SCENE I.—_A room in the house of MRS. JONES. MRS. J., R., and

her daughter, L., present, both seated._

MRS. JONES. Well, Amanda, now that we have taken a large house and prepared it for boarders, the next thing will be to fill it.

AMANDA. Advertise in the “Herald,” mamma.

MRS. J. It may be a good plan. We ought to make money; but when I consider that we have a large rent to pay, I can’t help thinking that there is some risk about it. You know we were able to live comfortably on the money your poor father left, and without any care or exertion on our part.

A. (_scornfully_). _Comfortably_, mamma! You know how we had to pinch ourselves. I could hardly afford one bonnet a year, and, as to dresses, I had to wear them so long a time I was positively ashamed. Other people make money by keeping boarders, and why can’t we?

MRS. J. You may be right, Amanda. But about the advertisement. How shall we express it?

(_AMANDA sits down at the table and writes._)

A. How will this do, mamma? (_Reads._)

WANTED.—A few first-class boarders, by a genteel family whose object is to surround themselves by a pleasant social circle, rather than to make money. Address “Boarders,” Herald office.

MRS. J. But, my dear, my object is to make money.

A. Of course, mamma; but it sounds well to seem indifferent to it.

MRS. J. Perhaps you are right. (_A pause._) I wonder when the advertisement will appear.

A. To-morrow morning, probably, and we may expect applications at any time afterward.

MRS. J. Then it would be best to fix on a price for board at once.

A. Yes, I suppose so.

MRS. J. How would twelve dollars a week do?

A. It wouldn’t do at all. We couldn’t pay expenses.

MRS. J. But I’m afraid if we charge such high prices we shall not be able to fill our rooms.

A. That’s just the means to accomplish it. Many people judge of the style and reputation of a house by the price asked. You ought to insist on at least fifteen or twenty dollars for the best rooms, and a little less for those not so desirable.

MRS. J. But that won’t correspond with the advertisement, where I say I take boarders for company, rather than to make money.

A. I don’t think that will ever be noticed; but if it should, you can say with truth, that you could not pay your expenses if you charged less.

MRS. J. Well, I hope we may be successful, for I have made such an outlay in fitting up the house, that our income will this year be far less than usual, and our expenses correspondingly larger.

A. There’s no doubt of our success. Three months from now we shall be able not only to defray our necessary expenses, but also to replace the money which you were obliged to draw to pay for the furniture.

(_Curtain falls._)