She had a very busy winter and , of course , it was not all plain sailing . She had many difficulties to contend with . Sometimes days came on which everything seemed to go wrong -- when the stove smoked or the oven would n't heat properly , when cakes fell flat and bread was sour and pies behaved as only totally depraved pies can , when she burned her fingers and felt like giving up in despair . Then , again , she found herself cut by several of her old acquaintances . But she was too sensible to worry much over this . The friends really worth having were still hers , her mother 's face had lost its look of care , and her business was prospering . She was hopeful and wide awake , kept her wits about her and looked out for hints , and learned to laugh over her failures . During the winter she and her mother had managed to do most of the work themselves , hiring little Mary Robinson next door on especially busy days , and now and then calling in the assistance of Jimmy Bowen and his hand sled to carry orders to customers . But when spring came Lilian prepared to open up her summer campaign on a much larger scale . Mary Robinson was hired for the season , and John Perkins was engaged to act as carrier with his express wagon . A summer kitchen was boarded in in the backyard , and a new range bought ; Lilian began operations with a striking advertisement in the Willington News and an attractive circular sent around to all her patrons . Picnics and summer weddings were frequent . In bread and rolls her trade was brisk and constant . She also took orders for pickles , preserves , and jellies , and this became such a flourishing branch that a second assistant had to be hired . It was a cardinal rule with Lilian never to send out any article that was not up to her standard . She bore the loss of her failures , and sometimes stayed up half of the night to fill an order on time . `` Prompt and perfect '' was her motto . The long hot summer days were very trying , and sometimes she got very tired of it all . But when on the anniversary of her first venture she made up her accounts she was well pleased . To be sure , she had not made a fortune ; but she had paid all their expenses , had a hundred dollars clear , and had laid the solid foundations of a profitable business .
`` Mother , '' she said jubilantly , XXXXX she wiped a dab of flour from her nose and proceeded to concoct the icing for Blanche Remington 's wedding cake , `` do n't you think my business venture has been a decided success ? ''
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