The gardener’s request

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Mr Shaw asked Ellen to bring twine from the shed and a clean cloth from the house. A branch had split under the weight of the apples. While he supported it, she fetched both things and held the ladder steady. He bound the damaged branch carefully, explaining that the repair might last only until harvest. Ellen watched the fruit sway above them, suddenly aware of how much work kept it on the tree.

Give two things Mr Shaw asks Ellen to fetch.