Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-07

so soon again out of the fierce avengers of blood
 Do you ask what the noise iss' cried Ihihp rom the doorway. "It is strike at last, see for yourself"
 The sight of the mill hands in open revolt, uiaIouched by the motives that commonly re- strained them, at once awed Philip, and de termined him to oppose their violence with his life if need be. The mill yard gates were hastily unlocked by the frightened janitor, ana as the first excited throngs, like nation escaping out of bondage, swept through them, only one man stood calmly watching from tho counting room piazza. In the front rank ran some little children, whose faces, that should have been rosy in the first bloom of life, were pinched and wan instead Play hours and merry sports were unknown to them. What their baby fingers could earn was tho merest trifle, but it cost them the only hours that could ever he free from care. A number of them were deformed from a neglected infancy; they had to learn to be still because it hurt them to -tenderer lessons there was no time for. Then came the girls, chattering, and nervously pull ing their shawls about their shoulders, as if it were winter. One and all seemed to wear the plaid shawl-badge of their vocation-and there was the same dull yellow hue on their cheeks, the same lines of wearincss on every face. Few of them looked well; girls ought to be petted little; but the dreary monotony of their ill paid work had drowned on their childhood as it cursed them now. And instead of resting while they might ripen into healthful, happy women and blessed mothers, their unkritted frames and soft muscles must work like their starving fathers and brothers It IS only the women of the rich whom the sentiment of chivalry is for. In every eye was the dullness that comes when hope goes and the vague, delic- ious dreaming, the eternal privilege of girl hood, is broken rudely upon, when love has no more of its ideal glory, and all the beauty of purity and refinement is lost in the gross struggle for something to eat. The gentle, poetical grace of womanhood was gone, those huddling, awkward creatures were only weaker men.
 But MT. Breton had pushed his chair to one side and was making his way through the group of his friends with hardly word The rest tried to smile, but he was far too angry.
 Don't go," urged his lawyer, impera- lively laying his hand on his shoulder, ''do:'t think of it, you can do no kind of good, and they will only insult you."
 Insult me!" he repeated between his teeth. Then he stopped, and suddenly faced about. He frowned fercely on the cautious business men, whom he knew full we'll had decided to give him the lurch. ''If I had pair of horses who behaved badly, they are stronger than I, but I would whip them and starve them till they forgot it." If he could subduc his own rebellious factory hands, and turn them back to their work like whipped beasts, he knew these timid counselors would come back into his office and put their names to his corporation scheme, if not He bit his lip and pushed on out of the door. His bo1,> ho1 of l., fore; he had fancied they were afraid of him. Five minutes more would prove whether they were or not.
 In moment more he stood beside his son, who watched, pale and stern, from the counting room piazza; behind him his law yer, whose face, deserted by smiles at last, looked almost unfamiliar; and still further back a few of the boldest of his visitors.
 ''For Gods sake-go inside," whispered Philip between his set teeth, 'syou will only make them angrier."
 ''Truckle to my own help, shall In' re- peated his father in his harsh, grating mill tones.
 The mill owner threw back his head and shoulders, and looked commanding]y at the crowd. He could not understand why they were not afraid of him. Had he not been the dispenser of bread, almost of life or death to them, for twenty yearsa They were 8 thousand, and he one, but for thirty years their fate had trembled in the balance of his will, and was it any less so today? They might be ever so numerous and strong; the subtle machinery of the laws and the in- genuity of capital put them at his mercy. He drowned maj ajestically on the women and children; where would their dinners and suppers come froma Where could they lay their foolish heads tonight if he chose tc cl,k p,,%% novel sense of freedom as they hurried by to enjoy their whole holiday.
 Then came the men, with the hard, set look on their faces that should have warned the mill owner that this was not the moment for him to assert too boldly the sovereignty that had made their whole lives barren waste. The word had been passed from lip to lip that MT. Breton was at the counting room door, and very angry. But his son, who had shown himself their friend, and who had been too honest with them to give them false counsel, stood with him, and the men meant to show him the respect he de- served and march by in silence. Still, the seeds of old wrongs and daily repeated priva- tions had borne bitter fruit in every heart, and many sullen look of hate Philip saw on their faces.
 ''Stop, stop, I say," shouted Mir Breton. A murmur ran through the crowd and they stopped. Philip saw the willingness of the halt. It had irlzed them to go by, without one word to relieve the universal sense of justice that had seethed so long in their breasts.
 "You will do well to let them go in peace" ]" a,uttered Philip, in constrained voice, "the poor creatures will have to come back again when they are hungry" But his father did not appear to hear him. His face had flushed crimson, and he seemed to have quite lost his self command, as he shook his fist at the sul- len crowd that widened every moment.
 "Do you think you can force me, you beg garss' For a moment admiration for his courage divided the indignation of his strange audience, and the first response was as much applause as anger.
 ''Nol" he shouted, in voice shrill with ex- citement. ''You shall every one of you starve first. You get more wages than you earn now. Do you know what this strike will fetch you9' s-a..
 His lawyer plucked at his sleeve. That man of discretion did not like the expression on the faces of the workmen nearest to the piazza.
 "This is quite uncalled for, my dear Bre- ton, and not only that" he added, ''but de- cidedly dan"-
 But the excited proprietor shook off his arm and stepped forward, trembling with