“Then I’d send my boys to some farmer, and let him make them work,” said Oliver.

“Yes,” said Jonas, “that would do pretty well.”

So saying, Jonas stopped the horse a moment, and stepped out of the sleigh.  He was at the foot of a long, steep hill in the woods.  He was going to walk up.  Oliver remained in the sleigh, and rode.  When they reached the top, Jonas got in again, and they rode on.

“But then, Jonas,” said Oliver, “there is one thing to be thought of, and that is, that rich men’s sons will not have to work when they grow up; and so they don’t need so much to grow industrious.”

“O, yes, they will,” said Jonas.

“Why, Josey told me that he didn’t expect to work when he should be a man.”

“No, he doesn’t expect to work, but he’ll find that it is different from what he had expected, when he grows up.”

“How?” said Oliver.

“Why, a great many rich men’s boys find, when they get to be twenty-one, that they have to go out into the world, and earn their own living, without any money.”

“Why?” said Oliver; “won’t their fathers give them any money?”

“Their fathers cannot generally give them enough to support them,” said Jonas, “even if they are disposed to do it; because, you see, they have their own families still to support.  Besides, if they were to divide their property at once among all their children, it would only be a small portion for each one.  It wouldn’t be enough for the boys to live as expensively as they have been living while at home.  Therefore, as fast as they grow up young men, they have to go away into the world, and earn their own money by some kind of work, head work or hand work.”

Jonas would probably have given Oliver some further explanations on this subject, were it not that about this time they arrived at the mill.  Oliver tied the horse at a post, while Jonas took out the great bundle of wool, and went in.  Oliver followed immediately after him.

The machinery made a heavy, rumbling sound, which grew louder and louder as the boys went up stairs.  Jonas opened a door into a large room, and at this the noise increased very loudly, so that Oliver and Jonas could hardly hear each other talk.  Jonas put down the bundle of wool by the door, and then he and Oliver went in among the wheels and machinery.  There were a great many separate machines at different parts of the room, with girls tending them.  There was a large, round beam of wood, overhead, slowly revolving.  There were wheels upon it in different parts, with straps passing around these wheels, and also around other wheels connected with the machines below.

Oliver saw Jonas walk to a man who was writing at a desk in the corner of a room, and say something to him.  Oliver could not hear what it was.  Jonas pointed, while he was talking to the man, to the great bundle of wool.  Presently the man came and took the bundle of wool, and dragged it off to one of the machines, which was not in motion.  He called a girl to come and tend it.