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019 - Angel Visits · North and South

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Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen of Northern South. This is a LibriVox recordon.
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Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot old recording
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Speaker 1: by gemab Life North and South by Elizabeth Glecorn Gaskell,
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Speaker 1: chapter nineteen. Angel visits as angels in some brighter dreams
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Speaker 1: call to the soul when man doth sleep, So some
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Speaker 1: strange thoughts transcend our wanton themes and into glory. Peep
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Speaker 1: and Rivaan. Miss Hale was curiously amused and interested by
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Speaker 1: the idea of the Thornton dinner party. She kept wondering
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Speaker 1: about the details with something of the simplicity of a
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Speaker 1: little child who wants to have all its anticipated pleasures
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Speaker 1: described beforehand. But the monotonous life led by invalids often
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Speaker 1: makes them like children, inasmuch as they have neither of
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Speaker 1: them any sense of proportion in events, and seem each
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Speaker 1: to believe that the walls and curtains would shut in
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Speaker 1: their world and shut out everything else, must of necessity
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Speaker 1: be larger than anything hidden beyond. Besides, missus Hale had
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Speaker 1: had her vanities as a girl, had perhaps unduly felt
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Speaker 1: their mortification when she became a poor clergyman's wife. They
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Speaker 1: had been smothered and kept down, but they were not extinct,
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Speaker 1: and she liked to think of seeing Margaret dressed for
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Speaker 1: a party, and discussed what she should wear with an
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Speaker 1: unsettled anxiety that amused Margaret, who had been more accustomed
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Speaker 1: to society in her one in Harley Street than her
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Speaker 1: mother in five in twenty years of Helstone. Then you
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Speaker 1: think you shall wear your white silk? Are you sure
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Speaker 1: it will fit? It's nearly a year since Edith was married.
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Speaker 1: Oh yes, mamma. Missus Murray made it, and it's sure
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Speaker 1: to be right. It may be a straw's breadth shorter
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Speaker 1: or longer waisted, according to my having grown fat or thin,
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Speaker 1: But I don't think I alted in the least. Hadn't
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Speaker 1: you better let Dixon see it? It may have gone yellow.
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Speaker 1: Would lie by if you like, mamma. But if the
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Speaker 1: worst comes to the worst of a very nice pink gauze,
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Speaker 1: which Aunt Shaw gave me only two her three months
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Speaker 1: before Edith was married, that can't have gone yellow. No,
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Speaker 1: but it may have faded well, then of a green silk.
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Speaker 1: I feel more as if it was the embarrassment of riches.
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Speaker 1: I wish I knew what you ought to wear, said
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Speaker 1: missus Hale nervously. Margaret's manner changed instantly. Shall I go
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Speaker 1: and put them on one after another, mamma, and then
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Speaker 1: you could see what you liked best? But yes, that
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Speaker 1: will be best, So off Margaret went. She was very
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Speaker 1: much inclined to play some pranks when she was dressed
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Speaker 1: up at such an unusual hour, to make her rich
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Speaker 1: white silk balloon out into a cheese, to retreat backwards
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Speaker 1: from her mother as if she were a queen. For
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Speaker 1: when she found that these freaks of hers were regarded
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Speaker 1: as interruptions to the seria business. And is such annoyed
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Speaker 1: o mother? She became grave and sedate. What had possessed
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Speaker 1: the world her world? To fidget so about her dress
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Speaker 1: she could not understand. But that very afternoon, on naming
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Speaker 1: her engagement to Bessy Higgins apropos of the servant that
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Speaker 1: missus Thornton had promised to inquire about, Bessie quite roused
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Speaker 1: up at the intelligence. Dear, and are you going to
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Speaker 1: dine at Thornton's at Marlborough Mills, Yes, Bessie, Why are
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Speaker 1: you so surprised. I don't know, but they visit with
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Speaker 1: the first folk in Milton, and you don't think we're
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Speaker 1: quite the first folk in Milton, eh Bessie. Bessy's cheeks
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Speaker 1: flushed a little at her thought, being thus easily read, well,
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Speaker 1: said she. You see they're thinking a deal money here,
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Speaker 1: and I reckon you've not gotten much. No, said Margaret,
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Speaker 1: that's very true. But we are educated people and have
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Speaker 1: lived amongst educated people. Is there anything so wonderful in
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Speaker 1: our being asked out to dinner by a man who
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Speaker 1: owns himself inferior to my father by coming to him
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Speaker 1: to be instructed? I don't mean to blame mister Thornton.
