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036 - Union Not Always Strength · North and South

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Speaker 1: Chapter thirty six of North and South. This is a
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: Recording by le Anne Howlett. North and South by Elizabeth
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Speaker 1: Cleghorn Gaskell, Chapter thirty six. Union not always strength. The
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Speaker 1: steps of the bearers heavy and slow, the sobs of
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Speaker 1: the mourners deep and low. Shelley at the time arranged
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Speaker 1: the previous day, they sat out on their walk to
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Speaker 1: see Nicholas Higgins and his daughter. They both were reminded
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Speaker 1: of their recent loss by a strange kind of shyness
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Speaker 1: in their new habiliments, and in the fact that it
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Speaker 1: was the first time for many weeks that they had
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Speaker 1: deliberately gone out together. They drew very close to each
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Speaker 1: other unspoken sympathy. Nicholas was sitting by the fireside in
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Speaker 1: his accustomed corner, but he had not his accustomed pipe.
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Speaker 1: He was leaning his head upon his hand, his arm
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Speaker 1: resting on his knee. He did not get up when
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Speaker 1: he saw them, though Margaret could read the welcome in
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Speaker 1: his eye. Sit ye down, Sit ye down, Fire's welly out,
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Speaker 1: said he, giving a vigorous poke, as if to turn
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Speaker 1: attention away from himself. He was rather disorderly, to be sure,
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Speaker 1: with a black, unshaven beard of several days growth, making
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Speaker 1: his pale face look yet paler, and a jacket which
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Speaker 1: would have been all the better for patching. We thought
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Speaker 1: we should have a good chance of finding you just
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Speaker 1: after dinner time, said Margaret. We have had our sorrow
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Speaker 1: too since we saw you, said mister Hale. Aye. Aye,
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Speaker 1: sorrow's is more plentiful than dinner's. Just now, I reckon
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Speaker 1: My dinner hour stretches all o'er the day. You're pretty
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Speaker 1: sure of finding me. Are you out of work? Asked Margaret, Ay,
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Speaker 1: he replied shortly, Then, after a moment's silence, he added,
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Speaker 1: looking up for the first time, I'm not wanting brass,
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Speaker 1: don't you think it? Bess? Poor Lass had a little
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Speaker 1: stock under her pillow ready to slip into my hand
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Speaker 1: last moment, and Mary is fushchin cutting. But I'm out
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Speaker 1: o work all the same. We owe Mary some money,
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Speaker 1: said mister Hale, before Margaret's sharp pressure on his arm
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Speaker 1: could arrest the words. If who takes it, I'll turn
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Speaker 1: her out o doors. I'll bide inside these four walls,
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Speaker 1: and she'll bide out that's aught. But we owe her
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Speaker 1: many thanks for her kind service, began mister Hale again,
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Speaker 1: I ne'er thank your daughter there for her deeds. A
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Speaker 1: love to my poor wench. I ne'er could find the words.
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Speaker 1: I's have to begin and try. Now, if you start
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Speaker 1: making an ado about what little Mary could sarve you?
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Speaker 1: Is it because of the strike, you're out of work?
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Speaker 1: Asked Margaret gently strikes ended. It's ore for this time.
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Speaker 1: I'm out of work because I ne'er ask for it,
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Speaker 1: and I never asked for it. Because good words it's scarce,
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Speaker 1: and bad words is plentiful. He was in a mood
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Speaker 1: to take a surly pleasure in giving answers that were
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Speaker 1: like riddles, but Margaret saw that he would like to
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Speaker 1: be asked for the explanation. And good words are asking
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Speaker 1: for work. I reckon them is almost the best words
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Speaker 1: that men can say. Give me work means, and I'll
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Speaker 1: do it like a man. Them's good words, and bad
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Speaker 1: words are refusing you work when you ask for it. Ay,
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Speaker 1: bad words is saying, aha, my fine chap, You've been
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Speaker 1: true to your order, and I'll be true to mine.
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Speaker 1: You did the best you could for them as wanted help.
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Speaker 1: That's your way of being true to your kind, and
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Speaker 1: I'll be true to mine. You have been a poor
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Speaker 1: fool as knowed no better, nor be a true, faithful fool.
