The Dark Star

"Yes, I do really mean to."

"Have you had any more bad-conduct marks?"

"Yes, mother."

Her father lifted his mild, dreamy eyes of an invalid. Her mother

asked: "What for?"

"For wasting my time in study hour," said the girl truthfully.

"Were you drawing?"

"Yes, mother."

"Rue! Again! Why do you persist in drawing pictures in your copy

books when you have an hour's lesson in drawing every week? Besides,

you may draw pictures at home whenever you wish."

"I don't exactly know why," replied the girl slowly. "It just happens

before I notice what I am doing.... Of course," she explained, "I do

recollect that I oughtn't to be drawing in study hour. But that's

after I've begun, and then it seems a pity not to finish."

Her mother looked across the table at her husband: "Speak to her seriously, Wilbour."

The Reverend Mr. Carew looked solemnly at his long-legged and rapidly

growing daughter, whose grey eyes gazed back into her father's sallow

visage.

"Rue," he said in his colourless voice, "try to get all you can out of

your school. I haven't sufficient means to educate you in drawing and

in similar accomplishments. So get all you can out of your school.

Because, some day, you will have to help yourself, and perhaps help us

a little."

He bent his head with a detached air and sat gazing mildly at

vacancy--already, perhaps, forgetting what the conversation was

about.

"Mother?"

"What, Rue?"

"What am I going to do to earn my living?"

"I don't know."

"Do you mean I must go into the mill like everybody else?"

"There are other things. Girls work at many things in these days."

"What kind of things?"

"They may learn to keep accounts, help in shops----"

"If father could afford it, couldn't I learn to do something more

interesting? What do girls work at whose fathers can afford to let

them learn how to work?"

"They may become teachers, learn stenography and typewriting; they

can, of course, become dressmakers; they can nurse----"

"Mother!"

"Yes?"

"Could I choose the business of drawing pictures? I know how!"

"Dear, I don't believe it is practical to----"

"Couldn't I draw pictures for books and magazines? Everybody says I

draw very nicely. You say so, too. Couldn't I earn enough money to

live on and to take care of you and father?"