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Speaker 1: Few Draper's assistants, as he was once could have made
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Speaker 1: themselves what he is. But can you give dinners back
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Speaker 1: in your small house? Thornton's house is three times as big. Well,
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Speaker 1: I think we could manage to give mister Thornton a
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Speaker 1: dinner back, as you call it, perhaps not in such
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Speaker 1: a large room, nor with so many people, but I
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Speaker 1: don't think we've thought about it at all in that way.
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Speaker 1: I never thought you'd be dinin with Thornton's repeated Bessie.
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Speaker 1: While the Mayor hisself dines there, and the members of
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Speaker 1: Parliament and all. I think I could support the honor
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Speaker 1: of meeting the Mayor of Milton. But them ladies dress
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Speaker 1: so grand, said Bessie with an anxious look at Margaret's
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Speaker 1: print gown, which are Milton eyes appraised at sevenpence a yard,
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Speaker 1: Margaret's face dimpled up into a mirror life. Thank you,
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Speaker 1: Bessie for thinking so kind only about my lookin nice
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Speaker 1: among all the smart people. But I've plenty of grind gowns.
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Speaker 1: A week ago I should have said they were far
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Speaker 1: too grind for anything I should ever want again. But
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Speaker 1: as I'm to dine at mister Thornton's an perhaps to
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Speaker 1: meet the man, I shall put on my very best gown.
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Speaker 1: You may be sure what when you were asked Bessie,
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Speaker 1: somewhat relieved, wh silk, said Margaret, A gown I had
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Speaker 1: for a cousin's weddin a year ago. That'll do, said Bessie,
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Speaker 1: falling back in her chair. I should be loath to
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Speaker 1: have you looked down upon. Oh I'll be fine enough
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Speaker 1: if that will save me from beIN looked down upon
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Speaker 1: in Milton. I wish I could see you dressed up,
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Speaker 1: said Bessie. I reckon, you're not what folk would call pretty.
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Speaker 1: You're not reddin white enough for that. But don't you
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Speaker 1: know I dreamer you long afore ever i'd see yo. Nonsense, Bessie, Ah,
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Speaker 1: but I did your very face, looking with your clear,
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Speaker 1: steadfast eyes out of the darkness, with your hair blown
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Speaker 1: off from your brow an goin out like rays round
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Speaker 1: your forehead, which was just as smooth and as straight
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Speaker 1: as it is now. And you always came to give
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Speaker 1: me strength, which I seemed to gather out o your
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Speaker 1: deep comforting eyes. And you were dressed in shinin' raiment,
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Speaker 1: just as you're goin to be dressed. So you see
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Speaker 1: it was you, Nay, Bessie, said Margaret gently, It was
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Speaker 1: but a dream. But why might now I dream a
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Speaker 1: dream in my affliction? As well as others? Did not
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Speaker 1: many a one in the Bible. I don't see visions too.
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Speaker 1: Why even my father thinks a deal o dreams. I
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Speaker 1: tell ye again, I saw yo as plainly comin swiftly
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Speaker 1: towards me, with your hair blown back, with the very
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Speaker 1: swiftness of the motion, just like the way it grows
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Speaker 1: a little standin off like and the white shinin' dress
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Speaker 1: on you've gotten to wear. Let me come and see
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Speaker 1: in it. I want to see in touch. Ye, this
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Speaker 1: isn't very deed. You were in my dream, my dear Bessie.
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Speaker 1: It is quite a fancy of yours, fancy or no fancy.
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Speaker 1: You've come as I knew you would when I saw
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Speaker 1: your movement my dream. And when you hear about me,
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Speaker 1: I reckon. I feel easier in my mind and comforted,
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Speaker 1: just as a fire comforts one on a drue day.
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Speaker 1: You said it were on the twenty first. Please God,
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Speaker 1: I'll come and see you. Oh Bessie, you may come
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Speaker 1: and welcome, but don't talk. So it really makes me sorry,
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Speaker 1: it does, indeed, and I'll keep it to myself if
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Speaker 1: I bought my tongue out. Not but what it's true
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Speaker 1: For all that, Margaret was silent. At last, she said,
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Speaker 1: let us talk about it sometimes if you think it true,
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Speaker 1: but not now. Tell me has your father turned out?
