never have any difficulty."

"I'm sure," said Mrs. Munger, "that if all the employers in the country
would take such a stand, there would soon be an end of labour troubles. I
think we're too concessive."

"And I do too, Mrs. Munger!" cried Mrs. Gerrish, glad of the occasion to be
censorious and of the finer lady's opinion at the same time. "That's what I
meant. Don't you, Annie?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand exactly," Annie replied.

Mr. Gerrish kept his eye on Mrs. Munger's face, now arranged for indefinite
photography, as he went on. "That is exactly what I say to them. That is
what I said to Mr. Marvin one year ago, when he had that trouble in his
shoe shop. I said, 'You're too concessive.' I said, 'Mr. Marvin, if you
give those fellows an inch, they'll take an ell. Mr. Marvin,' said I,
'you've got to begin by being your own master, if you want to be master of
anybody else. You've got to put your foot down, as Mr. Lincoln said; and as
_I_ say, you've got to _keep_ it down.'"

Mrs. Gerrish looked at the other ladies for admiration, and Mrs. Munger
said, rapidly, without disarranging her face--

"Oh yes. And how much _misery_ could be saved in such cases by a
little firmness at the outset!"

"Mr. Marvin differed with me," said Mr. Gerrish sorrowfully. "He agreed
with me on the main point, but he said that too many of his hands had
been in his regiment, and he couldn't lock them out. He submitted to