Ah! as a seamstress, how poor the promise for her future.

The labor-market is crowded with serving women; and, as a consequence, the price of needle-work--more particularly that called plain needle-work--is depressed to mere starvation rates.

In the more skilled branches, better returns are met; but even here few can endure prolonged application--few can bend ten, twelve, or fifteen hours daily over their tasks, without fearful inroads upon health.
In the present time, a strong interest has been awakened on this subject.

The cry of the poor seamstress has been heard; and the questions "How shall we help her ?" "How shall we widen the circle of remunerative employments for women ?" passes anxiously from lip to lip.

To answer this question is not our present purpose.