Eve White: Literary Agent

from CHILDREN'S HISTORY OF LEEDS

Monday 5th April 1680 It was market day today, so I didn’t go to school. Father wanted me to go with him to help bargain with the foreign cloth-buyers. On the way there, Father reminded me to speak very quietly when the market opened and only speak when he asked me to. When we got to Briggate there was nobody else there. Then at 7 o’clock the bell sounded and lots of people came rushing from the public houses. We quickly set up our trestle and laid out the cloth. A few minutes later some richly dressed merchants walked up and down the rows of tables looking at the cloth. One man stopped at our table. He nodded and Father pointed to me. The man leaned over and whispered. I told Father what he said and Father told me what to whisper back. We whispered back and forth until they had agreed a price. Then they nodded at each other and Father rolled up a bolt of cloth and gave it to the man’s servant. The man gave Father gold coins from his purse. Now I am almost nodding off, but still have homework to finish before my candle burns down.