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employment　for　a　thickly　growing　population　which　belongs　to　such　places　as　Manchester　and　Leeds。　　That　it　should　under　its　present　system　have　been　made　in　any　degree　profitable　reflects　great　credit　on　the　managers；　but　the　profit　does　reach　an　amount　which　in　America　can　be　considered　as　remunerative。　　The　total　capital　invested　by　the　twelve　corporations　is　thirteen　million　and　a　half　of　dollars；　or　about　two　million　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds。　　In　only　one　of　the　corporations；　that　of　the　Merrimack　Company；　does　the　profit　amount　to　twelve　per　cent。　　In　one；　that　of　the　Booth　Company；　it　falls　below　seven　per　cent。　　The　average　profit　of　the　various　establishments　is　something　below　nine　per　cent。　　I　am　of　course　speaking　of　Lowell　as　it　was　previous　to　the　war。　　American　capitalists　are　not；　as　a　rule；　contented　with　so　low　a　rate　of　interest　as　this。　The　States　in　these　matters　have　had　a　great　advantage　over　England。　　They　have　been　able　to　begin　at　the　beginning。　Manufactories　have　grown　up　among　us　as　our　cities　grewfrom　the　necessities　and　chances　of　the　times。　　When　labor　was　wanted　it　was　obtained　in　the　ordinary　way；　and　so　when　houses　were　built　they　were　built　in　the　ordinary　way。　　We　had　not　the　experience；　and　the　results　either　for　good　or　bad；　of　other　nations　to　guide　us。　　The　Americans；　in　seeing　and　resolving　to　adopt　our　commercial　successes；　have　resolved　also；　if　possible；　to　avoid　the　evils　which　have　attended　those　successes。　　It　would　be　very　desirable　that　all　our　factory　girls　should　read　and　write；　wear　clean　clothes；　have　decent　beds；　and　eat　hot　meat　every　day。　　But　that　is　now　impossible。　　Gradually；　with　very　up…hill　work；　but　still　I　trust　with　sure　work；　much　will　be　done　to　improve　their　position　and　render　their　life　respectable；　but　in　England　we　can　have　no　Lowells。　　In　our　thickly　populated　island　any　commercial　Utopia　is　out　of　the　question。　　Nor　can；　as　I　think；　Lowell　be　taken　as　a　type　of　the　future　manufacturing　towns　of　New　England。　　When　New　England　employs　millions　in　her　factories　instead　of　thousandsthe　hands　employed　at　Lowell；　when　the　mills　are　at　full　work；　are　about　11；000she　must　cease　to　provide　for　them　their　beds　and　meals；　their　church…going　proprieties　and　orderly　modes　of　life。　In　such　an　attempt　she　has　all　the　experience　of　the　world　against　her。　　But　nevertheless　I　think　she　will　have　done　much　good。　　The　tone　which　she　will　have　given　will　not　altogether　lose　its　influence。　　Employment　in　a　factory　is　now　considered　reputable　by　a　farmer　and　his　children；　and　this　idea　will　remain。　　Factory　work　is　regarded　as　more　respectable　than　domestic　service；　and　this　prestige　will　not　wear　itself　altogether　out。　　Those　now　employed　have　a　strong　conception　of　the　dignity　of　their　own　social　position；　and　their　successors　will　inherit　much　of　this；　even　though　they　may　find　themselves　excluded　from　the　advantages　of　the　present　Utopia。　　The　thing　has　begun　well；　but　it　can　only　be　regarded　as　a　beginning。　　Steam；　it　may　be　presumed；　will　become　the　motive　power　of　cotton　mills　in　New　England　as　it　is　with　us；　and　when　it　is　so；　the　amount　of　work　to　be　done　at　any　one　place　will　not　be　checked　by　any　such　limit　as　that　which　now　prevails　at　Lowell。　　Water…power　is　very　cheap；　but　it　cannot　be　extended；　and　it　would　seem　that　no　place　can　become　large　as　a　manufacturing　town　which　has　to　depend　chiefly　upon　water。　　It　is　not　improbable　that　steam　may　be　brought　into　general　use　at　Lowell；　and　that　Lowell　may　spread　itself。　　If　it　should　spread　itself　widely；　it　will　lose　its　Utopian　characteristics。　One　cannot　but　be　greatly　struck　by　the　spirit　of　philanthropy　in　which　the　system　of　Lowell　was　at　first　instituted。　　It　may　be　presumed　that　men　who　put　their　money　into　such　an　undertaking　did　so　with　the　object　of　commercial　profit　to　themselves；　but　in　this　case　that　was　not　their　first　object。　　I　think　it　may　be　taken　for　granted　that　when　Messrs。　Jackson　and　Lowell　went　about　their　task；　their　grand　idea　was　to　place　factory　work　upon　a　respectable　footingto　give　employment　in　mills　which　should　not　be　unhealthy；　degrading；　demoralizing；　or　hard　in　its　circumstances。　　Throughout　the　Northern　States　of　America　the　same　feeling　is　to　be　seen。　Good　and　thoughtful　men　have　been　active　to　spread　education；　to　maintain　health；　to　make　work　compatible　with　comfort　and　personal　dignity；　and　to　divest　the　ordinary　lot　of　man　of　the　sting　of　that　curse　which　was　supposed　to　be　uttered　when　our　first　father　was　ordered　to　eat　his　bread　in　the　sweat　of　his　brow。　　