Rose stepped over a large clump of icy snow and slipped almost landing in the middle of the muddy road. Maggie caught her by the elbow to steady her with an arm made strong through years of heavy labor on the farm.

“Don’t fall Rose or you’ll make us late.” The girls had to be in their places at the mill looms at precisely 7:30 each morning.

“What bothers me” Rose said to Maggie picking up where she’d left off “is how young they start the bobbin boys. There’s a boy there who can’t be more than eight years old!