Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-08

| opinion Mr. Breton rose 20 his tect, ana all
eyes were turned toward the mill owner, on
the course of whose ideas hung the tate of
whole village. The clock struck 10,
"Gentlemen, you pronounce yourselves
satisfied he waited. His lawyer smiled
complacently, the paymaster and his clerks
began piling up the books well, then,
there are one or two fornalities, my lawyer
informs me--What is that nolseP
1t was like rising north wind, not littlo
like the breaking OF the angry sea on rock
| bound shore. From the entrance to all the
mills swarmed 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 hall and threw open
| the office door. Within all was still as death.
| The complacent smile had died ON the law
yers lips. The clerks stood like statues,
| while the ruddy color slowly faded from his
| fathers face, giving place to underlined dread
OF danger that had elements no human arm
| could control Kings and armies before him
had trembled 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 gain out Of the fierce avengers OF
| blood.
DO You ask what tho noise isl" cried
| Philip from the doorway. 1T is strike at
| 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 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. " hat their baby fingers could earn
| was the nerest trine, but it cost them the
| only hours that could ever be FREQ from care
| A number Of them were deformed from Il
neglected infancy; they had to learn to be
still because it hurt them TO fall-tendcrer
| lessons there was no timo for. Then came
the girls, chuttering, and nervously pull
| ing their sh2wlS about their shoulders,
| as if it We're winter Ono and all
| seemed to wear the plaid shawl-badge Of
| their vocation-Gnd there was the same dull
| yellow hue on their cheeks, the same lines Of
WEAKNESS on every face. Few of them looked
well; girls ought to be petted a 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 tho sentiment Of chivalry
| 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 tho gross
struggle for something to eat. The gentle
| poctical 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 smile, but he was far too angry.
Don't CO. urged his lawyer, impera-
| lively laying his hand on his shoulder,
| "dont think of it, you can do no kind of
good, and they will only insult YOU
Insult mCN he repeated between his
teeth. Then he stopped and suddenly faced
about. He frownGd tiercely on the cautious
business men, whom he knew full well had
decided to give him tho lurch. IF l had
pair of horses who behaved badly, they are
stronger than J. but would whip them and
| starve them till they forgot it, If he could
subdue 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
| 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 a 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 tho boldest Of his visitors
"Iror Gods sake-go inside" whispered
Philip between his set teeth "yOu will only
make them angrier."
"Truckle to my own help, shall In re-
peated his father in his harsh, grating mill
tones.
Tho mill owner throw back his head and
shoulders, and looked commandingIy at tho
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 yearsi They were
thousand, and he one, but for thirty years
their fate had trembled in the balance of his
will, and was it any less so todayf 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 frowned ma jestically on the women and
children; where would their dinners and
suppers come FRONT Where could they lay
their foolish heads tonight if he chose to
punish themf But they only laughed in
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
10 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-
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 a sullen look Of hate Philip saw on
their faces.
stop, stop, say" shouted Mr.. Breton. A
murmur ran through the crowd and they
stopped Inllp saw tne Willingness or the |
halt. 1t had irked them to go by, without |
ono word to relieve the universal sense of
justice that lad seethed SO long III their
breasts.
''You will do well to let them go in peace |
muttered Philip, In q 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 ouita lost his |
self command as he shook his fist at the sui |
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