Page:The Laboring Classes of England.djvu/108

 lad, and straight in every limb. They gave me at first 48 cents per week. For this I had to work 12 hours a day. Our master was very exact as to time; if we worked more than 12 hours a day we were paid for the extra time, if less, we were abated.

Sometimes we were obliged to stop the mill, from having too much or too little water; the time thus lost was always deducted, and our overtime added. On pay-day we gave in our time, and were paid accordingly."

"Then," said I, "you mean to say, that your wages of 48 cents was for 72 hours' work. To which he replied, "exactly so."

"I got my wages raised," he continued, "as I learned my business; but our master, Mr. Arkwright, was always very exact in these things. He always raised our wages at the beginning of the year, and at no other time except for some very particular reason. He would then give us a little more each, and that was to be our wages for the next twelve months. I worked in that mill for about ten years. I never worked in any other mill; I never had any other master than Mr. Arkwright.

I gradually became a cripple, till at the age of 19 I was unable to stand at the machine through the day, and was obliged to give it up. You see, sir, what a figure I am; I cannot walk without the help of this stick and my brother's arm. I have only been down to the market place, at the bottom of the street, twice since I left the mill, and I do not feel a desire to go again, the people stare at me so."

"How long is it since you left the mill?" said I.

"Nearly two years."

"Then you are about 21 years old?"

"Yes sir, I shall be 21 next birth-day."

Reader, imagine you see before you a young man, whose body forms (when he is standing, supported by a