Lilian's Business Venture Page #2

"Lilian's Business Venture" is a charming short story by Lucy Maud Montgomery that follows the enterprising Lilian, a young girl with a keen sense of opportunity and a desire for independence. Faced with the challenge of starting her own business, Lilian navigates the complexities of entrepreneurship with creativity and resilience. Through her journey, Montgomery explores themes of ambition, friendship, and the pursuit of personal dreams, ultimately showcasing Lilian's growth and determination in a delightful narrative filled with warmth and inspiration.

• Short story

								

opened his eyes.

"I must tell my wife about that. She isn't strong and she doesn't like
cooking."

After dinner Lilian went to work, enveloped in a big apron, and
whipped eggs, stoned raisins, stirred, concocted, and baked until
dark. When bedtime came she was so tired that she could hardly crawl
upstairs; but she felt happy too, for the day had been a successful
one.

And so also were the days and weeks and months that followed. It was
hard and constant work, but it brought its reward. Lilian had not
promised more than she could perform, and her customers were
satisfied. In a short time she found herself with a regular and
growing business on her hands, for new customers were gradually added
and always came to stay.

People who gave parties found it very convenient to follow Mrs.
Saunders's example and order their supplies from Lilian. 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
wouldn'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, as she wiped a dab of flour from her
nose and proceeded to concoct the icing for Blanche Remington's
wedding cake, "don't you think my business venture has been a decided
success?"

Mrs. Mitchell surveyed her busy daughter with a motherly smile. "Yes,
I think it has," she said.
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