My Great Grandmother Morrison fixed a book-rest to her spinning wheel so that she could read while she was spinning, or so the story goes. And one Saturday evening she became so absorbed in her book that when she looked up she found that it was half-past midnight and she had spun for half an hour on the Sabbath Day. Back then, that counted as a major sin.
In Mary Lawson's book "Crow Lake," there's a poignant story about the author's great-grandmother, Morrison, who ingeniously adapted her spinning wheel with a book-rest. This allowed her to engage in reading while working, a testament to her love for literature. One fateful Saturday evening, she became so engrossed in her book that she lost track of time, discovering it was already half-past midnight.
This moment marked a significant moral dilemma for her, as she realized she had spun for thirty minutes on the Sabbath, which was considered a serious transgression in that era. The narrative highlights the clash between personal passions and societal expectations, emphasizing the weight of guilt associated with such an act in her time.
