An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

At first, the sewing machine made three stitches before the cloth gathered beneath the needle. Mr Pritchard turned the handle slowly and saw that the needle rose and fell as it should, but the toothed bar beneath the cloth scarcely moved. He cleared the compacted lint from between its teeth and tried the machine again. This time, the cloth travelled forwards but slipped towards the edge of the table. He tightened the small screw securing the metal guide beside the needle. Afterwards, he replaced the cracked wooden handle and polished the brass plate. On the final test, the cloth passed steadily beneath the needle and the line of stitches remained straight.