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Speaker 1: He said Bessie, heavily, and a manner very different from
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Speaker 1: that she had spoken in but a minute or two before.
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Speaker 1: He ain't many an all hampers men, and many a one. Besides,
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Speaker 1: the women are as bad as the men and their savageness.
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Speaker 1: This time food is high, and the money have food
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Speaker 1: for their children. I reckon suppose Thornton sent em their
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Speaker 1: dinner out. The same money spent on potatoes and meal
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Speaker 1: would keep many a crying babby quiet and hush up
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Speaker 1: its mother's heart for a bit. Don't speak, so, said Margaret.
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Speaker 1: You'll make me feel wicked and guilty and going to
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Speaker 1: this dinner. No, said Bessie. Some pre elected to sumptuous
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Speaker 1: feasts and purple and fine linen. Maybe you're one on'em.
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Speaker 1: Others told and moil all their lives long, and the
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Speaker 1: very dogs are not pitiful in our days as there
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Speaker 1: were in the days of Lazarus. But if you ask
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Speaker 1: me to cool your tongue with the tip of my finger,
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Speaker 1: I'll come across the great gulf. Do you just for
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Speaker 1: the thought of what you've been to me here, Bessie,
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Speaker 1: you're very feverish. I can tell it in the touch
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Speaker 1: of your hand as well as in what you say.
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Speaker 1: It won't be division enough in that awful day that
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Speaker 1: some of us had been beggars here and some of
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Speaker 1: us have been rich. We shall not be judged by
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Speaker 1: that poor accident, but by our faithful following of crost.
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Speaker 1: Margaret got up and found some water and soaking a
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Speaker 1: pocket handkerchief in it. She'd laid the cool wetness on
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Speaker 1: Bessy's forehead and began to chafe the stone cold feet.
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Speaker 1: Bessy shut her eyes and allowed herself to be soothed.
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Speaker 1: At last, she said, you'd have beendeeded out ye five
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Speaker 1: weeds as well as me, if you'd have one body
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Speaker 1: after another comin in to ask a father and stand
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Speaker 1: to tell me each one their tale. Some spoke a
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Speaker 1: deadly hatred, an made my blood run cold with the
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Speaker 1: terrible things they said of the masters. But mat being women,
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Speaker 1: kept plaining, plaining with the tears running down their cheeks,
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Speaker 1: and never wopped away nor heated of the prize and meat.
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Speaker 1: And how they children could na sleep at nights for
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Speaker 1: the hunger. And do they think the strike will mend
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Speaker 1: this house, Margaret, they says, so, replied Bessie, it do say.
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Speaker 1: Tread has been good for long, an the masters have
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Speaker 1: made no end o money. How much father doesn't know,
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Speaker 1: But a course the union does an as it's snatcher,
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Speaker 1: they're wantin their share of the profits. Now that food
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Speaker 1: is gettin deer, and the Union says they'll not be
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Speaker 1: doin their duty if they don't make the masters give
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Speaker 1: em their share. But Masters has gotten the upper hand somehow,
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Speaker 1: An I'm feared they'll keep it now an evermore, it's
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Speaker 1: like the Great Battle of Alma, Gettin, the way they
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Speaker 1: keep on grinnin an fightin at each other, till even
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Speaker 1: while they fight, they are picked off into the pit.
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Speaker 1: Just then Nicholas Higgins came in. He caught his daughter's
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Speaker 1: last words, An, I'll fight on too, An, I'll get
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Speaker 1: it this time. It'll not take long for to make
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Speaker 1: em give in. Where they've gettin a pretty lot of
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Speaker 1: all us all under contract, and they'll soon find out
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Speaker 1: they'd better give us our five percent than'll lose the
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Speaker 1: profit they'll gain. Let alone the thine for not fulfilling
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Speaker 1: the contract. Ah, my masters, I know when Margaret fancied
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Speaker 1: from his manner that he must have been drinkin, not
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Speaker 1: so much from what he said, as from the excited
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Speaker 1: way in which he spoke. And she was rather confirmed
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Speaker 1: in this idea by the evident anxiety Bessie's showed to
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Speaker 1: hasten her departure. Bessie said to her the twenty first,
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Speaker 1: that's Thursday week. I may come and see you dressed
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Speaker 1: with Thornton's. I reckon what time is your dinner? Before
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Speaker 1: Margaret could answer, Higgins broke out, Thorntons, are they going
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Speaker 1: to dine at Thornton's. Ask him to give you a
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Speaker 1: bumper to the success of his orders by the twenty first,
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Speaker 1: I reckon he'll be parted in his brains. I a
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Speaker 1: get em done in time. Tell em there's seven hundred
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Speaker 1: oll come marching into Marlborough mills mornin after he gives
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Speaker 1: the five percent, and will help him through his contract.
