of the window as if expecting to see some interesting pauper waiting for her to appear.

“I shall ask Miss Bliss for advice; she knows all about the poor, and will give me a good start,” added prudent Ida, who resolved to do nothing rashly lest she should fail.

“I shall probably have a class of dirty little girls, and teach them how to sew, as I can’t do anything else.  They won’t learn much, but steal, and break, and mess, and be a dreadful trial, and I shall get laughed at and wish I hadn’t done it.  Still I shall try it, and sacrifice my fancy-work to the cause of virtue,” said Ella, carefully putting away her satin glove-case with a fond glance at the delicate flowers she so loved to embroider.

“I have no plans, but want to do so much!  I shall have to wait till I discover what is best.  After to-day we won’t speak of our work, or it won’t be a secret any longer.  In May we will report.  Good luck to all, and good-by till next Saturday.”

With these farewell words from their president the girls departed, with great plans and new ideas simmering in their young heads and hearts.

It seemed a vast undertaking; but where there is a will there is always a way, and soon it was evident that each had found “a little chore” to do for sweet charity’s sake.  Not a word was said at the weekly meetings, but the artless faces betrayed all shades of hope, discouragement, pride, and doubt, as their various attempts seemed likely to succeed or fail.  Much curiosity was felt, and a few accidental words, hints, or meetings in queer places, were very exciting, though nothing was discovered.

Marion was often seen in a North End car, and Lizzie in a South End car, with a bag of books and papers.  Ella haunted a certain shop where fancy articles were sold, and Ida always brought plain sewing to the club.  Maggie seemed very busy at home, and Anna was found writing industriously several times when one of her friends called.  All seemed very happy, and rather important when outsiders questioned them about their affairs.  But they had their pleasures as usual, and seemed to enjoy them with an added relish, as if they realized as never before how many blessings they possessed, and were grateful for them.

So the winter passed, and slowly something new and pleasant seemed to come into the lives of these young girls.  The listless, discontented look some of them used to wear passed away; a sweet earnestness and a cheerful activity made them charming, though they did not know it, and wondered when people said, “That set of girls are growing up beautifully; they will make fine women by and by.”  The mayflowers were budding under the snow, and as spring came on the fresh perfume began to steal out, the rosy faces to brighten, and the last year’s dead leaves to fall away, leaving the young plants green and strong.