“A good day to you, Elpida. It’s a wonderful morning, isn’t it?”

“Good morning, Socrates. Yes, it is. It’ll be warm today.”

“Is all of that cloth for the market?”

“Oh no, I have nothing for market today. This is cloth for Kosmas the fisherman. His sails were quite old and last week’s storm ripped them into shreds.”

“It looks like sturdy material. I’m curious. How do the other women regard you for the type of weaving you do?”

“Many don’t care one way or another but there are a few that look down on me for it. They don’t think that a weaver of linen knows anything worth learning so I’ve learned not to offer them advice. Some have taken to calling me Sailcloth. I don’t mind. I’m proud of the work I do and if they want to call me that, I’ll wear it as a badge of honor.”

“Why don’t you do delicate work?”

“I could but everyone needs material for blankets or tablecloths, cloth that will stand up to rough use. Everyone appreciates the labor that goes into decorative pieces but everyone needs plain linen too.”