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Speaker 1: In no time, you'll have em all there, my master
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Speaker 1: a hamper. He's one of the old fashioned thought never
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Speaker 1: means a man but an oath or a curse. I
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Speaker 1: should think he were goin to die if he spoke
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Speaker 1: Miss Sylvil. But after all his bark worse than spot
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Speaker 1: and you may tell him one of his turn out
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Speaker 1: said so if you like eh, but you'll have a
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Speaker 1: lot of prize mill owners at Thornton's. I should like
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Speaker 1: to get speech of them when they're a bit inclined
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Speaker 1: to sit still after dinner. An couldn't he run for
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Speaker 1: the life on him. I'd tell him my mind. I'd
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Speaker 1: speak up again the hard way they're driving on us. Goodbye,
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Speaker 1: said Margaret hastily. Goodbye, Bessie. I shall look to see
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Speaker 1: you on the twenty first, if you're well enough. The
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Speaker 1: medicines and treatment which doctor Donaldson had ordered for missus
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Speaker 1: Hale did her so much good at first that not
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Speaker 1: only she herself, but Margaret began to hope that he
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Speaker 1: might have been mistaken and that she could recover permanently.
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Speaker 1: As for mister Hale, although he had never had an
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Speaker 1: idea of the serious nature of their apprehensions, he triumphed
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Speaker 1: over their fears with an evident relief, which proved how
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Speaker 1: much his claims into the nature of them had affected him.
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Speaker 1: Only Dixon groped forever into Margaret's ear. However, Margaret defied
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Speaker 1: the raven and would hope they needed this gleam of
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Speaker 1: brightness indoors, for out of doors, even to their uninstructed eyes,
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Speaker 1: there was a gloomy, broodent appearance of discontent. Mister Hale
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Speaker 1: had his own acquaintances among the working men, and was
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Speaker 1: depressed with their earnestly told tales of suffering and long endurance.
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Speaker 1: They would have scorned to speak of what they had
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Speaker 1: to bear to any one who might from his position
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Speaker 1: have understood it without their words. But here was his
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Speaker 1: man from a distant county, who was perplexed by the
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Speaker 1: workings of the system into the midst of which he
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Speaker 1: was thrown, and each was eager to make him a
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Speaker 1: judge and to bring witness of his own causes for irritation.
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Speaker 1: Then mister Hale brought all his budget of grievances and
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Speaker 1: laid it before mister Thornton, for him, with his experience
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Speaker 1: as a master, to arrange them and explain their origin,
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Speaker 1: which he always did on sound economical principles, showing that
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Speaker 1: his trade was conducted there must always be a waxen
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Speaker 1: whim of commercial prosperity, and that in the waning a
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Speaker 1: certain number of masters as well as of men, must
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Speaker 1: go down into ruin and be no more seen among
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Speaker 1: the ranks of the happy and prosperous. He spoke as
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Speaker 1: if this consequence was so entirely logical that neither employers
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Speaker 1: nor imployed had any right to complain. If it became
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Speaker 1: their fate the employer to turn aside from the race.
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Speaker 1: He could no longer run with a bitter sense of
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Speaker 1: incompetency and failure, wounded in the struggle, trampl down by
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Speaker 1: his fellows in their haste to get rich, slighted where
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Speaker 1: he once was honored, humbly asking for instead of bestowing
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Speaker 1: employment with the lord land, of course, speaking so of
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Speaker 1: the fate that as a master might be his own
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Speaker 1: in the fluctuations of commerce, he was not likely to
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Speaker 1: have more sympathy with that of the workmen who would
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Speaker 1: passed by in the swift, merciless improvement or alteration, who
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Speaker 1: would fain, lie down and quietly die out of the
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Speaker 1: world that needed them not, but felt as if they
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Speaker 1: could never rest in their graves for the clinging cries
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Speaker 1: of the beloved and helpless they would leave behind. Who
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Speaker 1: envied the power of the wild bird that can feed
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Speaker 1: her young with her very heart's blood. Margaret's whole soul
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Speaker 1: rose up against him. While he reasoned in this way,
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Speaker 1: as if commerce were everything and humanity nothing. She could
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Speaker 1: hardly thanking for the individual kindness which brought him that
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Speaker 1: very evening to offer her, for the delicacy which made
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Speaker 1: him understand that he must offer her privately every convenience
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Speaker 1: for illness that his own wealth or his mother's forethought
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Speaker 1: had caused them to accumulate in their household, and which,
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Speaker 1: as he learned from doctor Donaldson, missus Hale, might possibly
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Speaker 1: require his presence. After the way he had spoken his
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Speaker 1: bringing before her, the doom which she was vainly trying
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Speaker 1: to persuade herself, might yet be averted from her mother.
