Miss Ellen was making a new pincushion , and a very pretty one it promised to be , for she had much taste , and spent half her time embroidering chair-covers , crocheting tidies , and all sorts of dainty trifles . Her room was full of them ; and she often declared that she did wish some one would invent a new sort of fancy-work , since she had tried all the old kinds till she was tired of them . Painting china , carving wood , button-holing butterflies and daisies onto Turkish towelling , and making peacock-feather trimming , amused her for a time ; but as she was not very successful she soon gave up trying these branches , and wondered if she would not take a little plain sewing for a change . The old cushion stood on her table beside the new one ; which was ready for its trimming of lace and ribbon . A row of delicate new pins also lay waiting to adorn the red satin mound , and in the old blue one still remained several pins that had evidently seen hard service . Miss Ellen was putting a dozen needles into her book , having just picked them out of the old cushion , and , as she quilted them through the flannel leaves , she said half aloud , -- `` It is very evident where the needles go , but I really do wish I knew what becomes of the pins . '' `` I can tell you , '' answered a small , sharp voice , as a long brass pin tried to straighten itself up in the middle of a faded blue cornflower , evidently prepared to address the meeting . Miss Ellen stared much surprised , for she had used this big pin a good deal lately , but never heard it speak before . As she looked at it she saw for the first time that its head had a tiny face , with silvery hair , two merry eyes , and a wee mouth out of which came the metallic little voice that pierced her ear , small as it was . `` Dear me ! '' she said ; then added politely , `` if you can tell I should be very happy to hear , for it has long been a great mystery , and no one could explain it . '' The old pin tried to sit erect , and the merry eye twinkled as it went on like a garrulous creature , glad to talk after long silence : -- `` Men make many wonderful discoveries , my dear , but they have never found that out , and never will , because we belong to women , and only a feminine ear can hear us , a feminine mind understand our mission , or sympathize with our trials , experiences , and triumphs . For we have all these as well as human beings , and there really is not much difference between us when we come to look into the matter . '' This was such a curious statement that Miss Ellen forgot her work to listen intently , and all the needles fixed their eyes on the audacious pin . Not a whit abashed it thus continued : -- `` I am called ` Granny ' among my friends , because I have had a long and eventful life . I am hearty and well , however , in spite of this crick in my back , and hope to serve you a good while yet , for you seem to appreciate me , stout and ordinary as I look . `` Yes , my dear , pins and people are alike , and that rusty darning-needle need not stare so rudely , for I shall prove what I say . We are divided into classes by birth and constitution , and each can do much in its own sphere . I am a shawl pin , and it would be foolish in me to aspire to the duties of those dainty lace pins made to fasten a collar . I am contented with my lot , however , and , being of a strong make and enterprising spirit , have had many adventures , some perils , and great satisfactions since I left the factory long ago .
I well remember how eagerly I XXXXX about me when the paper in which I lived , with some hundreds of relations , was hung up in a shop window , to display our glittering ranks and tempt people to buy .
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