shawl, but towards evening, or if the day were chilly, became a sort of
Spanish mantilla or Scotch plaid, and was brought over the head and hung loosely
down, or was pinned under the chin in no unpicturesque fashion.
    Their faces were not remarkable for beauty; indeed, they were below the
average, with one or two exceptions; they had dark hair, neatly and classically
arranged dark eyes, but sallow complexions and irregular features. The only
thing to strike a passer-by was an acuteness and intelligence of countenance,
which has often been noticed in a manufacturing population.
    There were also numbers of boys, or rather young men, rambling among these
fields, ready to bandy jokes with any one, and particularly ready to enter into
conversation with the girls, who, however, held themselves aloof, not in a shy,
but rather in an independent way, assuming an indifferent manner to the noisy
wit or obstreperous compliments of the lads. Here and there came a sober quiet
couple, either whispering lovers, or husband and wife, as the case might be; and
if the latter, they were seldom unencumbered by an infant, carried for the most
part by the father, while occasionally even three or four little toddlers had
been carried or dragged thus far, in order that the whole family might enjoy the
delicious May afternoon together.
    Some time in the course of that afternoon, two working men met with friendly
greeting at the stile so often named. One was a thorough specimen of a
Manchester man; born of factory workers, and himself bred up in youth, and
living in manhood, among the mills. He was below the middle size and slightly
made; there was almost a stunted look about him; and his wan, colourless face,
gave you the idea, that in his childhood he had suffered from the scanty living
consequent upon bad times, and improvident habits. His features were strongly
marked, though not irregular, and their expression was extreme earnestness;
resolute either for good or evil, a sort of latent stern enthusiasm. At the time
of which I write, the good predominated over the bad in the countenance, and he
was one from whom a stranger would have asked a favour with tolerable faith that
it would be granted. He was accompanied by his wife, who might, without
exaggeration, have been called a lovely woman, although now her face was swollen
with crying, and often hidden behind her apron. She had the fresh beauty of the
agricultural districts; and somewhat of the deficiency of sense in her
countenance, which is likewise characteristic of the rural