The Urchin of Malaval 



the equilibrium of this elegant, but unstable circle. 

 Pickles, hemp, chickens, curds and whey, butter; 

 washing the clothes, minding the children, seeing 

 to the meals of the household: say that and you 

 have summed up the strenuous woman's round of 

 ideas. On her left side, the distaff, with its load 

 of tow ; in her right hand, the spindle turning under 

 a quick twist of her thumb, moistened at intervals 

 with her tongue: so she went through life, un- 

 weariedly, attending to the order and the welfare 

 of the house. I see her in my mind's eye, particu- 

 larly on winter evenings, which were more favour- 

 able to family talk. When the hour came for 

 meals, all of us, big and little, would take our 

 seats round a long table, on a couple of benches, 

 deal planks supported by four rickety legs. Each 

 found his wooden bowl and his tin spoon in front 

 of him. At one end of the table there always 

 stood an enormous rye-loaf, the size of a cart- 

 wheel, wrapped in a linen cloth with a pleasant 

 smell of washing, and there it remained until 

 nothing was left of it. With a vigorous stroke, 

 grandfather would cut off enough for the needs 

 of the moment; then he would divide the piece 

 among us with the one knife which he alone was 

 entitled to wield. It was now each one's business 

 to break up his bit with his fingers and to fill his 

 bowl as he pleased. 



Next came grandmother's turn. A capacious pot 

 bubbled lustily and sang upon the flames in the 

 hearth, exhaling an appetising savour of bacon and 

 turnips. Armed with a long metal ladle, grand- 



