In the meantime, the spirit mother, becoming painfully alive to the condition of her mourning child, sorrowed that she had not given her the means of earning a livelihood, and grew restlessly anxious to care for and assist that lonely one. She could not remain in the spirit world with her dear companions, but constantly returned to her child, who lived alone and friendless on the earth, seeking ever to influence and guide her aright. Finally, as pressing want necessitated the immediate trial of some work, the young girl—in a state bordering upon desperation—decided to attempt to perform a piece of the work which her mother had been wont to do so skillfully and well, whose busy fingers she had watched so many times. Materials being at hand, she collected them together and began her unaccustomed task. Never before had she attempted anything of the kind, and at first she was excited and nervous; but as the fingers flew over the delicate, fairy-like work, she grew more composed and hopeful, until, when her task was finished, she held it up to the light in an ecstasy of admiration, exclaiming in triumph: “Why, it looks almost as good as mother’s used to.” Again and again did she attempt a piece, and each time her success grew more sure and certain, until, when the curtains of evening fell, quite a little pile of delicately finished work lay before her shining though weary eyes. On the following morning, our friend, after consuming a hasty meal of crackers and water, carried the work she had finished to one of the former patrons of her mother, who examined, bought, and paid for it, furnishing materials for more of the same kind. The girl hastened home to resume her work, and again transpired that strange scene of an inexperienced, unskilled child performing work which required dexterity and practice, without making a single mistake; and so on, from day to day, week to week, until she was no longer inexperienced, but had become skilled in her task, and was enabled to take advantage of it, and thus gain more time for recreation for herself. What was the solution of this—to the girl—seeming mystery? Why, merely that the spirit mother, drawn to her child day by day through the intensity of her love and anxiety, impressed that child to attempt the work, and guided her in the performance of it, not by unconsciously entrancing her and doing the labor—in which case she would not be teaching the daughter—but by impressing her how to proceed, guiding her fingers, and directing the work, until at length the daughter needed no teacher, for she had become an adept in the art of labor.