Exhibit 2.1(f)

                                FOURTH AMENDMENT
                                       TO
                         RECEIVABLES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

         THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT dated as of March 23, 1999 (this  "Amendment") to
the Receivables  Purchase Agreement,  dated as of March 25, 1997, and amended as
of March  24,  1998,  as of July 16,  1998,  as of  January  28,  1999 and as of
December  23, 1998 (the  "Receivables  Purchase  Agreement"),  by and among CONE
RECEIVABLES LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as seller (the "Seller"),
CONE MILLS CORPORATION,  a Delaware  corporation,  as buyer (the "Buyer"), is by
and among the parties listed above. Capitalized terms used in this Amendment and
not  otherwise  defined  shall have the  meanings  assigned to such terms in the
Receivables Purchase Agreement.

                               RECITALS

         WHEREAS,  the parties to the Receivables  Purchase  Agreement desire to
amend the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement to extend the expiration date of the
facility as provided below:

         NOW  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the premises and the  agreements
contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

         SECTION 1.  Amendment to Section 1.01 of the Receivables
Purchase Agreement. The definition of "Expiration Date: in Section
1.01 of the Receivables purchase Agreement is hereby amended in its
entirety and now reads as follows:

                  "Expiration Date: shall mean the earliest if (I) June 23, 1999
         (ii) the date of  termination  of the  commitment of the LOC Bank under
         the  Letter  of  Credit  Reimbursement  Agreement,  (iii)  the  date of
         termination of the  commitment of the Banks under the Credit  Agreement
         or (iv) the day on which the  Buyer  delivers  a Notice of  Termination
         pursuant to Section  7.02 hereof or a  Termination  Event  described in
         Section 7.01(k) hereof occurs.

         SECTION  2.  Amendment  to  Section  2.15 of the  Receivables  Purchase
Agreement.  The  expiration  date in Section  2.15 of the  Receivables  Purchase
Agreement is hereby  extended by deleting  "March 23, 1999" and inserting in its
place "June 23, 1999".



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         SECTION 3. Receivables  Purchase  Agreement in Full Force and Effect as
Amended.  Except as specifically  stated herein, all of the terms and conditions
of the Receivables Purchase Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. All
references  to the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement  in any other  document  or
instrument  shall be  deemed  to mean the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  as
amended by this Amendment. This Amendment shall not constitute a novation of the
Receivables  Purchase Agreement,  but shall constitute an amendment thereto. The
parties hereto agree to be bound by the terms and obligations of the Receivables
Purchase  Agreement,  as  amended  by this  Amendment,  as though  the terms and
obligations of the Receivables Purchase Agreement were set forth herein.

         SECTION 4. Effectiveness. The amendments provided for by this Amendment
shall become  effective as of the date hereof,  upon receipt by the Buyer of (a)
executed  counterparts  of this Amendment and (b) a certificate of an officer of
each of the Seller and the Services to the effect that the  representations  and
warranties in Section 5.01 and 5.03, as applicable,  of the Receivables Purchase
Agreement  are true and  correct as of the date  hereof and that no  Termination
Event or Potential Termination Event shall exist as of the date hereof.

         SECTION 5.  Counterparts.  This Amendment may be executed in any number
of counterparts and by separate parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of
which when executed shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts taken
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

         SECTION 6.  Governing Law.  THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED
BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be
executed and delivered by their duly authorized officers as of the date hereof.

                                CONE RECEIVABLES LLC,
                                By:     Cone Mills Corporation, its sole member

                                By:     /s/ David E. Bray
                                        Name:         David E. Bray
                                        Title:        Treasurer

                                CONE MILLS CORPORATION

                                BY:     /s/ Anthony L. Furr
                                        Name:         Anthony L. Furr
                                        Title:        Executive Vice President
                                                         and CFO

                                DELAWARE FUNDING CORPORATION,

                                By:     Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New
                                        York, as attorney-in-fact-for Delaware
                                        Funding Corporation

                                By:     /s/ Richard A. Burke
                                        Name:         Richard A Burke
                                        Title:        Vice President

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