They gave that corner a bowery look; the perfume and freshness
tempted me there often. Standing before that window, I could look
across the room and see girls moving backwards and forwards among
the spinning-frames, sometimes stooping, sometimes reaching up
their arms, as their work required, with easy and not ungraceful
movements. On the whole, it was far from being a disagreeable
place to stay in. The girls were bright-looking and neat, and
everything was kept clean and shining. The effect of the whole
was rather attractive to strangers.
My grandfather came to see my mother once at about this time and
visited the mills. When he had entered our room, and looked
around for a moment, he took off his hat and made a low bow to
the girls, first toward the right, and then toward the left. We
were familiar with his courteous habits, partly due to his French
descent; but we had never seen anybody bow to a room full of mill
girls in that polite way, and some one of the family afterwards
asked him why he did so.
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