The Spinners

at he felt out of tune. All went well at the Mill save in one particular, and he found no fault either with the heads of the offices

mpathised, but a

his temperament a long time to find the yoke easy. You were naturally studious, and wise enough to get into harness after you left school; Raymond, with his extraordinary physica

ere. Waldron is a person with one idea, and a foolish idea at that. He only thinks a man is a man when he's tearing about after foxes, or killing something, or playing with a ball of

Jenny Ironsyde, "b

ir wages. He suggests to perfectly satisfied people that they are not getting enough money! Well, it's only human nature for them to agree with him, and you can easily see what the result

f that sort, and if Raymond minded his own business, as he should, it couldn't

waste his time and hear his own voice. He ought to

t failing others I will do what I can. You say Mr. Waldron's no good. Then try Uncle Ernest. I think he might touch Raymond. He's gentle, but he's wise

e he'll do harm. I believe asses like Raymond make mo

young man, so be patient with your brother. But try Uncle Ernest first. He might ask

go in at one ear and come out o

lled on Mr. Churchouse

received a parcel b

isher,'" he said. "It is an old perambulation of D

ngs in the Bridport Gaz

w minutes, Uncle Erne

syde's boys," answered the other, "and nothing

ul. It is about Raymon

ether surprised. C

and soon he heard of the younger man's anxieties. B

thing of Raymon

turally clever. She is inclined to be excitable, as many clever people are, but she is of a charming disposition and has great natural ability. I had thought she would very likely become a schoolmistress; but in this place the call of the mills is paramount and, as you know, the young women generally follow their mothers. So Sabina found the thought of the spinning attractive and is now, Mr. Best tells me, an am

it? I was going to as

mon

ymond, having a young and rather empty head on his magnificent shoulders, would not. I take the situation to be this. Raymond's life has been suddenly changed and his prodigious physical activities reduced. He bursts with life. He i

is in love, or an

what I do mean," ans

m all, and hear his own voice, and talk rubbis

understand perfectly well that he doesn't know what he's talking about so far as that goes. How

ness first and nobody c

degree of earnestness and self-discipline as he devotes to running and playing games and the like. I feel sure you will carry great weight. He is far from being a fool. In fact he is a very intelligent young man with excellent brains, and if he would devote them to the business, you would soon find him your right hand. The machinery does honestly interest hi

I say abou

ship is not desirable. Don't think I am cynical and worldly and take too low a view of human nature-far from it, my dear boy. Nothing would ever make me take a low view of human nature. But one has not lived for sixty years with o

hink I'm a prig and all that sort of t

ers. Hint at supply and demand; then explain that all must go according to fixed laws, and amelioration is a question of time and combination, and so on. Then tackle him fearlessly about Sabina and appeal to his highest instincts. I, too, in my diplomat

and it was about eleven o'clock in the day when he ente

sit to the spinners and, delighted at the distraction, Raymond, on whose invitation she had come, displayed all the operation of turnin

girls. Some, indeed, they could not answer. Estelle's mind approached their work from a new angle and saw in it mysteries and points calling for solution t

et, be shot, if I ever thought of it! Only Best wi

m the Carding Machine. At the Drawing Frame six ribbons from the Carder were all brought together into one

and four of these ribbons from the First Drawer are brought together into one ribbon again. So you see tha

s do to it?" asked Estelle

onfessed Raymond. "Wha

ic

as clad in a dun overall and had a dim scarlet cap of worsted drawn over her white hair. The remains of be

bish is dragged out on the teeth and now, though it seems thinner and weaker, it isn't really

Mrs. Chick, departed at his brother's wish. The youn

uldn't mind if I showed his little girl round the

want to speak to you on the general question.

d! Me? Go

, say 'self-respecting.' You might

sn't so delightful that I am content to live in the

ind; but there's nobody else to speak, so I must. The point is that you don't see in the least what you are doing here. I

orting of

t you see you ought to s

d

elfish and careless about our people, or indifferent to their needs and rights. I'm quite as keen about their welfare as you are;

aggs, the hackler. He understands the claims of capital

tening to Levi is to waste your time and waste his. And then you wander about among the women talking nonsense. And remember this: they know it's nonsense. They understand the question very much better than you do, and instead of respecting you, as they ought to resp

em as a matter of fact. And I do look ahead-perhaps further than you do. I certainly wouldn't promise anything I wou

ing out for new things, and when they get them-and sacrifice a year's profits very likely in doing so-often the first thing they he

y to get left,

member that I very well know what I'm talking about and you don't. You must give me so

t to be left high and dry in the

present situation in our trade before you can do anything rational in the shape of progress. I've been left a very fine business wi

nd no

I'm a learner and I know

me instead of to

t know th

ather often and often about it. He was no tyrant

n the brothers had been on the subject of their father, and the younger knew that the grou

do anything to annoy you, God knows. Is there an

hope you'll excuse me. I've just been seeing Uncle Er

I've learned a lot abo

isn't right. She's a very good girl-our champion spinner Best says; and if you go distracting her and taking her out of her station, you are doing her a very cruel turn and upsetting her peace of mind. And the others will be jealous, of course, and so it will go on. It isn't

e whole question, had saved him the necessity for any direct reply. Whether he would have lied or no concerning Sabina, Raymond did not stop to consider. There is little doubt that h

think I'm wasting my time. I'm working like the devil, really, and learning everything from the beginning. Best will tell you that's tr

ht come into Bridport oftener, I think. Au

both on my birthday. I believe she'll be good for fifty

lle, who was now watching the warping, wh

. She had fallen in

ll so kind and c

ct you know all ab

me come again. I do want to know all

e and go when y

Estelle. "They all love flowers, and I'm going to show them o

me,

aper and showed him that she

ask them too," she said. "Father is always wanting me to

he name of Sa

e to help you

the lover of Miss Gale. That's why I asked them. I very nearly went back and asked Miste

e's an old bear,"

st, he threw himself into Estelle's enterprise and planned an e