Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-11
Che family Circle.
The Queen at the Paner-MiIIs.

The queen was riding out In her grand
carriage, the horses tossing their plumes
as If they thought themselves a little bet
ter than common horses, and the footmen
ali decked out in red, feeling that they had
something royal about them. The queen
had always had every thing she wanted
and so was quite miserable because she
could not think of a want to supply, or a
new place to visit.
At last she bethought her that they had
Just been building a new paper-mill, a few
miles out of the city Now, she had never
seen a paper-mill, and so she determined tC
stop little way off, there leave her car
riage. and walk in, not as a queen, but a.
an unknown, common lady. She went
in alone, and told the owner she would like
to see his mill, He was in a great hurry
and did not know that she was 4 queen
But he said to himself, | can crafty the
curiosityof this lady, and add to her know
edge and though | am terribly hurried
yet | will do this kindness. He
then showed her all the machinery
how they bleach the rags, and make them
white how they grind them into pulp; how
they make sheets, and smooth them, an d
dry them, and make them beautiful. The
queen was astonished and delighted. She
would now have something new TO Trims
about and talk about.
just as she was about leaving to- mill
she came to room filed with old. worn
out, dirty rags. At the door Of this room
was great multitude of poor dirty mer
aud women and children, bringing old bags
on their backs, filed with bits Of RAGS. and
paper parts Of old newspapers. and the
like. all exceedingly filthy. These were
rag pickers, who had picked these Old
things out Of the streets and cutters of
the great city
What do you do with al. these vile
things " said the queen.
Why, madam, make paper out ofthem
To be sure, they are not very profitable
stock, but | can use them, and II keeps
these poor creatures in bread. "
4" But these rags Why, sir, they are OF
all colors, and how do you make them
white ,"
3. o! l have the power Of taking OUT al }
the dirt and the old colors. You see that
scarlet and crimson, yet [ can make
even scarlet and crimson, the hardest colors,
to remove and become white as snow.
" Wonderful, wonderful said the
queen.
She then took her leave, but the polite
owner of the mill insisted on walking and
seeing her safe in her carriage. When she
got in and bowed to him with a smile, and
be saw all the grand establishment, he
knew it was the queen.
" Well, well - said he She has learn
ed something, at any rate wish it may
be a lesson in true religion"
A few days after the queen found lying
upon her writing-desk pile of the most
beautiful polished paper she had ever seen.
On each sheet were the letters OF her own
name, and her own likeness. How she did
admire it She found, also, note within,
which she read. 1t ran thus
&" Will my queen be pleased to accept
specimen of my paper, with the assurance
that every sheet was manufactured out of
the contents Of those dirty bags which she
saw on the backs of the poor rag pickers
All the filth and the colors are washed out,
and | trust the result is such as even
queen may admire Will the queen also
allow me to say, that l have had many a
gOou sermon preacneu me IN my MIL 1
can understand how our Lord Jesus Christ
can take the poor heather, the low, sinful,
everywhere, viler than the rags, and wash
them and make them clean; and how,
{ though their sins be as scerlet, he can
make them whittier than snow and though
they be red, like crimson, he can make them
as wool. And can see that he can write
his own name upon their foreheads, as the
queen will find her name on each sheet OF
paper and | can see how, as these filthy
rags may 90 into the palace and be ever
admired, some poor, vile sinners may be
washed in the blood of the Lamb, and be
received into the palace of the Great King
in heaven '-Rec. John Todd, in SUNDAY
School Times.