Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-05-05

yolceI II sounded wonderfully like
that Of The little knitting woman, d.
reeting and encouraging.
"Well done, Susan"
"Now don't be dlsheartcned, VIII,
OF course while you work Ia tho mill,
and can only study at night, you cent
get along just rs some do who go to
school all day but what you learn
may be Of some use to you, We care
more Tor things that cost US trouble"
There were a few simple mathemat
ical problems. and then reading, and
the words spelled out with difficulty
by somp. were Bible words,
Charity suilereth long and Is kind
II vaunteth not itself. Thlnketh no
evil, BcarClh all things, bclievcth all
things, hopeth all things"
1t was easily understood. Mrs.
| Wilkin leaned forward little and
could peep into the room. Fifteen or
twenty boys and girls from the mill
gathered into a night school. Then
those wonderful words read so slowly
and cmphatically, seemed to assume n
new and deeper meaning than Mrs.
Wilkin had ever thought Of their pos
sessng, Some things do show more
clearly in tho dark than in the light.
As the timid little woman, who
would have been frightened at the
sound Of her own voice in any other
audience half so large, explained in
her simple, gentle way, the passage
read, il occurred to tho listener out
side that some one was keeping n
"sharp watch" on these mill people,
after all, and that this might be q
better way Of doing it than might be
pracliscd by any police force. 1t was
q very informal school, One girl had
brought her best dress to mend rent
in it, and another was trying to knit q
pair Of mittens for her brother. Ey-
cry winter has its thaws. Mrs. Will
kin had q heart down under oil the
crust Of opinions that she chrIstened
duty; she became interested, despite
her uncomfortable situation.
The position was unpleasant. She
did not like playing eaves.dropper to
this innocent gathering, but there
seemed no help tor it. She could not
escape through the locked door; and
boldly revealing herself, and explain
ing her absurd suspicious, and the re,
markable way in which she had come
there was moro than even her thought
could endure. So she kept her place,
hoping that when the pupils were dis
missed she might slip out unnoticed'
But when the lesson hour was over
they departed slowly, by twos and
threes, the open door finging q flood
of light out into the hall. At last
only one fingered, and Mrs. Wilkin
listened intently as she caught his
voice.
"Now, Tim," said the little knitting
woman, II like to have you come,
you know that, and III help you all !
can, but you must tell your aunt
about it.
"Well, you see, don't know what
she'll say" began Tim, irresolutely.
"But that shouldn't hinder you
from doing your duty"
"Don't know about that" said lin
still doubtful. you see Aunt Liz
beth's got an awful mount of duty OF
her own, and it's such a particlar
kind that other folks can't get much
chance to do theirs, only when hers is
a nappin'. Why Uncle Renb gives
my mother lots of meat, but he just
slips it off and don't tell
"Well, if you don't know what is
right for you, I knew what is right
for me-" said the little teacher with 8
quiet laugh :; "and I cant let you
come again until you tell your aunt
how you spend your evenings"
Mrs. Wilkin nodded vigorous ap'
proval, but it was evident that Tim
departed in a state of dissatisfaction
There was a sound of crutch tap.
ping on the floor, and Mrs. Wllkln
remembered that little lame brother
had sometimes gone about with the
knitting.womau. They two were LETT
alone in the room, and went around
shaking out the fire and putting up
books and papers.
"Only ten cents a week for each
one-that's s so little" said the boyiat
tones, musingly.
"Yes, but it isn't 80 very much that
can teach them," answered the lit.
tie woman humbly. "And then, its
oil they can afford to pay, poor things