es a lump, or
rough place, in the filament so that it is imperfect and has to be
broken and tied. In consequence the silk is poorer and brings a lower
price. So you see how really important it is not to jar their sensitive
nerves."

"Who would think that one of those green caterpillars had any nerves!"
ventured Marie. "Is it true, Mother, that a thunder-storm will check
their spinning?"

"Yes. It often does if the thunder is very heavy. Your father once lost
an entire crop of silkworms because of a severe thunder-storm. The
little creatures died of fright. It is wonderful how delicately attuned
they are."

"And their sense of smell is so keen," Marie continued thoughtfully. "I
remember one day Father hurried me out of the silk-house because I had
some perfume on my handkerchief. I was so cross," she added with a
shamefaced little flush, "for I thought the perfume very nice and I
couldn't understand why he did not like it."

"Miss Vanity!" cried Pierre. "I guess afterward you saw he was dead
right. He couldn't take the chance of losing his silkworms, and I don't
blame him, either. It is far too much work to raise them; isn't it,
Mother?"

"I rather think you will say so when you have raised your own crop," was
the quiet answer.

"Do you remember the Italian Father hired to help him once; and how he
afterward sent the man away because he would smoke, and smelled of
tobacco all the time?"

"Yes. That was another example of the same thing," replied Madame
Bretton. "Your father was afraid to risk keeping the man. The
caterpillars might scent the tobacco and object to it."

"I had no idea they were so fussy!" gasped Marie. "I do hope our
silkworms won't get frightened and die, or else have something make them
stop spinning."

"I don't believe they will if we take good care of them," was her
mother's soothing answer. "Still, we never can tell. We must heed
everything Father has told us if we want to make a success of our task.
To begin with there are the mulberry trees--we must not strip them of
leaves too early in the season, for if we do the sap will be lost, and
the strength of the tree weakened; in addition we must be careful not to
waste the leaves by gathering too many at a time, or by getting the
wrong kind. You know the worms will eat only freshly gathered leaves.
Let us not forget that. And the young silkworms must have small and
tender ones. As they grow older they will need more solid food and their
de