ning
families absolute starvation--for a cotton-spinner's hands are fit for
no other labor, and are spoiled by other work. This starvation was borne
with incredible faith and patience, because the success of the
blockading States meant freedom for the slaves of the cotton-growing
States.]

A large proportion of mill-owners had gone to the continent. They could
live economically there and keep their boys and girls at inexpensive
schools and colleges. They were not blamed much, even by their
employees. "Rathmell is starting wife and childer, bag and baggage for
Geneva today," said one of them to another, and the answer was, "Happen
we would do the same thing if we could. He hes a big family. He'll hev
to spare at both ends to make his bit o' brass do for all. He never hed
any more than he needed."

This was an average criticism and not perhaps an unfair one. Men,
however, did not as a rule talk much on the subject; they just quietly
disappeared. Everyone knew it to be a most unexpected and unmerited
calamity. They had done nothing to deserve it, they could do nothing to
prevent it. Some felt that they were in the hands of Destiny; the large
majority were patient and silent because they believed firmly that it
was the Lord's doing and so was wonderful in their eyes. Some even said
warmly it was time slavery was put down, and that millions could not be
set free without somebody paying for it, and to be sure England's skirts
were not clean, and she would hev to pay her share, no doubt of it. Upon
the whole these poor, brave, blockaded men and women showed themselves
at this time to be the stoutest and most self-reliant population in the
world; and in their bare, denuded homes there were acted every day more
living, loving, heroic stories than fiction or poetry ever dreamed of.
So far the sufferers of Hatton had kept their troubles to themselves and
had borne all their privations with that nobility which belongs to human
beings in whom the elements are finely mixed.

John had suffered with them. His servants, men and women, had gradually
been dismissed, until only a man and woman remained. Jane had at first
demurred and reminded John that servants must live, as well as
spinners.

"True," answered John, "but servants can do many things beside the one
thing they are hired to do. A spinner's hands can do nothing but spin.
They are unfit for any other labor and are spoiled for spinning if they
try it. Servants live in other