"Sure," said one.
"That's right," added another. They all nodded their heads in approval. Then up spoke Bridget Flinn:
"Shure, an' she's on the right thrack. When we can do housework, we can command a high wage, an' git on. My cousin gits five dollars a week in New York, an' she says she has mere nothin' ter do, an' dthresses as good as her misthress. Oi'd loike ter learn ter write letthers, so as ter wroite ter Pat, an' Oi'd loike ter learn housekapin', so's I could go out ter sarvice."
Then a pretty Mexican girl, with a soft voice, spoke:
"Martha Castello is my name. I want to learn to read an' write an' sing."
The teacher stepped to the blackboard, and wrote the following:
| Reading | Arithmetic | Sewing |
| Writing | Singing | Housekeeping |
The girls watched her intently.
"An' letthers," suggested Bridget.