The Spinners

y, but for two circumstances. The ring of bells at St. Mary's

ny flowers made hedgerows and cottage gardens gay; while the spirit of the hour was inspired by June and a sun at the zenith unclouded, the fo

these people-ancient women, others in their prime, and many young maidens. Some communion linked them and the few men who stood with them. All wore a black band upon their left arms. Drab or grey was their attire,

hered tile, and their faces at this season were radiant with roses and honeysuckles, jasmine and clematis. Pinks, lilies, columbines made the garden patches gay, and, as though so many flowers were not enough, the windows, t

flat shrubs that throve in that snug vale. Good walnut trees and mulberries threw their sha

estal size and unstunted, yet they turn their backs, as it were, upon the west and, yielding to that unsleeping pressure, incline landward. The trees stray not far. They congregate in an oasis about Bridetown, then wend away thro

her face and fruit falls into her lap at autumn time. Then westward she flows through the water meadows, and so slips uneventfully away to sea, where the cliffs break and there stretches a little strand. To the last she is crowned with fl

to pasture. The young, healthy creatures, with amber-coloured horns and yellow eyes, trotted contentedly along together and left an ovine reek in the air. Behind

utch sloop. Her bulk was clad in dun colour, and on her black bonnet appeared a layer of yellow dust. She spoke to others of the little crowd who surro

ally Groves. "They lived here once, at North Hill House; bu

en spoke a grey man with a full beard, small head, a

doubt," he said. "But what know they? Things will be

, and there was a murmur of changes before he d

lt like his father, to

ount. He'll only

er, a spinner-hard-featured, sharp-voiced, and wiry. Nancy might ha

town, and if you want t

rt," declared another

tho

he Tiger,' and my Aunt Nelly's very friendly with Mr. Gurd, of 'The Tiger,' and he's told her that Mr. R

the mills if he's that

ov

tyer," answered Sarah Northover. "He's very good-loo

de's sons and be brought up in his p

er right to be called first spinner at the mills. She was an impulsive, ambitious maiden, and Mr. Best, foreman at the works, claimed for her that she brought genius as well as understanding to her task. Sabina joined her friend, Nancy Buckler; Mrs. Dinnett, who had been a mill hand in her youth,

rnest had been well content to remain there, enjoy his regular income and live at 'The Magnolias,' his father's old-world house, beside the river. His tastes were antiquarian and literary. He wrote when in the mood, and sometimes read papers at the Mechanics' Institute of Bridport. But he was constitutionally averse from real work of any sort, lacked ambition, and found all the fame he needed in the village community with which his life had been passed. He was a childless widower. Mr. Churchouse strolled now into the churchyard to look at the grave. It ope

d, "a brave day for th

nswered the other. His v

ther, I have thoughts," continued Benny. He was a flor

f fifty yards. But for my part, Benny Cogle, I am incli

for others and, indeed, was under t

tter for the mind and appetite. And I lay if Mr. Ironsyde, when he lies down there, could tell the truth, he'd rather be hearing the

ar as that. Henry Ironsyde was a God-fearing man and re

said Benny, "but the men be after more manly t

unty, the natural result has happened and women have come here in considerable numbers. Women preponderate in spinning places, because the work of spinning yarn has always been in their hands from time immemorial. And they te

he looks after the warping wheels, and if that girl didn't say her prayers some fine morning, she'd

s, the hackler, and people said he was never seen except on the occasion of a

Mr. Churchouse and regarded

said. "Life, how shor

st true,

orpse goes in, how many more

th your Make

r. Baggs. "Not," he added, "that there's any credit to me

s spared we can th

like mine, I

-a pretty, fair child, whose bright h

er sent me to tell you,

e together. The child then joined her father, and Mr. Churchouse, sal

ck horses with black trappings, and over the invisible coffin nodded a gloomy harvest of black ostrich plumes.

