hemp and flax, with small light wheels, turned with the foot,
these children, who were obliged to be spectators of this busy
and entertaining scene, became so uneasy in their situations,
and so jealous of those who were permitted to be more active,
that they frequently solicited with the greatest importunity to
be permitted to work, and often cried most heartily if this favour
was not instantly granted them.

How sweet these tears were to me, can easily be imagined!

The joy they showed upon being permitted to descend from their
benches, and mix with the working children below, was equal to
the solicitude with which they had demanded that favour.

They were at first merely furnished with a wheel, which they
turned for several days with the foot, without being permitted to
attempt any thing further. As soon as they were become dexterous
in the simple operation, and habit had made it so easy and
familiar to them that the foot could continue its motion
mechanically, without the assistance of the head;--till they
could go on with their work, even though their attention was
employed upon something else;--till they could answer questions,
and converse freely with those about them upon indifferent
subjects, without interrupting or embarrassing the regular motion
of the wheel, then,--and not till then,--they were furnished with
hemp or flax, and were taught to spin.

When they had arrived at a certain degree of dexterity in
spinning hemp and flax, they were put to spinning of wool;
and this was always represented to them, and considered by them,