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Speaker 1: So go and be damned to you. There's no work
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Speaker 1: for you here. Them is bad words. I'm not a fool,
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Speaker 1: And if I was folk ought to have taught me
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Speaker 1: how to be wise after their fashion, I could mapp
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Speaker 1: and have learnt if any one had tried to teach me.
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Speaker 1: Would it not be worth while, said mister Hale, to
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Speaker 1: ask your old master if he would take you back again.
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Speaker 1: It might be a poor chance, but it would be
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Speaker 1: a chance. He looked up again with a sharp glance
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Speaker 1: at the questioner, and then tittered a low and bitter laugh. Master,
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Speaker 1: if it's no offense, I'll ask you a question or
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Speaker 1: two in my turn. You're quite welcome, said mister Hale.
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Speaker 1: I reckon, yoon, some way of earning your bread. Folks
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Speaker 1: seldom lives in Milton less for pleasure, if they can
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Speaker 1: live anywhere else. You are quite right. I have some
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Speaker 1: independent property, but my intention in settling in Milton was
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Speaker 1: to become a private tutor to teach folk. Well, I
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Speaker 1: reckon they pay you for teaching them, dunnot they yes,
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Speaker 1: replied mister Hale, smiling. I teach an order to get paid,
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Speaker 1: and then that paysia. Then they tell you what' to
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Speaker 1: do or what'n not to do with the money they
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Speaker 1: gives you in just payment for your pains and fair
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Speaker 1: exchange like No, to be sure not they dunnot say.
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Speaker 1: YO may have a brother or a friend as dear
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Speaker 1: as a brother who wants this here brass for a purpose.
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Speaker 1: Both YO and he think right, But Yo mun promise
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Speaker 1: not to give it to em. YO may see a
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Speaker 1: good use, as you think, to put your money to,
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Speaker 1: but we don't think it good. And so if YO
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Speaker 1: spend it a that'ns will just leave off dealin with you.
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Speaker 1: They dunnot say that, dunn they no, to be sure not?
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Speaker 1: Would YO stand that if they did, it would be
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Speaker 1: some very hard pressure that would make me even think
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Speaker 1: of submitting to such dictation. There's not the pressure on
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Speaker 1: all the broad earth that would make me, said Nicholas Higgins.
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Speaker 1: Now you've got it. You've hit the bull's eye. Hampers.
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Speaker 1: That's where I worked. Makes their men pledge themselves. They'll
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Speaker 1: not give a penny to help the union or keep
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Speaker 1: turnouts from cleming. They may pledge and make pledge, continued,
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Speaker 1: he scornfully, they know, but make liars and hypocrites. And
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Speaker 1: that's a less sin to my mind, to making men's
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Speaker 1: hearts so hard that they'll not do a kindness to
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Speaker 1: them as needs it, or help on the right and
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Speaker 1: just cause. Though it goes against the strong hand, but
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Speaker 1: I'll ne'er forswear myself for the work the King could
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Speaker 1: give me. I'm remember the union, and I think it's
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Speaker 1: the only thing to do the workmen any good. And
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Speaker 1: I've been a turnout and known what it were to clem.
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Speaker 1: So if I get a shilling, sixpence shall go to them.
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Speaker 1: If they axe it from me. Consequence is I don't
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Speaker 1: see where I'm to get a shilling. Is that rule
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Speaker 1: about not contributing to the union and force at all?
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Speaker 1: The Mills asked Margaret. I cannot say. It's a new
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Speaker 1: regulation at aarn, and I reckon they'll find that they
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Speaker 1: cannot stick to it, but it's in force now by
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Speaker 1: and bye. They'll find out tyrants makes liars. There was
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Speaker 1: a little pause. Margaret was hesitating whether she should say
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Speaker 1: what was in her mind. She was unwilling to irritate
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Speaker 1: one who was already gloomy and despondent enough At last
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Speaker 1: doubt it came. But in her soft tones, and with
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Speaker 1: her reluctant manner, showing that she was unwilling to say
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Speaker 1: anything unpleasant, it did not seem to annoy Higgins, only
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Speaker 1: to perplex him. Do you remember poor Boucher saying that
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Speaker 1: the union was a tyrant. I think he said it
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Speaker 1: was the worst tyrant of all, and I remember at
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Speaker 1: the time I agreed with him. It was a long
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Speaker 1: while before he spoke. He was resting his head on
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Speaker 1: his two hands and looking down into the fire, so
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Speaker 1: she could not read the expression on his face. I'll
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Speaker 1: not deny, but what the Union finds it necessary to
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Speaker 1: force a man into his own good, I'll speak truth.
