The Spinners

r one made of superior flesh and blood. He held her in some sort a reincarnation of his wife and took

ies, yet she remained young in mind as well as body, and was always very glad to meet others of her own age. The mill girls were indeed older than she, but Mr. Wa

n favour, yielded to entreaty and joined the company on the lawn of North Hill House. Tea was served out of doors, and to it there came nine workers from the mill, and two of Mr. Best's own girls, who were friends of Estelle. Nicholas Roberts arr

ly to him as a cricketer, and Benny Cogle, the engine man. They departed to look at a litter of puppies and the others perambulated the gardens. Estelle had a plot of her own, w

lily pond, where the gold fish were tame and crowded to their hands for food; but o

mp-I mean the workers in cotton and silk. For the law of things in general, called evolution, seems to stand still when machinery comes to increase output and confuse our ideas of quality and quantity. Missis

r," said M

ne in spinning that I believe will never be done again. In fact, the further you go back, the better the yarn seems to have been, and I'm sure I don't know how the laws of evolution can explain that. The secret is this: machiner

m, Mister Churchou

years ago. Only thirteen was Catherine Woods-mark that, Sabina and Alice-but she was a genius who lived in Dunmore, County Dow

ed to E

a half pounds of Catherine's yarn would have sufficed to stretch round the equator of the earth. No machine-spun yarn has ever come within measurable distance of

ed Estelle b

Lacedemonians by King Amasis, each thread of which commanded admiration, for though very fi

believe it I'm sure, sir, if yo

d as delicate as silk, and equal, if not superior, to our best cambrics. Five hundred and forty threads went to the warp and a hundred

nder the sun, seemingl

time to come, we shall spin again as well as the Egypt

ers will always beat us

of the caterpillar's silken spinning. Talking of

n to expatiate on Nature's spinning, she slipped away. The garden was large and held many winding paths and secluded

praised

le lady and ever s

ather's such a great sportsman, she doesn't care

stand that. Nor would

All the same you'd ride jolly well, because you've got nerve enough for anyt

will you

e to be walking here with you. I only wish I was clever and could really amuse you and make

s of things well worth knowing-things I should never have heard of

well read, and your cleverness fairly staggers me. Just to hear you talk is all I want-at least that

k on the flowers. But Raymond was not interested about the flowers. He had looked forward to t

and joking and trying to make things pleasant for us all at the works; but sometimes, if you could see me

for you-if there was an

ht, and then cut off with nothing and forced to come here and stew and toil and w

astering it as qui

and raise your salaries and so on-especially yours, for you ought to have pounds where you have shillings. And my wishes to do proper things, in the line of modern progress and all th

ed way," declared Sabina. "And now you've told me, I shall understand

ly be my fri

onour for a girl-just

h tons of mind, Sabina. You understan

orth what it will

then you'd know you'd been instrumental in raising the tone of the whole works. And probably, if we set a good example, other w

with due reverence. She praised his i

while the dusk came down an

"and it may be largely thanks to you. And

conscious of his very near p

" she said, "and I hope you'll thank M

come this way I can let you out by the bottom gate-by the bamboo garden. You've bucked me up like anything-you al

d her, and Nature shouted so loud in his humming ears th

such friendship means to a girl like me. It's something that doesn't come into our liv

I couldn't live without you. Kiss me, for God's

hastened off by the lane to Bridetown. He glowed at her touch and panted at his triumph. She had not rebuked him, but let him see that she loved him and kissed him for his kiss. He did not attempt to follow her then but turned full of glory. Here w

higher terms and new values. She should have the best that the world could offer, and he would win it for her. Her trus

him until now. And here was a radiant creature, the most beautiful in the world, who trusted

end the whole earth to his purposes, take Leviathan with a hook,