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Speaker 1: All conspired to set Margaret's teeth on edge as she
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Speaker 1: looked at him and listened to him. What business had
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Speaker 1: he to be the only person except doctor Donaldson and
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Speaker 1: Dixon admitted to the awful secret which she held shut
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Speaker 1: up in the most dark and sacred recess of her heart,
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Speaker 1: not daring to look at it unless she invoked heavenly
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Speaker 1: strength to bear the sight that some day soon she
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Speaker 1: should cry aloud for her mother, and no answer would
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Speaker 1: come out of the blank, dumb darkness. Yet he knew all.
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Speaker 1: She saw it in his pitying eyes. She heard it
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Speaker 1: in his grave and tremulous voice. How reconcile those eyes,
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Speaker 1: that voice, with the hard, reasoning, dry merciless way in
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Speaker 1: which he had laid down axioms of trade and serenely
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Speaker 1: followed them out to their full consequences the discord jarred
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Speaker 1: upon her inexpressibly, the more because of the gathering woe
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Speaker 1: which she heard from Bessy. To be sure, Nicholas Higgins
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Speaker 1: the father spoke differently. He had been appointed a committee man,
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Speaker 1: and said that he knew secrets of which the exoteric
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Speaker 1: knew nothing. He said this more expressly, and particularly on
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Speaker 1: the very day before Missus Thornton's dinner party, when Margaret,
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Speaker 1: going in to speak to Bessie, found him Augus viewing
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Speaker 1: the point with Boucher, the neighbor of whom she had
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Speaker 1: frequently heard mention as by turns exciting Higgins's compassion as
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Speaker 1: an unskillful workman with a large family depending upon him
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Speaker 1: for support, and at other times enraging his more energetic
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Speaker 1: and sanguine neighbor by his want of what the latter
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Speaker 1: called spirit. It was very evident that Higgins was in
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Speaker 1: a passion when Margaret entered. Bouger stood with both hands
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Speaker 1: on the rather high mantelpiece, swaying himself a little on
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Speaker 1: the support which his arms thus placed gave him, and
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Speaker 1: looked wildly into the fire with a kind of despair
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Speaker 1: that irritated Higgins, even while it went to his heart.
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Speaker 1: Bessy was rocking herself violently backwards and forwards, as was
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Speaker 1: her wont Margaret knew by this time when she was agitated,
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Speaker 1: her sister Mary was tying on her bonnet in great
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Speaker 1: clumsy bows as suited her great clumsy finger to go
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Speaker 1: to her fust cutting, blubbering out loud the while, and
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Speaker 1: evidently longing to be away from the scene that distressed her,
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Speaker 1: Margaret came in upon the scene. She stood for a
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Speaker 1: moment at the door, then her finger on her lips,
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Speaker 1: she stole to a seat on the squab near Bessie.
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Speaker 1: Nicholas saw her come in and greeted her with a
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Speaker 1: gruff but not unfriendly nod. Mary heard out of the house,
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Speaker 1: catching gladly at the open door and crying aloud when
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Speaker 1: she got away from her father's presence. It was only
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Speaker 1: John Voucher that took no notice whatever who came in
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Speaker 1: and who went out. It's no use, Higgins, who cannot
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Speaker 1: live long in this who's just sinking away, not for
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Speaker 1: one to meet herself, but because who cannot stand the
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Speaker 1: side of little one's clemmin', oh clemmin five shell in
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Speaker 1: a week may do well enough for thee with but
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Speaker 1: two mouths to fill, and one of em a wench
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Speaker 1: who can well earn her own meat. But it's glemmin'
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Speaker 1: to us. And I tell THEE plain, if who dies
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Speaker 1: as I'm feared, who will afore we've gotten the fire percent,
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Speaker 1: I'll fling the money back in the Master's face and say,
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Speaker 1: be dumb to you, Be dumb to the whole cruel
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Speaker 1: world of you that could nay leave me the best
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Speaker 1: wife that ever bore childer to a man. And look THEE, Lad,
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Speaker 1: I'll hate THEE and they'll back of the union, eh,
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Speaker 1: and chase you through heaven with my hatred. I will, Lad,
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Speaker 1: I will, if you'd leading me astray in this matter.
