father some interesting particulars she had heard from a country lady of the best mode of rearing and taking care of silkworms, and how much finer and more plentiful the silk was if the worm was well fed, and kept clean and healthy. "And don't you think, papa," said little Grace, "she got to love them—love a worm—wasn't that funny?"
"No," interposed Susan; "for how often has papa told us we should love anything we took good care of."
"Well, then. Sue, I guess that is the reason mammy loves us so well—she takes such good care of us."
"You have guessed pretty right, Grace," said her father, smiling at her modest explanation of her mammy's tenderness; "but can you tell me, Susan, who first found out a mode of unwinding the silk from the cocoon?" "No, sir." "Can you, Gifford?" "No, sir." "Can you, Ella?" "No, sir." "Nor you, mamma?" "No, sir." A smile went round with the negative, and as Mrs. Hyde pronounced hers, her eye met Lucy's. She saw the girl was listening with lively interest, that her lips moved as if she were on the point of speaking, but were restrained by modesty. "Do you know, Lucy?" she asked. Instead of the monosyllable she expected, Lucy answered, diffidently, "I believe, ma'am, it was an Empress of China called Lou-it-see."[1]
"Why, who told you, Lucy?" asked Grace. Lucy said nothing till Mr. Hyde authorized a reply
- ↑ Raynal states that Lou-it-see was made a divinity for her great discovery, and called the spirit of the mulberry and silkworm.
