e reply would come,
for sometimes these women were unable to understand her at all.

"I'll never turn tired o' that," she would reply. "If only the men wad
keep thegither an' no' be divided, they'd soon let the big folk see wha'
was the maist importance to the country. Do you think onybody ever made
a lot o' money by their ain work? My man an' your man hae wrocht hard a'
their days. They've never wasted ony o' their hard-earned money, an' yet
they hae naething."

"No, because it takes it a' to keep us," would be the reply, as if that
were a conclusive answer, difficult to counter.

"Well, how do ye think other folk mak' a fortune? Do ye think they work
harder than your man does? No! It's because our men work so hard that
other folk get it aff their labor. Do they live a better life than your
man or mine? They waste mair in yae day, whiles, than wad keep your
family or mine for a whole year. Is it because they are honester than
us? No. You ken fine your man or yoursel' wadna' hae the name o'
stealin'. But they steal every day o' their lives, only they ca' it
business. That's the difference. It's business wi' them, but it wad be
dishonest on oor pairt. Awa', woman! It's disgraceful to think aboot.
Naebody should eat wha disna work, an' I dinna care wha hears me say
it," and the flashing eyes and the indignant voice gave token of her
righteous wrath.

"That's a' richt, Nellie, but it has aye been, an' I doot it'll aye be.
We just canna help it," would come the reply.

"I tell you it's everybody's duty to work for better times. We've no
richt to allow the things that gang on. There's nae guid in poverty and
disease an' ill-health, an' we should a' try to change it; and we could
if only you'd get some sense into your held, an' no' stand and speak as
if you felt that God meant it."

"Ay, Nellie, that's a' richt, but it's the Lord's will, an' we maun put
up wi' it."

At this juncture Mrs. Sinclair's patience would become exhausted, and
she would flare up, while the neighbor would suddenly break off the
discussion and go off home.

Her children were taught that it was a disgrace not to resent a wrong,
and Robert, though only a boy, was always sturdily standing up against
the things he considered wrong at the pit-head.

Robert dreamed and built his future castles. There was great work ahead
to do. He never mentioned his longings and visions to anyone, yet
Mysie's sweet, shy face was creeping into them always, and alre