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Speaker 1: Thou Saidst. Nicholas on Wednesday, sad night. And it's now Tuesday,
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Speaker 1: in the second week that afore a fortnight. We have
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Speaker 1: the Master's coming and begging to us to take back
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Speaker 1: our work at our own wage. And time's nearly up.
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Speaker 1: And there's our little Jack lying a bed, too weak
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Speaker 1: to cry, but just every now and then sobbing up
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Speaker 1: his heart for want of food. All little Jack, I
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Speaker 1: tell THEE lad, who's never looked up since he was born,
21:02
Speaker 1: and who loves him as if he were her very
21:05
Speaker 1: life as he is. For I reckon, he'll have cost
21:09
Speaker 1: me that precious pross, A little jack who wakened me
21:13
Speaker 1: each morning with putting his sweet little lips to my
21:15
Speaker 1: great ruugh foreface, a seekin a smooth lace to kiss,
21:19
Speaker 1: and he lies clemmin'. He's the deep sigh choke the
21:23
Speaker 1: poor man, and Nicholas looked up with eyes brimful of
21:27
Speaker 1: tears to Margaret. Before he could gain courage to speak,
21:31
Speaker 1: held up, man, thou little jack shall neck lamb. I
21:35
Speaker 1: hate gettin brass an. We'll go buy the chap a
21:38
Speaker 1: supper milk and a good four pounds o this fare
21:41
Speaker 1: a minute? What's mine? Thine? Sure enough, I thought'st once.
21:46
Speaker 1: Only donus loose, hot man, continued he as he fumbled
21:50
Speaker 1: in a teapot for what money he had. I'll lay
21:54
Speaker 1: you my heart and soul will win for all this.
21:56
Speaker 1: It's but bearing on one more week, and you can
21:59
Speaker 1: just see the way the masters he'll come round, praying
22:02
Speaker 1: on us to come back to the mills and the union.
22:06
Speaker 1: That's to say, I will take care you enough for
22:09
Speaker 1: the children and the missus, So don't turn faint heart,
22:13
Speaker 1: and go to the tyrants to seek and work. The
22:16
Speaker 1: man turned round at these words, turning round a face
22:20
Speaker 1: so white and gaunt and tear furrowed and hopeless that
22:23
Speaker 1: it's very calm. Forced Margaret to weep. You know well
22:28
Speaker 1: that it worse a tyrant than ere the masters were.
22:30
Speaker 1: Say clem to death, and see em a clem to death.
22:33
Speaker 1: Are you go? Dare go against the union? You know
22:37
Speaker 1: it well, Nicholas, for you're one on em. You may
22:40
Speaker 1: be kind hearts each separate, but once banded together, you've
22:44
Speaker 1: no more pity for a man than a wild hung
22:46
Speaker 1: a madden wolf. Nicholas had his hand on the lock
22:50
Speaker 1: of the door. He's stopt and turn round on boucher
22:53
Speaker 1: close following. So help my god, man alive. If I
22:57
Speaker 1: think not, I'm doing best for thee and for all
23:00
Speaker 1: on us. If I'm going wrong, when I think I'm
23:02
Speaker 1: going right, it's their sin who have left me where
23:05
Speaker 1: I am in my ignorance. I have thought that my
23:08
Speaker 1: brains ached. Believe me, John, I have, And I say again,
23:12
Speaker 1: there's no help for us, but having faith in the Union,
23:16
Speaker 1: they'll win the day. See if they're done, not one
23:19
Speaker 1: word Aunt Margaret or Bessy spoken. They had hardly uttered
23:23
Speaker 1: the sighing that the eyes of each other called to
23:26
Speaker 1: the other to bring up from the depths of her heart.
