The author recalls life in early New England textile mills through personal sketches of daily routines, boardinghouse life, and child labor; she describes the schooling and literary societies formed by the women and the periodical they produced, and offers profiles of its contributors. The book characterizes the workforce’s habits, aspirations, and mutual aid, traces individual biographies, and contrasts early factory culture with later industrial changes. It reflects on how wage labor created new income, educational opportunities, and social mobility for women while also altering community composition and workplace atmosphere.