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Speaker 1: A man leads a dreary life who's not in the union,
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Speaker 1: But once in the Union, his interests are taken care
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Speaker 1: on better. Nor he could do it for himself, or
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Speaker 1: by himself, for that matter. It's the only way working
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Speaker 1: men can get their rights by all joining together, more
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Speaker 1: the members, more chance for each one. Separate man having
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Speaker 1: justice done him. Government takes care of fools and madmen,
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Speaker 1: and if any man is inclined to do himself or
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Speaker 1: his neighbor or hurt, it puts a bit of a
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Speaker 1: check on him, whether he likes it or no. That's
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Speaker 1: all we do in the Union. We can't clap folk
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Speaker 1: into prison, but we can make a man's life so
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Speaker 1: heavy to be born that he's obliged to come in
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Speaker 1: and be wise and helpful in spite of himself. Boucher
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Speaker 1: were a fool all along, a narrow worse fool than
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Speaker 1: at the last. He did you harm, asked Margaret. Ay,
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Speaker 1: that did he? We had public opinion on our side
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Speaker 1: till he and his sort began rioting and breaking laws.
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Speaker 1: It were all over with the strike. Then then would
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Speaker 1: it not have been far better to have left him
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Speaker 1: alone and not forced him to join the union. He
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Speaker 1: did you no good, and you drove him mad, Margaret,
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Speaker 1: said her father in a low and warning tone, for
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Speaker 1: he saw the cloud gathering on Higgins's face. I like her,
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Speaker 1: said Higgins suddenly, who speaks plain outwits in her mind,
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Speaker 1: who doesn't comprehend the Union. For all that it's a
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Speaker 1: great power, it's our only power. I have read a
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Speaker 1: bit of poetry about a plow going o'er a daisy,
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Speaker 1: as made tears come into my eyes. Afore E had
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Speaker 1: other cause for crying. But the chap ne'er stopped driving
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Speaker 1: the plow. I's warrant for all he were pitiful about
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Speaker 1: the daisy. He too much, mother wit for that. The
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Speaker 1: union's the plow making ready the land for harvest time.
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Speaker 1: Such as Boucher twould be settin him up too much
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Speaker 1: to liken him to a daisy. He's like her a
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Speaker 1: weed lounging over the ground. Mun just make up their
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Speaker 1: mind to be put out the way. I'm sore vexed
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Speaker 1: with him just now, so mapp and I do not
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Speaker 1: speak him fair. I could go o'er him with a
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Speaker 1: plow myself. Whether the pleasure in life? Why what has
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Speaker 1: he been doing anything? Fresh? Aye? To be sure he's
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Speaker 1: ne'er out of mischief that man. First of all, he
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Speaker 1: must go raging like a mad fool and kick up
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Speaker 1: yon riot. Then he'd to go into hiding where he'd
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Speaker 1: have been. Yet, if Thornton had followed him out, as
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Speaker 1: I'd hoped he would have done. But Thornton, having got
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Speaker 1: his own purpose didn't care to go on with the
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Speaker 1: prosecution for the riot, so Boucher slunk back again to
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Speaker 1: his house. He ne'er showed himself abroad for a day
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Speaker 1: or two. He had that grace. And then where think
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Speaker 1: ye that he went? Why to Hamper's damn him? He went,
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Speaker 1: with his mealy mouthed face that turns me sick to
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Speaker 1: look at, ask him for work, though he knowed well
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Speaker 1: enough the new rule of pledging themselves to give naught
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Speaker 1: to the unions, not to help the starving turn out.
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Speaker 1: Why he'd a clem to death if the Union hadn't
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Speaker 1: helped him in his pinch. There he went, asking to
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Speaker 1: promise ought and pledge himself to Ought, to tell awe
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Speaker 1: he'd knowed on our proceedings the good for nothing Judas.
