Down the street of the village, which was very straggling, with nearly as many little gardens as houses in it, there was a house occupied by several poor people, in one end of which, consisting just of a room and a closet, an old woman lived who got her money by spinning flax into yarn for making linen.

He would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.

The patentees of this invention claim that their process, in the space of twenty-four hours, converts the flax and tow, as they come from the threshing-mill, into an article which may be spun and woven by the same machinery as cotton.

The wife and her daughters manufactured the clothing, from dressing the flax and carding the wool to cutting the cloth; knit the mittens and socks; and during the winter made straw bonnets to sell in the towns in the spring.

Dames of highest rank still spent their days over the distaff or in combing flax.

Agnes wound some silvery-white flax round her distaff, and seated herself near him under an orange-tree; and while her small fingers were twisting the flax, her large, thoughtful eyes were wandering off on the deep blue sea, pondering over and over the strange events of the day before, and the dreams of the night.

Signora Martina was delivering fresh flax to the spinners; Marietta, the maid, was busy about the fire, in provident forethought for supper; and Beppo, a barefooted, weather-beaten individual, was bringing in the wood he had been sawing this rainy day, which interfered with his more usual business at that season.

St. Bonaventura, the great Franciscan theologian, and a high authority in all that relates to the life and character of Mary, not only described her as a pattern of female industry, but alludes particularly to the legend of the distaff, and mentions a tradition, that, when in Egypt, the Holy Family was so reduced by poverty, that Mary begged from door to door the fine flax which she afterwards spun into a garment for her Child.

Another, as she sat in the midst of her family, drawing the flax from the distaff, told them stories of Troy, and Fiesole, and Rome.

Your great-grandmother gave her the flax, and I suppose mine did the frizzling.

The more bonfires could be seen sparkling and flaring in the darkness, the more fruitful was the year expected to be; and the higher the dancers leaped beside or over the fire, the higher, it was thought, would grow the flax.

It is a difficult and dangerous process to keep the fire hot enough and not too hot, to shift and turn and lift the flax at the right moment.

They sat outside the bath house and picked the flax to pieces.

Men and women toiled almost frantically at growing and preparing flax or providing anything exchangeable for muskets, powder and lead.

Lady, I my toil will divide At your side; I outside the home, you within; You shall wash and cook and spin, I'll provide the flax and food, If you're good.

For what could be done with money where there were no shops worth speaking of, and no stores, and nothing to buy? The common people raised flax and wool, and wove their own cloth; and they made their own tools and furniture.

It is indeed true that in their desperate straits the tribes sold flax, timber, potatoes, mats, tattooed heads, pigseven their precious landfor firearms.

" Among the good old proverbs associated with flax may be mentioned the following, which enjoins the necessity of faith in our actions: "Get thy spindle and thy distaff ready, and God will send the flax.

Seeing no signs of the boat, she went back to the flax camp, lighted the fire, and began to spread the flax on the slats.

This valuable gift had been acquired by Mr. Escrocevitch in his early years, when he used to wander among the Polish fairs, swallowing burning flax for the delectation of the public and disgorging endless yards of ribbon and paper.

My father was smoking his doodeen in the chimney corner, my mother was overseeing the girls that were tonging the flax, and I and the other gossoons were doing nothing at all, only roasting praties in the ashes.

Five Sister-nymphs with dewy fingers twine The beamy flax, and stretch the fibre-line; Quick eddying threads from rapid spindles reel, 80 Or whirl with beaten foot the dizzy wheel.

And so while father plowed the fields, and threshed the wheat, and broke the flax, and husked the corn, my mother stood for Solomon's portraiture, when he said, 'She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household.

Then I saw her spin and weave this flax into a magic coat.

"Bad cess to the wheel;I got it this morning about that tooI depinded on John Williams to bring the flax from O'Flaharty's this day week, and he forgot it; and she says I ought to have brought it myself, and I close to the spot: but where's the good?