"No," replied Willy, "she twists the two ends together so cleverly that the thread looks as if it had never been broken. I have often tried to mend the thread so, but I never could." "The children of the factory can, though," said Betsey, "they do it all day long; and when once they have learnt it, it is easier to them than tying a knot. But you can't teach the spindles to do it, so you see they could not get on without the children." The boys, who were always ready for a joke, fell a-laughing at Betsey's idea of teaching the spindles any thing. "I will tell you what you should do," said Johnny; "ask your Papa, who seems to be so good-natured, to take you to see one of the factories to-morrow. There are plenty of them here as well as at Milford, and they say that all the great folks who come to Derby go to see one or other of them." "Then I hope he will," replied Willy, "but I should like best to see the mills at Milford you have been telling me about, where your uncle works." THE FARM. "Now you have told me all about the factories," said Willy, "I wish you would tell me something about your farm." "Oh! that is quite another sort of thing," replied Johnny; "it's all out-of-doors work at a farm." "And what sort of work do you do?" "I cannot do much, because I am only ten years old, and am not strong enough, for the work is much harder there than here." "Not always," observed Betsey. "I am sure hay-making is more like play than work, it's such good fun to rake up the hay, and then to have a roll on the haycock, and sometimes we get a drive in the cart when the hay is carrying." "Yes," said Johnny; "but reaping, and ploughing, and digging are not so easy. However, hard or easy, I have not much time for work, for I go to school." "And so do I," interrupted Betsey. "Then," continued Johnny, "when we are at home we must help to take care of poor blind mother; but I help a little in the stables too, for I like to be looking after the horses and cows, and when I am older, father says I shall go to plough." "And I help too," cried Betsey. "I don't run after the cows as Johnny does, but when he has brought them in I help Martha to milk them; that is, I carry her milking stool, and bring in a jug of milk for breakfast. Then I help her as much as I can to set all to rights in the dairy; but what I like best of all is, to take the new-laid eggs so nice and warm from under the hen that is sitting." "Ah, ah!" cried Willy, laughing, "you see after all that you are fond of robbing a bird's nest." "Nay," said Betsey, "that is not a bird's nest; it is not made by the hens, at least, for it is Martha who makes it, and then the hens were hatched from our eggs; so you see that hens, and eggs, and nests, and all, belong to us; and pray how can you rob what belongs to you?" "But then," replied Willy, "is it not very hard upon the poor hen, to take away her eggs just when she is sitting upon them to hatch them?"