The Story of Silk   By: Sara Ware Bassett (1872-1968)

The Story of Silk

BY

SARA WARE BASSETT

Author of

"THE STORY OF WOOL" "THE STORY OF LEATHER" "THE STORY OF IRON" "THE STORY OF GLASS" "THE STORY OF SUGAR" "THE STORY OF PORCELAIN"

ILLUSTRATED BY HATTIE LONGSTREET PRICE

THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 1925

COPYRIGHT 1918 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY

To the Boys and Girls of Auburndale, Massachusetts, this book is affectionately inscribed

Contents

I. The Bretton Family 9

II. The Silk House 22

III. Père Benedict 34

IV. A Supper Party 52

V. The Silkworms 63

VI. Busy Days 76

VII. The Silk Harvest 90

VIII. Pierre Makes a Friend 100

IX. Henri Makes a Suggestion 120

X. The Awakening of the Chrysalis 133

XI. Pierre Takes Another Journey 144

XII. The Home Coming 156

XIII. Pierre Takes the Helm 172

XIV. Pierre as a Teacher 182

XV. The Great Surprise 206

Illustrations

PAGE

It Was a Race to Pick the Leaves Frontispiece

"It Is Like a Fairy Story" 46

He Led the Way Into a Long Room 108

"Go on Tiptoe" 140

A Royal Feast 169

"I Shall Do My Best" 190

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF SILK

CHAPTER I

THE BRETTON FAMILY

Madame Antoinette Bretton went for the third time to the door of her tiny cottage and, shading her eyes, looked anxiously up the side of the ice capped mountain that flanked the garden. There was still no one in sight, and with a shake of her head she returned to the coarse grey socks she was knitting.

It was late afternoon, and through the stillness she could hear the roar of the river, the tinkle of herd bells, and the faint sound of chimes from the far away village chapel. How quiet the house seemed without Marie and Pierre! The boy and girl had climbed to the hillside pasture to drive the goats down for milking and Hector, the great St. Bernard dog that had been the children's companion ever since they were born, had gone with them, for Hector was an expert at rounding up a herd. Although he was not a young dog he had the zeal of a puppy; with this he combined the wisdom of a sage, and it was for the latter reason that Madame Bretton never worried about her children when Hector was with them. For to Madame Bretton the boy and the girl were still children. Neither Hector, Marie, nor Pierre had dreamed of being really grown up until the Great War had come and Monsieur Bretton, together with Uncle Jacques, had been called to the colors of France.