23:30
Speaker 1: At last, Bessy said, I never thought to your father
23:34
Speaker 1: call and guard again, but you heard him. So help
23:37
Speaker 1: me God, yes, said Margaret. Let me bring you what
23:41
Speaker 1: money I can spare. Let me bring you a little
23:43
Speaker 1: food for the poor man's children. Don't let them know
23:46
Speaker 1: what comes from any one but your father it will be.
23:50
Speaker 1: But little Bessy lay back, without taking any notice of
23:54
Speaker 1: what Margaret said. She did not cry. She only quivered
23:58
Speaker 1: up her breath. My heart's strained, dryer tears, she said.
24:03
Speaker 1: Boucher's been in these days past, are telling me of
24:05
Speaker 1: his fears and his troubles. He's but a weak kind
24:08
Speaker 1: of chap, I know. But he's a man for all that.
24:12
Speaker 1: And though I've been angry many a time afore, now
24:15
Speaker 1: with him and his wife, as knew, no morn nor
24:19
Speaker 1: him had of manage. Yet, you see, all folks isn't wise.
24:23
Speaker 1: Yet God lets them live, ah, and gives them some
24:28
Speaker 1: one to love and be loved by, just as quit
24:31
Speaker 1: as Solomon. And if sorrow comes to them they love.
24:35
Speaker 1: It hurts em as sore as ever it did Solomon.
24:39
Speaker 1: I can't make it out. Perhaps it's as well such
24:43
Speaker 1: a one as Boucher as a union to see after him.
24:46
Speaker 1: But I'd just like to see them mean as make
24:49
Speaker 1: the union and put em one by one face to
24:53
Speaker 1: face with Boucher. I reckon if they hurt him, they'd
24:57
Speaker 1: tell him. If I catched em one by one, he
25:00
Speaker 1: might go back and get what he could for his work,
25:02
Speaker 1: even if it weren't so much as that ordered. Margaret
25:06
Speaker 1: sat utterly silent. How was she ever to go away
25:10
Speaker 1: into comfort and forget that man's voice, with the tone
25:13
Speaker 1: of unutterable agony, telling more by far than his words,
25:18
Speaker 1: of what he had to suffer she took out of us.
25:21
Speaker 1: She had not much in it of what she could
25:24
Speaker 1: call her own, but what she had she put into Bessy's.
25:27
Speaker 2: Hand without speaking thank you. There's many on'em, gets no more,
25:33
Speaker 2: and it is not so bad off, least whilst does
25:36
Speaker 2: not show it as he does. But father won't let
25:39
Speaker 2: him want now he knows. You see, Boucher's been pulled
25:42
Speaker 2: down with his childer and her beIN so cranky, and
25:46
Speaker 2: they good pawn has gone this last twelvemonth. You're not
25:50
Speaker 2: to think we are letting 'em clem for all, we're
25:53
Speaker 2: a bit pressed ourselves. If neighbors doesn't see after neighbors,
25:58
Speaker 2: I dunno who will. Bessy seemed almost afraid lest Margaret
26:02
Speaker 2: should think they had not the will and to a
26:04
Speaker 2: certain degree, the power of help in one whom she
26:07
Speaker 2: evidently regarded as having a claim upon them. Besides, she
26:11
Speaker 2: went on, Father is sure and positive the masters must
26:15
Speaker 2: give in within these next few days, that they cannot
26:18
Speaker 2: hold on much longer. But I thank you all the same.
26:21
Speaker 2: I thank you for myself as much as her voucher,
26:24
Speaker 2: for it just makes my heart warm dye more and more.
26:27
Speaker 2: Bessy seemed much quieter to day, but fearfully languid and exhausted.
26:33
Speaker 2: As she finished speaking, she looked so faint and weary
26:36
Speaker 2: that Margaret became alarmed.
26:38
Speaker 1: It's now, said Bessy, It's not death yet. I had
26:41
Speaker 1: a fearful night with dreams, or somewhat like dreams, for
26:45
Speaker 1: I were wide awake, and I'm all in a swounding
26:48
Speaker 1: daze to day. Only in poor Chap made me alive again. No,
26:53
Speaker 1: it's not death yet, but death is not far off.
26:56
Speaker 1: I cover me up, and I may be sleep. If
26:59
Speaker 1: though call for let me good night, good afternoon mappen,
27:05
Speaker 1: I should say, but the light is dim and misty
27:08
Speaker 1: to day. End of Chapter nineteen, recorded by Jemma blothe