Life in the Factory

“A Long Day’s Work” When my wife and I left our small farm, we hoped city life

would bring us better chances. The factories were always hiring, and we needed the

money. But the moment I stepped into that dark, crowded building,

I realized how hard this life would be. The factory floor was hot and filled

with smoke. Machines clanged and spun so loudly that I could hardly think.

The air was thick and hard to breathe—there were no windows and no ventilation, so the heat just

stayed trapped inside. Every day I worked up to 16 hours, six days a week, repeating the same

exhausting motion again and again. My hands were blistered, my back ached, and my clothes were