employ women in no way in your large establishment?"

"Yes, as authors; for we find that many books written by ladies sell
quite as well as others."

"But in no other way?"

"Only in this," said the publisher, taking the cousins into a small
room at the back of his large front shop, where eight or ten
nice-looking girls were busily engaged in stitching together pamphlets
and sheets to be ready for the bookbinder. "It is light work; they have
not such long hours or such bad air, nor do they need much taste or
skill as dressmakers do."

"So their wages are proportionally lower," said Jane.

"Just so," said the publisher; "and quite right they should be so."

"Of course; but do they not rise from stitching to bookbinding?"

"Ah! that is man's work. I have bookbinders on the premises, to finish
the work that the girls have begun."

"And they spend their lives in this stitching--no progress--no
improvement--mere mechanical drudgery."

"Yes; and in time they get very expert. You would be amazed at the
rapidity with which they turn the work out of their hands. The division
of labour reduces the price of binding materially."