there, among them a Miss Wood, whose father had a position in the
Telegraph Office. To Miss Wood's, therefore, she repaired, and,
being welcomed with the usual number of kisses, she requested the
young lady to persuade her father to procure a situation as
telegraph operator or something of the kind, as she was determined
to earn her own living. This the young lady promised to do and
succeeded so well that Miss Wilson was soon installed in a tolerably
good position, earning enough money to maintain and clothe herself
respectably.

Things went on smoothly enough for a time, Miss Wilson spending most
of her leisure time with her friend, Miss Wood, or sitting quietly
at home arranging such dresses and finery as her scanty income
permitted her to indulge in. After some months, however, she began
to make more friends, and being invited frequently out, and made much
of because of her beauty and accomplishments, she soon became madly
eager for the means of dressing herself like the rest, and making
the conquests she knew she could make, were she only to have equal
terms with her rivals.

This passion for dress and jewellery soon became deep-seated; were
she only well dressed, what could she not achieve. She had, in her
anxious endeavors to make a good impression in society, deprived
herself even of necessaries sin order to procure a fashionable
ball-dress and outfit, and these were now no longer fit for active
service. While musing over this circumstance one evening, as she
walked home to supper, she chanced to meet Anna Smith, who had been
the belle at the last ball, her fine dress and showy jewellery
having completely eclipsed the more solid and modest beauty of the
poor telegraph girl. Miss Smith inquired casually if Cissie were