Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-04-07

myself pretty Thoroughly, and on the mex.
morning determined to try the mills.
Dad you ever see a cotton mill Jack, one
OF those enormous red brick structures
reeking with steam and heat and damp
ness and horrible noises =? | saw the pro-
prietor, and he took me through the
building. / looked at the great looms,
the whizzing spindles and all the ingeni
Gus machinery which man has devised to
supply the necessity for clothing brought
about by the transgresson of Eve but
what most attracted my attention was
the pale faces of the operatives standing
about those terrible machines, the chill
dren, prematurely old and haggard,
breathing that terrible dust and sweter-
ing in that awful heat. All, Jack, New
England has freed the slaves in the cot
ton fields now let her look to the slaves
in the cotton mills
" | passed through the files of languid
children and weary women on my way to
the office, where the proprietor offered
me Il chair. As sat down saw in one
corner OF the room a small figure bending
over great pie Of heavy business like
books. She turned her head as her EN-
ployer spoke, and l saw another pale
lace-so pale, SO gentle, with great violet
eyes, that Seemed to ask every thing they
resided upon, why am | so unhappy p
The same eyes, Jack, my boy, that smil-
ed at you SO brightly over your dinner
half an hour ago."
" Not factory girl !"
" Not exactly one of :hose girls you
find SO often in New England, thorough
y educated and lady-li<e, but impeled
by necessity to work. She was employ
ed as assistant book keeper by the great
firm Of Watson q Co., that owned the
mills. All at once, Jack, | became in
terestod in cotton. | used 10 haunt that
great shrieking Bedlam OF mill L in
vestigated all the processes the plant
won't through from the time it enters the
mill IN great fluffy bales until il goes out
in great white muslin. think the pro-
prietors took me for dry goods clerk or
politician. l became 50 learned that
knew all the grades from paper camblic
to shooting, and | discoursed upon the
taiiE ana the necessity Of protecting
American manufacture, like mber
Of Congress. even made researches in
to the art Of bookkeeping. Aud ALL,
Jack, for the sake Of Il pale little factory
girl with blue eyes-I, the last OF the
Nanderburghs How used to lean over
that great gawky ink stained desk and
watch the small figure in the shabby al
paca lioct How used to intercept the
little girl on her way back and forth to
the great mill, and watch her blush
when her great blue eyes met mine ~
Had you made up your mind to mar
ry herY'
"God forgive me, l had not thought
about it,"
You scoundrel !"
ASK PearIie if [ am a scoundrel,
Jack ?"
81 have no doubt she worshps you,
you most unworthy wretch. She looks
IKE just such II sweet, foolish little dar-
ling
" Don't :orce me to call your attention
TO The tenth commandment again"
" 90 on"
p" am ashamed to confess it, Jack, but
ior two hours in my life l was Il villain
only two, though and / am thrty-fve
years o: age; the proportion Isn't 50 bad,
is il ? One morning it dawned upon me
all at once the mischief had been doing
And that very hour ! tod little Pearie
was golog away, and bnde her good BY"
Wha. dad she say ?"
" Not word only put her little hand
in mine for moment, and turned back
to her great ledger with a brave look,
like the irue New England girl she is
Then, Jack, | knew myself to be scoun-
dreI. But there was the imperial Judith
waiting at Saratoga, worthy mate for the
heir OF all the Vanderbugghs."
" AT four that afternoon | jumped
aboard tire train bound westward. The
mills were two miles below the station,
and we must pass them on our way. My
heart ached terribly when | thought Of
the sweet little girl was leaving behind
me, and | chose my seat in the car 50
that could zee the great building as we
passed it, and perhaps catch glimpse Of
her.
" AS we neared it there seemed to be
great hustle and confusion people run
ming hither and thither, women scream
ing, and the clouds of steam and of smoke
that usually llouted around the building
seemed increased hundredlold. A curve
in the road brought Us full in front Of the
mills, and in moment saw that tho
largest Of them, the one where my little
Peariie spent Lcr weary days was on fire.
Dense clouds OF smoke, mingled with Ii
ny tongues OF fame, were issuing from
the windows, frightened operatives were
rushing from the burning building,
tnmpiing each other under foot in their
mad haste, and the whole secret was one
OF unutterable horror and dismay.
" The train was stopped. In moment
we We're all on our way toward the barn
ing mill, among the first. All Jack,
think what | felt when l heard terror
stricken group Of men crying out, where
is Mis-, Smith ? she is nowhere to be
found she was known to have been in
the office when the alarm of fire was Civ
en-, and had not been seen since. One
prayer OF safety from lips all too unac-
eustOIned 10 such eXercisn. and [ mns IN