One　is　driven　to　contrast　this　feeling；　of　which　on　all　sides　one　sees　such　ample　testimony；　with　that　sharp　desire　for　profit；　that　anxiety　to　do　a　stroke　of　trade　at　every　turn；　that　acknowledged　necessity　of　being　smart；　which　we　must　own　is　quite　as　general　as　the　nobler　propensity。　　I　believe　that　both　phases　of　commercial　activity　may　be　attributed　to　the　same　characteristic。　　Men　in　trade　in　America　are　not　more　covetous　than　tradesmen　in　England；　nor　probably　are　they　more　generous　or　philanthropical。　　But　that　which　they　do；　they　are　more　anxious　to　do　thoroughly　and　quickly。　　They　desire　that　every　turn　taken　shall　be　a　great　turnor　at　any　rate　that　it　shall　be　as　great　as　possible。　　They　go　ahead　either　for　bad　or　good　with　all　the　energy　they　have。　　In　the　institutions　at　Lowell　I　think　we　may　allow　that　the　good　has　very　much　prevailed。　I　went　over　two　of　the　mills；　those　of　the　Merrimack　corporation　and　of　the　Massachusetts。　　At　the　former　the　printing　establishment　only　was　at　work；　the　cotton　mills　were　closed。　　I　hardly　know　whether　it　will　interest　any　one　to　learn　that　something　under　half　a　million　yards　of　calico　are　here　printed　annually。　　At　the　Lowell　Bleachery　fifteen　million　yards　are　dyed　annually。　　The　Merrimack　Cotton　Mills　were　stopped；　and　so　had　the　other　mills　at　Lowell　been　stopped；　till　some　short　time　before　my　visit。　　Trade　had　been　bad；　and　there　had　of　course　been　a　lack　of　cotton。　　I　was　assured　that　no　severe　suffering　had　been　created　by　this　stoppage。　　The　greater　number　of　hands　had　returned　into　the　countryto　the　farms　from　whence　they　had　come；　and　though　a　discontinuance　of　work　and　wages　had　of　course　produced　hardship；　there　had　been　no　actual　privationno　hunger　and　want。　　Those　of　the　work…people　who　had　no　homes　out　of　Lowell　to　which　to　betake　themselves；　and　no　means　at　Lowell　of　living；　had　received　relief　before　real　suffering　had　begun。　　I　was　assured；　with　something　of　a　smile　of　contempt　at　the　question；　that　there　had　been　nothing　like　hunger。　　But；　as　I　said　before；　visitors　always　see　a　great　deal　of　rose　color；　and　should　endeavor　to　allay　the　brilliancy　of　the　tint　with　the　proper　amount　of　human　shading。　　But　do　not　let　any　visitor　mix　in　the　browns　with　too　heavy　a　hand！　At　the　Massachusetts　Cotton　Mills　they　were　working　with　about　two…　thirds　of　their　full　number　of　hands；　and　this；　I　was　told；　was　about　the　average　of　the　number　now　employed　throughout　Lowell。　Working　at　this　rate　they　had　now　on　hand　a　supply　of　cotton　to　last　them　for　six　months。　　Their　stocks　had　been　increased　lately；　and　on　asking　from　whence；　I　was　informed　that　that　last　received　had　come　to　them　from　Liverpool。　　There　is；　I　believe；　no　doubt　but　that　a　considerable　quantity　of　cotton　has　been　shipped　back　from　England　to　the　States　since　the　civil　war　began。　　I　asked　the　gentleman；　to　whose　care　at　Lowell　I　was　consigned；　whether　he　expected　to　get　cotton　from　the　Southfor　at　that　time　Beaufort；　in　South　Carolina；　had　just　been　taken　by　the　naval　expedition。　　He　had；　he　said；　a　political　expectation　of　a　supply　of　cotton；　but　not　a　commercial　expectation。　　That　at　least　was　the　gist　of　his　reply；　and　I　found　it　to　be　both　intelligent　and　intelligible。　　The　Massachusetts　Mills；　when　at　full　work；　employ　1300　females　and　400　males；　and　turn　out　540；000　yards　of　calico　per　week。　On　my　return　from　Lowell　in　the　smoking　car；　an　old　man　came　and　squeezed　in　next　to　me。　　The　place　was　terribly　crowded；　and　as　the　old　man　was　thin　and　clean　and　quiet；　I　willingly　made　room　for　him；　so　as　to　avoid　the　contiguity　of　a　neighbor　who　might　be　neither　thin；　nor　clean；　nor　quiet。　　He　began　talking　to　me　in　whispers　about　the　war；　and　I　was　suspicious　that　he　was　a　Southerner　and　a　secessionist。　　Under　such　circumstances　his　company　might　not　be　agreeable；　unless　he　could　be　induced　to　hold　his　tongue。　　At　last　he　said；　〃I　come　from　Canada；　you　know；　and　youyou're　an　Englishman；　and　therefore　I　can　speak　to　you　openly；〃　and　he　gave　me　an　affectionate　grip　on　the　knee　with　his　old　skinny　hand。　　I　suppose　I　do　look　more　like　an　Englishman　than　an　American；　but　I　was　surprised　at　his　knowing　me　with　such　certainty。　　〃There　is　no　mistaking　you；〃　he　said；　〃with　your　round　face　and　your　red　cheeks。　　They　don't　look　like　that　here；〃　and　he　gave　me　another　grip。　　I　felt　quite　fond　of　the　old　man；　and　offered　him　a　cigar。

CHAPTER　XVIII。　THE　RIGHTS　OF　WOMEN。

We　all　know　that　the　subject　which　appears　above　as　the　title　of　this　chapter　is　a　very　favorite　subject　in　America。　　It　is；　I　hope；　a　very　favorite　subject　here　also；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　has　been　so　for　many　years　past。　　The　rights　of　women；　as　c