Confessedly there was little novelty in the organization and conduct of these Circles, excepting perhaps that the leaders took special pains in private interviews, and by informal hints and criticisms at the gatherings, to awaken and foster a desire for improvement. But the honorable presentation to the world, in print, of a class of people usually considered ignorant and degraded, was certainly a new thing under the sun. In the number of _The Offering_ for November, 1842, which was after my removal from New England, Miss Harriet Farley, who was then in editorial charge, published her personal knowledge of the origin, etc., as follows:-- “The gentlemen were at liberty to contribute to the Circle, but they were of no great assistance. Those who were not engaged in the mills were also contributors, but it was soon found that the principal interest of the meetings depended upon _the factory-girls_. ... “There were at length so many articles of a promiscuous character, that it was thought they might form a pleasing variety in a little book.... To tell the truth, we did not really believe that it would ever come into being. We did not believe our articles would do to print--that they were good enough to be put in a book. But there was _one_ who thought otherwise.... Then a periodical was spoken of, and it was even suggested that _we_ should edit it. _We_ the editor! The idea was very awful. _We_ should as soon have thought of building a meeting-house! We shrank so sensitively from the proposal that it was not urged, and the projector of the work became its editor. “We shall never forget our throb of pleasure when we first saw _The Lowell Offering_ in a tangible form, with its bright yellow cover, nor our flutterings of delight as we perused its pages. True, we had seen or heard the articles before, but they seemed so much better in print! They appeared to be as good as anybody’s writings. They sounded as if written by people who never worked at all. “_The Offering_ was well received by the public, or at least would have been if people had not been so confused and perplexed and mystified and unbelieving. “The first number was an experiment, and a successful one. The second, third, and fourth appeared at irregular intervals; and then it was thought best that it should be permanently established. Hitherto it had been sold singly, or given away, and there had been no subscription list. With the fifth number commenced a new series, different in form and materially improved in outward appearance.” The new series was a monthly of thirty-two pages, large octavo, in long primer, leaded, with embellishments of wood engravings, chiefly of churches in Lowell, also pages of music, the whole put up in neat printed covers.