Mind Amongst the Spindles. A Miscellany, Wholly Composed by the Factory Girls
General
Mind Amongst the Spindles. A Miscellany, Wholly Composed by the Factory Girls
American literature -- Massachusetts -- Lowell; American literature -- Women authors; Working class women -- Literary collections
"The editorial, pa, and the caption is, 'Our Representatives.' I had ten
times rather read about the antediluvians, and I wish sometimes they
might go and keep them company. And now for the items: Our new bell got
cracked, in its winding way to this 'ere town; and the meeting-house at
the West Parish, has been fired by an incendiary; and the old elm, near
the Central House, has been blown down; and Widow Frye has had a yoke of
oxen struck by lightning; and old Col. Morton fell down dead, in a fit
of apoplexy; and the bridge over the Branch needs repairing; and 'a
friend of good order' wishes that our young men would not stand gaping
around the meeting-house doors, before or after service; and 'a friend
of equal rights' wishes that people might sell and drink as much rum as
they please, without interference, &c., &c.; and all these things we
knew before, as well as we did our A B C's. Next are the cards: The
ladies have voted their thanks to Mr. K., for his lecture upon
phrenology--the matrimonial part, I presume, included; and the
Anti-Slavery Society is to have a fair, at which will be sold all sorts
of abolition things, such as anti-slavery paper, wafers, and all such
important articles. I declare I will make a nigger doll for it. And Mr.
P., of Boston, is to deliver a lecture upon temperance; and the trustees
of the Academy have chosen Mr. Dalton for the Preceptor, and here is his
long advertisement; and the Overseers of the Poor are ready to receive
proposals for a new alms-house; and all these things, pa, which have
been the town talk this long time. But here is something new. Our
minister, dear Mr. Olden, has been very seriously injured by an accident
upon the Boston and Salem Railroad. The news must be very recent, for we
had not heard of it; and it is crowded into very fine type. Oh, how
sorry I am for him!"
"Well, Lina, or Miss Angeline, there is something of sufficient
importance to repay you for the trouble of reading it, and I am very
glad that you have done so--for I will start upon my intended journey to
Boston to-day, and can assist him to return home. Anything else?"
"Oh, yes, pa! a long list of those who have taken advantage of the
Bankrupt Act, and the Deaths and Marriages; but all mentioned here, with
whose names we were familiar, have been subjects for table-talk these
several days."
"Well, is there no foreign news?"
"Yes, pa; Queen Victoria has given another ball at Buckingham Palace;
and Prince Albert has accepted a very fine blood-hound, from Major
Sharp, of Houston; and Sir Howard Douglas has been made a Civil Grand
Cross of the Bath, &c., &c. Are not these fine things to fill up our
republican papers with?"
"Well, my daughter, look at the doings in Congress--that will suit you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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