superiority as an unquestionable fact, and the mother, when
traversing any of her clever daughter's schemes, never disputed
either her opinions or principles, only entreated that these
particular developments might be conceded to her own weakness; and
Rachel generally did concede. She could not act; but she could talk
uncontradicted, and she hated herself for the enforced submission to
a state of things that she despised.

This twenty-fifth birthday had long been anticipated as the turning-
point when this submissive girlhood ought to close, and the
privileges of acting as well as thinking for herself ought to be
assumed. Something to do was her cry, and on this very day that
something seemed to be cast in her way. It was not ameliorating the
condition of the masses, but it was educating those who might
ameliorate them; and Rachel gladly hailed the prospect of a vocation
that might be conducted without pain to her mother.

Young children of her own class were not exactly what her dream of
usefulness had devised; but she had already a decided theory of
education, and began to read up with all her might, whilst taking the
lead in all the details of house taking, servant hiring, &c., to
which her regular occupations of night school in the evening and
reading to the lacemakers by day, became almost secondary. In due
time the arrival of the ship was telegraphed, a hurried and
affectionate note followed, and, on a bright east-windy afternoon,
Rachel Curtis set forth to take up her mission. A telegram had
announced the arrival of the Voluta, and the train which would bring
the travellers to Avonchester. The Homestead carriage was sent to
meet them, and Rachel in it, to give her helpless cousin assistance
in this beginning of English habits. A roomy fly had been engaged