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Speaker 1: But I'll say this for Hamper and thank him for
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Speaker 1: it at my dying day. He drove Boucher away and
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Speaker 1: wouldn't listened to him nearer word, though, folks standing by
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Speaker 1: says the trader cried like a baby. Oh, how shocking,
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Speaker 1: how pitiful, exclaimed Margaret Higgins. I don't know you to day.
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Speaker 1: Don't you see how you've made Boucher what he is?
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Speaker 1: By driving him into the union against his will, without
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Speaker 1: his heart going with it. You have made him what
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Speaker 1: he is, made him what he is? What was he gathering? Gathering?
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Speaker 1: Along the narrow street came a hollow, measured sound, now
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Speaker 1: forcing itself on their attention. Many voices were hushed and low.
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Speaker 1: Many steps were heard, not moving onwards at least, not
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Speaker 1: with any rapidity or steadiness of motion, but as if
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Speaker 1: circling round one spot. Yes, there was one distinct, slow
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Speaker 1: tramp of feet, which made itself a clear path through
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Speaker 1: the air, and reached their ears the measured, labored walk
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Speaker 1: of men carrying a heavy burden. They were all drawn
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Speaker 1: towards the house door by some irresistible impulse, impelled thither
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Speaker 1: not by a poor curiosity, but as if by some
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Speaker 1: solemn blast. Six men walked in the middle of the road,
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Speaker 1: three of them being policemen. They carried a door taken
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Speaker 1: off its hinges, upon their shoulders, on which lay some
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Speaker 1: dead human creature. And from each side of the door
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Speaker 1: there were constant droppings. All the street turned out to see,
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Speaker 1: and seeing to accompany the procession, each one questioning the bearers,
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Speaker 1: who answered almost reluctantly at last, so often had they
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Speaker 1: told the tale. We found him in the brook, in
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Speaker 1: the field beyond there, the brook. Why there's not water
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Speaker 1: enough to drown him? He was a determined chap. He
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Speaker 1: lay with his face downwards. He was sick enough a
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Speaker 1: living shooes what cause he had for it? Higgins crept
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Speaker 1: up to Margaret's side and said, in a weak piping
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Speaker 1: kind of voice, it's not John Boucher. He hadn't spunk enough. Sure,
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Speaker 1: it's not John Boucher. Why they are lookin' this way? Listen,
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Speaker 1: I've a singing in my head and I cannot hear.
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Speaker 1: They put the door down carefully upon the stones, and
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Speaker 1: all might see the poor drowned wretch, his glassy eyes
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Speaker 1: one half open, staring white upwards to the sky, owing
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Speaker 1: to the position in which he had been found lying.
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Speaker 1: His face was swollen and discolored. Besides, his skin was
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Speaker 1: stained by the water in the brook, which had been
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Speaker 1: used for dying purposes. The fore part of his head
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Speaker 1: was bald, but the hair grew thin and long behind,
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Speaker 1: and every separate lock was a conduit for water. Through
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Speaker 1: all these disfigurements, Margaret recognized John Boucher. It seemed to
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Speaker 1: her so sacrilegious to be peering into that poor, distorted,
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Speaker 1: agonized face that by a flash of instinct, she went
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Speaker 1: forwards and softly covered the dead man's countenance with her handkerchief.
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Speaker 1: The eyes that saw her do this followed her as
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Speaker 1: she turned away from her pious office, and were thus
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Speaker 1: led to the place where Nicholas Higgins stood, like one
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Speaker 1: rooted to the spot. The men spoke together, and then
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Speaker 1: one of them came up to Higgins, who would have
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Speaker 1: fain shrunk back into his house. Higgins, thou knowed him,
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Speaker 1: thou mun go tell the wife. Do it gently, ma'am,
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Speaker 1: but do it quick, for we cannot leave him here long.
