48 TOBACCO WORKING. CHAP. in. 



the stripper. Edward went through all these grades. As 

 a stripper he could earn about eighteen-pence a week. 



The master was a bird-fancier, so that Edward 

 got on very well with him. The boy brought him 

 lots of nests and young birds in summer, and old 

 birds which he trapped during winter. The master 

 allowed him to keep rabbits in the back yard; so that, 

 what between working and playing, attending to his 

 rabbits and catering for their food, his time passed 

 much more happily than it had done at school 



After being in the tobacco work for about two 

 years, Edward heard that boys were getting great 

 wages at a factory at Grandholm, situated on the 

 river Don, about two miles from Aberdeen. The 

 high wages were a great attraction. Tom and his 

 brother took the advantage of a fast-day to go to the 

 mill and ask for employment. The manager told the 

 boys that he wanted no additional hands at that 

 time, but that he would put their names down and 

 let them know when he required their services. 



They returned and told their parents what they 

 had done. Both father and mother were against the 

 change, partly because of Tom's youth, and partly 

 because of the distance Grandholm was from Aberdeen. 

 Tom, however, insisted that he could both work and 

 walk ; and at last his parents gave their consent. 



There was another reason besides the high wages 

 which induced Tom to wish to be employed at Grand- 

 holm. He kept this to himself. He had often seen 



