The Mineral argus., 1884-09-25
n BAR OF GOLD.

DO us bdlu ANDh, AOOhAho W
shoulder. 'Nell can do anything"
''This amt so good" said Nell, modest
7. II wish 1 could do anything, Ned; I'd
paint a nice lot of flowers to hang over your
bed"
'Do, Nelll" Jim exclaimed.
'Yes, make that for us, Nell, Ned added, as
ne looked admiringly upon the drawing on the
able. At that instant the little group
around the table were silenced by a woman's
voice.
"If I were your father, I'd take them notions
out of you mighty quick, miss!"
The girl looked up, turning a frightened face
to the speaker. Her lips trembled, but she mas
tered her emotions as she replied:
81 washed the dishes, ma, and swept the
kitchen"
'After 1 told you a dozen times or more"
Anybody hearing that voice and tone would
nave been prepared for bad grammer, and the
gross exaggeration a scold commonly INDUCES.
"Why don't you hunt up your clothes and sew
the buttons on them, instead of putting all the
work on me?"
'Tn mend them, ma. 1 didn't think it was
anyharm to learn to draw and paint = little"
LEARN to paint! What does a colt like you
6now about drawing? It's downright l~aziness,
and I'm going to see if your fathers going to
encourage il, when you ought to learn to make
your own clothes. When 1 was as old as you"
The supposed head Of the house entering at
that moment, Mrs. Chapman turned to him
wrathfully:
''That girl has just had the %impudence to
ialk back to me becauseI spoke to her about
attending to her own clothes instead of fritz
terin'away her time innonsense on paper"
Mr.. Chapman, who, after taking to himself a
second wife, discovered he had voluntarily
placed a heavy yoke upon his neck, looked at
he little group now huddled together mute,
and with sacred faces.
81 tell her, if Twas her father, I'd take that
i~aziness andnonsense out Of her. A girl as
big as that ought to be to work You ought to
take her to the factory with you, Chapman
She can carry spools up and down stairs, or
do something useful, stead O. sprawlin' all
over paper and states, usin' up pencils"
81 didn't think Nell big enough to go to
work yet I'll thing about it"
The fathers heart pleaded for the little girl
whose upbraiding eyes forcibly recalled the
lead, and reminded him of his obligations to
che living.
"Well-only don't be too long thinking about
it." said Mrs. Chapman number two as she left
the room. Nell stole to her fathers side, and
slipped her hand in his.
'cDon't mind, pa. If it wasn't for Ned and
Jim, 1 wouldn't care, but I'd rather be with
you in the factory than at home"
crr--A II ~ - - - I,k 10 uraa
afraid his wife would oyerhear her. "Tn see
about it-don't ireland don't talk back. You
must be good children" This was addressed
to the group collectively. The boy mutineers
were preparing to knuckle their eyes, when he
added harshly, 'None O. that now!" whereupon
the boys choked Jumps down their throats
and pushed their fists straight down into their
pants pockets, while their father glanced at
the paper Nell left lying on the table. He
bent suddenly over ii, then turnedt to Nell:
"You copied it"
enc, indeed 1 didn't, pa"
81 saw her do it" saidJim, coming to his sis
er's aid manfully.
s'She did it all out of her head, pa" Ned af-
6rmed, they both looked at Nell, and Nell
blushed as she cast her eyes down.
81 can do ever SO much better than that, pa
MI. NDdDllAAn nAEh1hs ~ hhoAACd AO was hOi
quite so poor. He wished he could send her
to school. He wished-so many things that he
realized keenly for the thousandth time, he had
made the mistake of his life in marrying Han
nah Cone. 1t would not do to let this nonsense
grow-to encourage it Best take Nell to the
factory. Work would occupy her time-keep
peace in the house maybe.
So it was settled to the satisfaction of Mrs.
Chapman number TWO. Nell, at the age of
fourteen accompanied her father to the factory
the following Monday.
Hague's factory was so vast, the crowds of
men, women and children who were shut VI
in it from early morn till night, so numerous
that a score more or less were never noticed.
1t made a great difference to Jim and Ned how
ever. The stepmother's breath grew colder
now that Nell was out of hearing. They had
more surprises now in the shape of smart blows
and the ste~pmOthers voice grew shriller. Two
pillows were believed oftener with tears, anC
two trembling, fearful children became afraid
of their own shadows.
Meanwhile the great chimneys at Hague't
factory projected the smoke of thousands OF
tons of coal h~eavenward, the looms produced
acres upon acres of beautiful and costly lab
RIGS and Nell Chapman's feet tOiled up anC
down stairways that seemed to lengthen as tn.
day wore on YEARLY until there seemed to b'
no end Of them. at was easy work" Mrs
Chapman number two said. "a baby nigh
carry spools." Meantime Nell, with dark,
heavy lidded eyes, hollow cheeks, and tired
feet dragged herself to and from the grea
factory. until-but / will not anticipate.
The inhabitants of N-were stunned ont
burning Jrly day with a sound that smote theil
ears like the crash Of worlds. Doors were burs
open; walls trembled; the earth vibrated; every
pain of glass in the town was shattered 1t W
lust after the MONDAY meal. The great en-
glnes in Hagues carpet factory had made two
or three revolutions, when the workers wer'
appalled, by a sound accompanied by a blow
that threatened the total destruction of the fac
tory. The towns people running to their doors
looking towards the factory saw a pun of vel