They knew that all other factories in the neighborhood had long been closed and that for the last four months Hatton had been running only half-time, and alas! John knew that his cotton was nearly gone and that peace appeared to be as far off as ever.
"You see, sir," said Greenwood, in a half-admiring and half-apologizing way, "both North and South are mostly of good English breed and they don't know when they are whipped." One afternoon Mrs.Stephen Hatton called at the mill to see John.

It was such a strange thing for her to do that he was almost frightened when he heard of it.

Strengthening his heart for anything, he went to his private room to meet her, and his anxiety was so evident that she said immediately in her cheerful comforting way, "Nay, nay, my lad, there is nothing extra for thee to worry about.

I only want thee to look after something in a hurry--it must be in a hurry, or I would not have come for thee." "I know, mother.

What is it ?" "They have brought thirty-four little children from Metwold here, and they are in a state of starvation.