permitted in this half-hour, and such a Babel as the
tongues of forty or fifty girls suddenly unloosed can make may be better
imagined than described. The "new hand" took advantage of the interval
to divest herself of her cap and apron, and putting on her hat, after
washing her hands in one of the row of basins provided for the purpose,
appeared as neat and nice for her homeward walk as she had done in the
morning when she came.

Such was not the case with most of the girls, whose fluffy, disordered
appearance as they issued from the rag-room was proverbial.

At precisely twelve o'clock the great bells began to clang and the
steam-whistle to shriek, and the long corridors and stairs echoed to the
tramp of many feet as the hundreds of men, women, boys, and girls rushed
down and out, and scattered in every direction toward the many homes
where dinner was awaiting them.

Eric and Alfred met their sister just outside of the door, and the three
were soon at home, Katie talking so much and so fast all the way, that
her brothers, as they said, "could hardly get in a word edgewise." Many
of the mill operatives carried their dinner with them and spent the noon
hour in gossip with each other, but Mrs. Robertson was careful both of
the bodies and souls of her children. She knew that the former would be
much more vigorous if every day they had a warm, comfortable, if
frugal, meal at noontide, and thought that the latter would be kept pure
and unsullied much longer if not exposed to the kind of talk apt to pass
between idle men and women of all grades and associations in society. So
ever since they first went into the bindery, the boys had regularly come
home to dinner, and were much the better, not only for it, but also for
the quick walk in the open fresh air.

Poor Mrs. Robertson had passed a lonely morning. She was used to being
alone while her daughter was at school, but that was different; she had
conjured up all sorts of dangers and disagreeables that the girl might
have to encounter, and she rather expected to see her brought in on a
board bruised and maimed from some part of the machinery into which she
had fallen or been entangled. But when Katie came rushing in like a
whirlwind, in high spirits, with glowing cheeks and a splendid appetite,
which yet she could scarcely take time to gratify, so full was she of
enthusiastic talk concerning the beauty and grandeur of the mill and the
kindness of Mr. James, her mother felt