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Speaker 1: I cannot go, said Higgins. Donnot ask me. I cannot
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Speaker 1: face her. Thou know'st her best, said the man. When done,
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Speaker 1: o'deal in bringing him here, Thou take thy share. I
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Speaker 1: cannot do it, said Higgins. I'm welly felled with seeing
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Speaker 1: him who wasn't friends and now he's dead. Well, if
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Speaker 1: thou want it, thou want it some one, mun though
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Speaker 1: it's a dree task, but it's a chance every minute,
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Speaker 1: And she doesn't hear on it in some rougher way,
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Speaker 1: nor a person going to make her let on by
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Speaker 1: degrees as it were. Papa, do you go, said Margaret
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Speaker 1: in a low voice, if I could, if I had
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Speaker 1: time to think of what I had better say. But
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Speaker 1: all at once Margaret saw that her father was indeed unable.
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Speaker 1: He was trembling from head to foot. I will go,
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Speaker 1: said she, bless you, miss It will be a kind act,
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Speaker 1: for she's been but a sickly sort of body. I hear,
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Speaker 1: and few hereabouts know much on her. Margaret knocked at
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Speaker 1: the closed door, but there was such a noise, as
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Speaker 1: of many little, ill ordered children, that she could hear
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Speaker 1: no reply. Indeed, she doubted if she was heard, And
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Speaker 1: as every moment of delay made her recoil from her
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Speaker 1: task more and more, she opened the door and went in,
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Speaker 1: shutting it after her, and even unseen to the woman
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Speaker 1: fastening the bolt, missus Boucher was sitting in a rocking
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Speaker 1: chair on the other side of the ill red up fireplace.
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Speaker 1: It looked as if the house had been untouched for
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Speaker 1: days by any effort at cleanliness. Margaret said something she
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Speaker 1: hardly knew what. Her throat and mouth were so dry,
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Speaker 1: and the children's noise completely prevented her from being heard.
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Speaker 1: She tried again, how are you, missus boucher, but very poorly.
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Speaker 1: I'm afraid I've no chance of being well, said she querulously.
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Speaker 1: I'm left alone to manage these children, and not for
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Speaker 1: to give 'em for to keep quiet. John shouldn't have
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Speaker 1: left me and me so poorly. How long is it
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Speaker 1: since he went away? Four days? Sin? No one would
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Speaker 1: give him work here, and he'd to go on tramp
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Speaker 1: toward Greenfield. But he might have been back afore this,
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Speaker 1: or sent me some word if he'd gotten work. He might. Oh,
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Speaker 1: don't blame him, said Margaret. He felt it deeply. I'm
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Speaker 1: sure will too. Hold thy din and let me hear
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Speaker 1: the lady speak, addressing herself in no very gentle voice
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Speaker 1: to a little urchin of about a year old, She
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Speaker 1: apologetically continued to Margaret, he's always mithering me for daddy
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Speaker 1: and buddy, and I had nobody's to give him, and
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Speaker 1: daddy's away and forgotteness Ah, I think he is his
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Speaker 1: father's darling. He is, said she, with a sudden turn
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Speaker 1: of mood, and dragging the child up to her knees,
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Speaker 1: she began kissing it fondly. Margaret laid her hand on
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Speaker 1: the woman's arm to arrest her attention. Their eyes met,
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Speaker 1: poor little fellow, said Margaret slowly. He was his father's darling.
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Speaker 1: He is his father's darling, said the woman, rising hastily
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Speaker 1: and standing face to face with Margaret. Neither of them
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Speaker 1: spoke for a moment or two. Then missus Boucher began
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Speaker 1: in a low growling tone, gathering in wildness as she
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Speaker 1: went on, he is his father's darling. I say, poor
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Speaker 1: folk can love their children as well as rich. Why
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Speaker 1: DON'TO yo speak? Why don't ye stare at me with
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Speaker 1: your great pitiful eyes? Where's John? Weak as she was,
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Speaker 1: she shook Margaret to force out an answer. Oh my god,
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Speaker 1: said she, understanding the meaning of that cheerful look. She
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Speaker 1: sank back into the chair. Margaret took up the child
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Speaker 1: and put him into her arms. He loved him, said
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Speaker 1: she aye, said the woman, shaking her head. He loved
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Speaker 1: us all we had some one to love us once.
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Speaker 1: It's a long time ago, but when he were in
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Speaker 1: life and with us, he did love us. He did.