not enough of them to support the massive oak that held a massive man, and John B

ll-owner. He was five-and-twenty-a sallow, strong-faced young fellow, broad in the shoulder and straight in the back. His eyes were brown and steady, his mouth an

ook hands and pee

Raymond?"

man of five-and-fifty, with a pleasant face and kindly

d Ernest with very g

t he had a natural instinct for clarity and spok

because my father has l

hurch

oget

e my aunt's arm and follo

pendents, followed by the women of the Mill. Then a dozen business men walked together. A few of his co-w

d little attention

rown into a large confusion by such an incident. The fact persisted rather than th

d since she awoke, for Miss Ironsyde and Daniel were coming to 'The Magnolias' to partake of a meal before returning

rchouse, and behind them followed Miss Jenny Ironsyde with a man and a child. The man rented North Hill House. Arthur Waldron was a widower, who lived now for two things: his little daughter,

r. Waldron now permitted himself some vague expression of regret

nt and the amusement of their friends. If Raymond had enjoyed time to reflect, I feel sure he would have come; but there was no time. His father has made no provision for him, and

have made a difference if h

o too," sh

n a lane to the right, reached 'The Magnolias'-a small, ancient house whose

e mournful business of the day; for a funeral feast has its own chara

l meant to do for Raymond; but he found the hei

a spark of feeling presently. The fire, however

he funeral," he said. "It was petty. But, as Aunt Jenny says, he's built lik

depths. They can do worse things-and better things-than we humdrum folk, who jog along the middle of the road. We

by this speech, which came from hi

d me, and knew very well that I should obey his wishes and carry on with my life as he would have liked to see me. He has made a v

rgue like this. You should say to yourself, 'my father was disappointed with my brother and did not know what to do about him; but, having a high opinion of me and my good sense an

his will tells me that he had a great deal more to put up with

rel with Raymond your quarrel. I'm not extenuating Raymond's selfish and unthinking conduct as a son. His own conscience will exact the payment for wrong done beyond repair. He'll come to t

red a moment,

a waster and not justifying his existence. We have had pra

ther. It is an admirable thought of your Aunt Jenny's that your father has hono

own hands. But I do feel, of course, that Daniel can't ignore him. The moment has com

ear Henry make him?"

ore his twenty-first birthday; but he didn't pay them again. Raymond h

ure of that. Well, it might have been w

is to cease. Henry expressly directs that it i

that he leaves Raymond

amentally he was not built to understand Raymond. Some people develop slowly and remain children much longer than other people. R

Daniel, you always spoke with patience and reason about Raymond-your father has told me so. I

to him, and if he were not so stupid in some ways, he must have known it would be so; but I am not going to let t

d always been close and cordial after he relinquished his share in the busine

in idleness. There is nothing more demoralising for youth than to live upon money it doesn't earn. I should say-subject to your aunt's opinion, to which I atta

go further and declare from personal knowledge t

h regard

l think it out. My father was the fairest man I ever met, an

ink," admitted Mr. Churchouse. "But if you bring your horse to th

question another step. She opened her mouth and drew in her breath to speak-making tha

ve magnificent blossoms open this morning, and I should have picked every one of them for

keleton at the feast of life-a wholesome and stark reminder to the thoughtless living that the grave is the end of our mortal d

f all respect," decl

f his guest and expressed sympat

r lately that it was a s

ie-as all Ironsydes do

ever seems to fail. That

? You seldom come t

rarely talked

hurch Bells of Dorset.' You see one does not obtain much help here-no encouragement. No

was a humbug," said Jenny,

Do not think I put myself above the people, or pretend any intellectual superiority, or any nonsense of that sort. No, it is merely a question of time and energy. My antiquarian work demands

about us and our doings half as much as we are prone to fancy. I liked your last

common property. My task is to collect data and

do-so

by himself with his hands in his

y for one so young; bu

his brother,

ed Ernest Chur

t came down

oach is at the

e went home in a mourni

funeral was not ended

on, so you can't say

eclared Mr. Churchouse. "Human nature defeats all