James Matthew Barrie

Margaret Ogilvy James Matthew Barrie

What she had been, what I should be, these were the two great subjects between us in myboyhood, and while we discussed the one we were deciding the other, though neither of usknew it. Before I reached my tenth year a giant entered my native place in the night, and we woke tofind him in possession. He transformed it into a new town at a rate with which we boysonly could keep up, for as fast as he built dams we made rafts to sail in them; he knockeddown houses, and there we were crying 'Pilly!' among the ruins; he dug trenches, and wejumped them; we had to be dragged by the legs from beneath his engines, he sunk wells, and in we went. But though there were never circumstances to which boys could not adaptthemselves in half an hour, older folk are slower in the uptake, and I am sure they stoodand gaped at the changes so suddenly being worked in our midst, and scarce knew theirway home now in the dark. Where had been formerly but the click of the shuttle was soonthe roar of 'power, ' handlooms were pushed into a corner as a room is cleared for a dance;every morning at half-past five the town was wakened with a yell, and from a chimneystack that rose high into our caller air the conqueror waved for evermore his flag ofsmoke. Another era had dawned, new customs, new fashions sprang into life, all as lusty asif they had been born at twenty-one; as quickly as two people may exchange seats, thedaughter, till now but a knitter of stockings, became the breadwinner, he who had been thebreadwinner sat down to the knitting of stockings: what had been yesterday a nest ofweavers was to-day a town of girl