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Speaker 1: He loved this babby mappin the best on us. But
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Speaker 1: he loved me, and I loved him though I was
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Speaker 1: callin him five minutes. Agone, are you sure he's dead,
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Speaker 1: said she, trying to get up. If it's only that
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Speaker 1: he's ill and like to die, they may bring him round.
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Speaker 1: Yet I'm but an ailing creature myself. I've been ailing
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Speaker 1: this long time. But he is dead. He is drowned.
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Speaker 1: Folks are brought round after their dead drowned? What'n was
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Speaker 1: I thinking of? To sit still when I should be
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Speaker 1: stirring myself? Here with thee child, WI thee take this,
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Speaker 1: take aught to play with. But donnot cry while my
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Speaker 1: heart's breaking. Oh where is my strength gone to? Oh?
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Speaker 1: John husband. Margaret saved her from falling by catching her
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Speaker 1: in her arms. She sat down in the rocking chair
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Speaker 1: and held the woman upon her knees, her head laying
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Speaker 1: on Margaret's shoulder. The other children, clustered together in affright,
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Speaker 1: began to understand the mystery of the scene, But the
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Speaker 1: ideas came slowly, for their brains were dull and languid
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Speaker 1: of perception. They set up such a cry of despair
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Speaker 1: as they guessed the truth that Margaret knew not how
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Speaker 1: to bear it. Johnny's cry was loudest of them all,
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Speaker 1: though he knew not why he cried poor little fellow.
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Speaker 1: The mother quivered as she lay in Margaret's arms. Margaret
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Speaker 1: heard a noise at the door. Open it, Open it quick,
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Speaker 1: said she to the eldest child. It's bolted. Make no noise.
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Speaker 1: Be very still, Oh Papa. Let them go upstairs very
19:20
Speaker 1: softly and carefully, and perhaps she will not hear them.
19:23
Speaker 1: She is fainted, that's all. It's as well for her,
19:28
Speaker 1: poor creature, said a woman following in the wake of
19:30
Speaker 1: the bearers of the dead. But you're not fit to
19:33
Speaker 1: hold her stay. I'll run fetch a pillow and we'll
19:36
Speaker 1: let her down easy on the floor. This helpful neighbor
19:40
Speaker 1: was a great relief to Margaret. She was evidently a
19:43
Speaker 1: stranger to the house, a new comer in the district, indeed,
19:46
Speaker 1: but she was so kind and thoughtful that Margaret felt
19:49
Speaker 1: she was no longer needed, and that it would be better,
19:51
Speaker 1: perhaps to set an example of clearing the house, which
19:54
Speaker 1: was filled with idle, if sympathizing gazers. She looked round
19:58
Speaker 1: for Nicholas Higgins. He was not there, so she spoke
20:02
Speaker 1: to the woman who had taken the lead in placing
20:04
Speaker 1: missus Boucher on the floor. Can you give all these
20:08
Speaker 1: people a hint that they had better leave than quietness,
20:11
Speaker 1: so that when she comes round she should only find
20:13
Speaker 1: one or two that she knows about her. Papa, will
20:16
Speaker 1: you speak to the men and get them to go away?
20:19
Speaker 1: She cannot breathe poor thing with this crowd about her.
20:23
Speaker 1: Margaret was kneeling down by missus Boucher and bathing her
20:26
Speaker 1: face with vinegar. But in a few minutes she was
20:29
Speaker 1: surprised at the gush of fresh air. She looked round
20:32
Speaker 1: and saw a smile pass between her father and the woman.
20:36
Speaker 1: What is it, asked she? Only our good friend here,
20:39
Speaker 1: replied her father hit on a capital expedient for clearing
20:42
Speaker 1: the place. I bid him begone, and each take a
20:46
Speaker 1: child with him, and to mind that they were orphans
20:48
Speaker 1: and their mother a widow. It was who could do most,
20:51
Speaker 1: and the childer are sure of a bellyful to day,
20:53
Speaker 1: and of kindness too those who know how he died. No,
20:57
Speaker 1: said Margaret. I could not tell her all at once,
21:01
Speaker 1: whom un be told because of the inquest. See who's
21:04
Speaker 1: coming round? Shall you? Or ee? Do it? Our mappen?
