Two Self-willed Men

From lïoberl Da'.e Owen's autobiograhy of which c!:e publication luis been iommenoed in the January number of be Atlantic Montkly, we loara that his rrandfather w;is, in tho earlieet days of rtton manufacture, a partner of tho , elebrated inventor, Arkwright. Hegives be following charueteristio anecdote; In 1764 a vübi rtreral largo cotón müls wcto compli ted. The sii.o was i vij of valley-land djoining the river, ibont a milo from the uncient tovvn ot' k ; and the culir.' watem of the Ciyilu. brought thvough a rook-tnnnel a ná fcot lo:):r, furmed tbc mill-mce. '1 hen, for tbc first timo, Arkwristht (uot vet Sir Riohard) i..-.; ie (.o Scotland (o t tb nrw manufaotory. Takisg a postt'vom Glasgow, Sir ï);ilu and hc reacbed the suuimit of a hul which tomnanded a view of tiie village, and on tlie jentle dope of v.liich were laid out small' pardon tputs separated by gravel p Ut wus a fine sumnier eviniug. Getting out oí the cartioge Yiv. Dale led his i;irtner to ;i favorable point, whcnuccouïd be 6e;n not only tlie eïrtite estsbüebment, nóluding ttio vast factory buildings, the mechantes' shops, the schoel-houae, ud thiï rows of stone dwellings for the work-people, but also tho piotnrowue river winding its way belpw the milis bntweon abrupt wallsof shrub-covored rocks, : Ii t; landscape bounded by a beautiful chainpaign country gtretching out on the other bank. Well do I remombar tho scène ! 'How does it suit you ':" my grand'ntbcr asked at lengtli. Arkwright scanaod tho whole -vrith a critica! business aye for sometimo bet'ore :h; -.iiswcred : "Capital ! That sito was seetod Tvith great judgment." "You lika the way tho st reets are laid out, and the mill-buildings pbued?" "Very well, - couldn't be botter." "Each family in the village ha3 one of :hcse garden patohes " "A very good idea. ''We had tb tunnel the rock for a long distancu at a heavy expense ; but we gained a fall at twenty-six or twenlyeight feet." "It's a spot in a thousand," cried Arkwright. "ilight have bewi nado on purpose." "I'ra glad you like it." "I do veiy muoh." Then, after another long look ovur tho village and all its surroundings, he added, pointíng to a wooden ciipola within which the fnctory bell was hung : "But that ugly stecplo - or whatever it is - what mado you put it off at the end of the building V" "Why, whero would you havo had it 'i" "Over the middle of the mili, of course." "I don't see any 'of eourse' about it. It's, just right wherc it is." "Y.u t'.iink sor" asked Arkwriglit. "Toto sure I do, or I wouldu' have put it there." "Well, you've a curious idea of things. I'd like to hoar n. single good reason for having the thing stuck on to the end ot' that mili, the way you'vo got it." "if a man's ho blind hocan't see that was the proper place, it is na worth whilu finding him reasons for it." "Blind! A man with haltan e-ye might have wan better. I dcu't caro to argue witli a man that hasn't more counuon sense." This was too nnich forniy grandfather. "Arkwright," said he, "I don't care to have a man for a partner who would get stirred up about such a trillo, and talk such nonsense about it too." "Xeither do I. 8o there's ono thing we do agree about. I'm ready to sell out to you to night." "Good ! Lot's get into tho carriago and i'll show you all over the pluce. Then veil go back to the auld town" (üo Lanark was usually called), "get sonietliing to eat and a glass of today," - (my grandfather was a stiictly températe man, bat no Sootohman in those days thought an occasional glass of Highland whisky toddy an offenee against tonipcianee), - "and I daresay wo can hit it olt' atweon u.s." That evening Richard Arkwright and David Dalo dissolved partnership, the bitter remaining solo proprictor of tho village and milis of Xew Lanark. If such au issuo in eo important a matter seem strange, it was yet natural enough in the case of men bom and eireumstiuiced as these men had been. tëuecessful strugglers both, through difficulty and opposition op to great success, accus.tojned as both had been, from their youth, to taito their own way and to fino that way the fortúnate one, they had beoome unused to oontradiction. Sten of strong, untrained eneigy, they hftd gioxvn tobe 6tlf-willed even in petty things.