I think it was because -- as much as I thought I knew about how so many American families and their G.I. sons and brothers and fathers and distaffs were suffering in this war, I wasn't truly "feeling" it. ❋ Unknown (2008)
[6432] Tradesmen left their shops, women their distaffs, servants ran from their masters, children from their parents, scholars left their tutors, all to hear him, some for novelty, some for zeal. ❋ Unknown (2007)
This family bears: party per pale or and sable, an orle counterchanged and two lozenges counterchanged, with: “i, semper melius eris,” — a motto which, together with the two distaffs taken as supporters, proves the modesty of the burgher families in the days when the Orders held their allotted places in the State; and the naivete of our ancient customs by the pun on ❋ Unknown (2007)
A powerful mettlesome young Achilles ought not to be leading-stringed by women too much; is out of his place dawdling by distaffs or handing coffee-cups; and when he is not fighting, depend on it, is likely to fall into much worse mischief. ❋ Unknown (2006)
Egad, if the enemy had it, a dozen of old whigamore wives with their distaffs might keep it against a troop of dragoons, at least if they had half the spunk of the old girl we left at Milnwood. ❋ Unknown (2004)
It is true, I do not approve what he says; but Plato seems to me, as he hath strangely and unaccountably called the axes spindles and distaffs, and the stars whirls, so to have named the Muses ❋ Unknown (2004)
Indians, squatting on their withers among the tufts of white feathers, restrained them with their spoon-headed harpoons, while the men in the towers, who were hidden up to their shoulders, moved about iron distaffs furnished with lighted tow on the edges of their large bended bows. ❋ Unknown (2003)
He was followed by two shepherdesses in white with distaffs and tapers. ❋ Clement A. Miles (N/A)
Scarlet and blue and green, with distaffs spinning the golden ❋ William H. Elson (N/A)
On this evening, too, girls are afraid to spin lest in the morning they should find their distaffs twisted, the threads broken, and the yarn in confusion. ❋ Clement A. Miles (N/A)
When the clock struck eleven -- but it was properly twelve -- the three damsels arose, put up their distaffs and things, and departed. ❋ Various (N/A)
Some of them have short bead-chains with a ring, attached to the left shoulder, to stick their distaffs in when not at work. ❋ Fanny Bury Palliser (N/A)
And did they not all envy you, and wonder when their distaffs were to whirl to the tread of their own ready feet? ❋ Various (N/A)
Prince, and was asked how he could raise the large sum named for his ransom, Du Guesclin replied, that "the women of Brittany would rather spin for a year and ransom him with their distaffs, than that he should remain prisoner." ❋ Fanny Bury Palliser (N/A)
Learning scraps of old ballads from the cottage matrons, as they sung them at their distaffs, he early began to essay imitations of these olden ditties. ❋ Various (N/A)
It was to their single women the philosophers of the portico addressed their lessons; not to the domestic drudges, whom they considered only worthy to inspect the distaffs of their slaves, and produce sons for the service of the country. ❋ Various (N/A)
There were wide stone seats on the terrace, grey and worn by the weather, and by the generations of children who had played round them; and here the mothers and grandmothers, with their distaffs in their hands, loved to collect on summer evenings. ❋ Fanny Barry (N/A)
At her feet, the cypress-trees raised their black distaffs, and the olive-trees looked like sheep on the hills. ❋ Various (N/A)
Moreover, their distaffs and spindles had something peculiar, and no spinster might so finely and nimbly spin the thread. ❋ Various (N/A)
