Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-03-10

informs me--What is that noisei'
1t was like n rising north wind, not little
like the breaking of the angry Sea on rock
bound shore From tho entrance to all the
mills swarIned jostling human forms. A
thousand heads turning at frequent intervals
to catch courage from their numbers, gave
an unpleasant snake like effect TO the sway
ing columns which united as they swept on
toward the mill yard gates. Philip Breton
hurried back from the han and threw open
the Office door. Within all was still as death.
The complacent smile had died on the law
yer's lips The clerks stood like statues,
while the rudy color slowly faded from his
fathers face. giving place to underlined dread
of a danger that had elements no human arm
could control Kings and armies before him
had tremblod at the murmur OF mobs till
they learned how short lived was the mad
fury of the people, no matter how terrible
their wrongs, until they learned how certain
was the disunion which made patient victims
SO soon again out of the fierce avengers of
blood.
''Do you ask what the noise isf' cried
Philip from the doorway. ''It IS strike ut
last, see for yourself
The sight of the mill hands in open revolt,
untouched 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,
and as the first excited throngs, like nation
escaping out of bondage, swept through them,
only one man stood calmly watching from
the counting room piazza. In the front rank
ran somo 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 the merest trifle, but it cost them the
only hours that could ever be free from care.
A number of them were deformed from
neglected infancy; they had to learn to be
still because it hurt them to fall-tenderes
lessons there was no timo for. Then CAME
tho girls, chattering, and nervously psil.
ing their shawls about their shoulders,
as il it were winter Ono and all
seemed to wear the plaid shawl-badGe of
their vocation--and there was tho same duh
yellow hue on their cheeks, the Same lines of
WEAKNESS on every face. Few of them looked
well; girls ought to be petted little; but the
dreary monotony of their i'll paid work had
frowned on their childhood as it cursed them
now And instead Of resting while they
might ripen into healthful, happy women and
blessed mothers, their unlimited frames and
soft muscles must work like their starving
fathers and brothers. 1t is only the women
of the rich whom the sentiment Of chiyalry
is for. In every eye was the dizziness 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 cat. The gentle,
poetical grace of womanhood was gone, those
budding, awkward creatures were only
weaker men.
But Mr. Breton had pushed his chair to one
side and was making his way through the
group Of his friends with hardly a word The
rest tried to smila, but he was far too angry.
Don't CO." urged his lawyer, impera-
lively laying his hand on his shoulder,
''don't think of it, you can do no kind of
good, and they will only insult you"
"Insult mep he repeated between his
teeth. Then he stopped, and suddenly faced
about. He frowned flercely on the cautious
Business men, whom he knew full well had
decided to give him the lurch. IF had a
pair of horses who behaved badly, they are
stronger than I, but would whip them and
ctarve them till they forgot it." If he could
eubdue his own rebellious factory hands, and
beasts, be knew these timid counselors woulH
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
help had never dared think of mutiny be-
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 few Of the boldest of his visitors.
''For Gods sale-go inside" whispered
Philip between his set teeth, ''you will only
make them angrier.n
''Trucklc to my own help, shall III re-
peated his father in his harsh, grating mill
tones.
The mill owner threw back his head and
shoulders, and looked commandingly at the
crowd He could not understand why they
were not afraid of him. Had no not been
the dispenser OF bread, almost of life or
death to them, for twenty yearss They were
a thousand, and he one, but for thirty years
their fate had trembled in the balance Of his
will, and was it any less so todayl They
might DO ever 50 numerous and strong; the
subtle machinery of the laws and the in
genuity of capital put them at his mercy.
He frowned majestically on the women and
children; where would their dinners and
suppers como fromg Where could they lay
their foolish heads tonight if he chose tc
punish theml But they only laughed in a
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 tho sovereignty
that had made their whole lives barren
waste The word had been passed from lip
to lip that Mr.. 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-