21:07
Speaker 1: Your father would be best, No you, hugh, said Margaret.
21:12
Speaker 1: They awaited her perfect recovery in silence. Then the neighbor
21:16
Speaker 1: woman sat down on the floor and took Missus Boucher's
21:18
Speaker 1: head and shoulders on her lap. Neighbor said, she, your
21:23
Speaker 1: man is dead. Guess you how he died. He were drowned,
21:27
Speaker 1: said missus Boucher, feebly, beginning to cry for the first
21:30
Speaker 1: time at this rough probing of her sorrows. He were
21:34
Speaker 1: found drowned. He were coming home, very hopeless of aught
21:37
Speaker 1: on earth. He thought, God couldna be harder than men. Mappen,
21:41
Speaker 1: not so hard, mappen as tender as a mother, Mappen tenderer.
21:46
Speaker 1: I'm not saying he did right, and I'm not saying
21:48
Speaker 1: he did wrong. All I say is, may neither me
21:52
Speaker 1: nor mine ever have his sore heart, or we may
21:54
Speaker 1: do like things. He has left me alone with all
21:59
Speaker 1: these children, moaned the widow, less distressed at the manner
22:02
Speaker 1: of the death than Margaret expected, but it was of
22:05
Speaker 1: a piece with her helpless character to feel his loss
22:07
Speaker 1: as principally affecting herself and her children. Not alone, said
22:12
Speaker 1: mister Hale, solemnly, Who is with you? Who will take
22:15
Speaker 1: up your cause? The widow opened her eyes wide and
22:19
Speaker 1: looked at the new speaker, of whose presence she had
22:21
Speaker 1: not been aware till then. Who is promised to be
22:24
Speaker 1: a father to the fatherless? Continued he But I've getten,
22:28
Speaker 1: six children, sir, and the eldest not eight years of age.
22:32
Speaker 1: I'm not meaning for to doubt his power, sir. Only
22:34
Speaker 1: it needs a deal, O trust. And she began to
22:37
Speaker 1: cry afresh. Who'll be better able to talk tomorrow, sir,
22:41
Speaker 1: said the neighbor. Best comfort now would be the feel
22:43
Speaker 1: of a child at her heart. I'm sorry they took
22:46
Speaker 1: the babby. I'll go for it, said Margaret, and in
22:50
Speaker 1: a few minutes she returned, carrying Johnny, his face all
22:53
Speaker 1: smeared with eating, and his hands loaded with treasures in
22:56
Speaker 1: the shape of shells and bits of crystal and the
22:58
Speaker 1: head of a plaster figure. She placed him in his
23:00
Speaker 1: mother's arms. There, said the woman. Now you go, they'll
23:05
Speaker 1: cry together and comfort together better nor any one but
23:08
Speaker 1: a child can do. I'll stop with her as long
23:11
Speaker 1: as I needed, and if you come tomorrow you can
23:14
Speaker 1: have a deal. O wise talk with her that she's
23:16
Speaker 1: not up to to day. As Margaret and her father
23:20
Speaker 1: went slowly up the street, she paused at Higgins's closed door,
23:24
Speaker 1: shall we go in, asked her father. I was thinking
23:27
Speaker 1: of him too. They knocked. There was no answer, so
23:31
Speaker 1: they tried the door. It was bolted, but they thought
23:34
Speaker 1: they heard him moving within. Nicholas said Margaret. There was
23:39
Speaker 1: no answer, and they might have gone away, believing the
23:42
Speaker 1: house to be empty, if there had not been some
23:44
Speaker 1: accidental fall as of a book within. Nicholas said Margaret again,
23:49
Speaker 1: it is only us. Won't you let us come in? No,
23:54
Speaker 1: said he. I spoke as plain as I could about
23:56
Speaker 1: using words when I bolted the door. Let me be
23:59
Speaker 1: this day. Mister Hale would have urged their desire, but
24:03
Speaker 1: Margaret placed her finger on his lips. I don't wonder
24:07
Speaker 1: at it, said she. I myself longed to be alone.
24:11
Speaker 1: It seems the only thing to do one good after
24:13
Speaker 1: a day like this. End of Chapter thirty six, recording
24:20
Speaker 1: by Leanne Howlett