sewed together on the wrong side, the other seams on the right side, and that the tiny bits of facing and lining are hemmed down by hand. Notice that two of the fingers have only one fourchette, while the others have two fourchettes each. Notice how neatly the ends of the fingers are finished, with never an end of thread left on the right side. The embroidery must be in exactly the right place, and it must be fastened firmly at both ends. This embroidery is not a meaningless fashion, for the lines make the hand look much more slender and of a better shape. Sewing in the thumbs needs special care and skill. There must be no puckering, and the seam must not be so tightly drawn as to leave a red line on the hand when the glove is taken off.

12 No one person does all the sewing on a glove; it must pass through a number of hands, each doing a little. Even after all the care that is given it, a glove is a shapeless thing when it comes from the sewing machines. It is now carried to a room where stands a long table with a rather startling row of brass hands of different sizes stretching up from it. These are heated, the gloves are drawn on, and in a moment they have shape and finish,—ready to be inspected and sold.

13 The glove is so closely associated with the hand and with the person to whom the hand belongs that in olden times it was looked upon as representing him. When, for instance, a fair could not be opened without the presence of some noble, it was enough if he sent his glove to represent him. To throw down one's glove before a man was to challenge him to a combat. the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, as of many other sovereigns of England, the "Queen's champion," a knight in full armor, rode into the great hall and threw down his glove, crying, "If there be any manner of

At

man that will say and maintain that our sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, is not the rightful and undoubted inheritrix° to the imperial crown of this realm of England, I say he lieth like a false traitor, and therefore I cast him my gage.

die 10 (di), the cutter

drum (drum), a revolving barrel

gage 13 (gāj), defiance

6. Bring a glove to class and observe the number and shape of the pieces in it. 7. When are the two methods of cutting used? 8. How can one die cut two gloves? 9. Give three historical uses of gloves.

10. While the class listen let six different pupils read aloud the paragraphs that describe the stages in making gloves. Let another pupil retell the contents of each paragraph.

II. Write on the board a list of the different workmen employed in making one pair of gloves. 12. What qualities should these workmen have? 13. If the color of the glove rubs off on the hand, when worn, or if the glove is too tight at the thumb, whose fault is it? 14. Conversation and discussion: Division of labor in (a) building a house, (b) feeding a city, and (c) making a book.

AGNESE AND HER FRUIT-STAND+

ANGELA M. KEYES

For a long time it was thought that business had to be ugly, just because it was business. To-day, however, men and women are trying to bring beauty into their work. Store windows are made as beautiful as possible. Counters are spread with goods, arranged in as beautiful a way as the clerk can arrange them. The person who knows how to bring beauty into his work is helping others and helping himself, for he is giving enjoyment.

Here is the story of Agnese, an Italian woman who had a fruit-stand. Was she giving pleasure to others? Was she giving pleasure to herself? How was she different from you? Think of these questions as you read silently:

+ Copyrighted and used by permission of Moffat, Yard & Co.

I. WHAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT OF AGNESE

1 The children all knew Italian Agnese and called her by name. The reason they knew her was that she kept a fruit-stand, and was blind. Besides, she had the cunningest, fat, black-eyed, crowing baby on the block; and she had a machine for roasting peanuts. The baby's father was dead, poor little one; but for that the children petted him the more. And the reason they called her by name was that everybody did.

2 Her fruit-stand was on the corner of a dirty city. street. But it made up for the dirt. It was lovely to the eye, sweet to the nose, and it made the mouth water.

3 Even the grown-ups noticed it. The Irish milkman, who passed it on his way home every morning, would call out to Agnese: "The top o' the marnin' to ye. It's yersel' that kin make it as purty as a picter. How is that black-eyed rogue?"

Agnese in great delight would point out the milkman to the baby. And the baby would gurgle and crow.

4 The baker's wife next door would catch sight of the stand as she piled hot, fresh-smelling loaves in the window. And she would come to the door to say, "Ach! it does mine heart goot to see it so neat!"

5 The poet in the house across the street would call out from his window perch in a hall bedroom five flights up, "It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever." The shabby artist in the velvet coat would stop before it and thrust his hands into his pockets, for he was hungry. "How she mixes the colors!" he would exclaim. "Thy mother, bambino,° can make the beautiful!"

No one but the children, though, said anything about Agnese's blind eyes. And they said the most charming things. They admired the fruit too.

7 One morning Auguste, Katherine, and Lucy were at last up in time to see Agnese get her stand ready for the day. It was so early that the baker's shop had not yet opened, except in the cellar, where the ovens are. The Irish milkman was still on his rounds, leaving a trail of bottles of milk behind him. The poet and the artist were abed, dreaming.

8 "Good-morning, Agnese," sang out the children, as soon as her cart was near enough.

"Good-morning, my early birds," she called back at once. "You will catch not one worm in my fruit. I have brought back the soundest in the market," she laughed, showing her pretty white teeth.

9 The cart drew up at the corner. The children saw that it was bulging with fruit. Agnese threw the reins over the horse's back and stepped lightly down.

"How well you drive, Agnese,' said Auguste. "You do not need eyes to see which way to go! You could be a coachman instead of a fruit lady."

"Ah, it is my old horse knows every step of the way, and obeys my lightest pull on the rein." Agnese patted the horse's nose and fed him a lump of sugar from a gay pocket hanging at her belt.

10 "Now," she cried, bustling about, "I must take out the best and sweetest cherry first." And out she lifted her baby, cradle and all. With a finger on her lip, not to wake him, she gave them a peep. There he lay as snug as the richest baby in bed at home.

"He's fast asleep, the dear little ducky," whispered Lucy.

"Look at his fist," said Auguste. "We'd better. not wake him. He may give us a punch."

Agnese set the cradle safely away. Then she was ready for the fruit-stand.

11 46

'May we help you unload the wagon?" Katherine. "We will be very careful."

asked

"Yes, and we will do everything you tell us, dear Agnese," said Lucy.

"We will not eat even one grape,'

said Auguste.

“Ah, it is very glad, indeed, I am, to have your help," cried Agnese, "for the stable boy will soon come for the horse and cart. And before we begin I shall give

each of you the very juiciest pear I can find."

The children all said together that she must not do any such thing. They said they would not take it. But when they saw that she really wished them to have the pears, they ate them down to the very stems. I'm not sure that Auguste did not eat stem and all.

12 "How clever you are, Agnese," said Katherine, as she finished the last delicious bit. "You did not see the pears to pick them out."

"What a goose I'd be,"

you bananas in mistake.

laughed Agnese, "to give Haven't I a nose that can

tell a pear from a banana? Besides, and this is how have n't I my hands to touch

I tell most things,

them? I can feel their smooth skins and the neck on them.

I'm not clever."

"Well," said Auguste, "some people with noses and hands and eyes are very stupid. I know a boy – said Agnese, "to work, to work!"

"Tut, tut,"

Agnese (ǎg' něz), Agnes

9

bulging (bul' jing), swelling

bambino 5 (bäm bē' nō), Italian for delicious 12

1. Find the different things that people said about Agnese and her stand. 2. Who liked her? Why? 3. How can Agnese do these things when she is blind? 4. Why are the poet and the artist such dreamers? 5. What is a "peanut machine"1?

6. Read aloud the paragraph that you like the best. you like it.

Tell why