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019 - Ch 19 - Angel Visits · North and South (version 2)

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Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Marianne
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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 wonted themes and into glory peep
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Speaker 1: Henry Vaughan. Missus 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 little children, inasmuch as they have neither
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Speaker 1: of them any sense of proportion in events, and seem
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Speaker 1: each to believe that the walls and curtains which shut
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Speaker 1: in their works world and shut out everything else, must
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Speaker 1: of necessity be larger than anything hidden beyond. Besides, missus
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Speaker 1: Hale had had her vanities as a girl, and perhaps
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Speaker 1: unduly felt their mortification when she became a poor clergyman's wife.
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Speaker 1: They had been smothered and kept down, but they were
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Speaker 1: not extinct, and She liked to think of seeing Margaret
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Speaker 1: dressed for a party, and discussed what she should wear
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Speaker 1: with an unsettled anxiety that amused Margaret, who had been
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Speaker 1: more accustomed to society in her one in Harley Street
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Speaker 1: than her mother in five and twenty years of Helstone.
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Speaker 1: Then you think you shall wear your white silk? Are
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Speaker 1: you sure it will fit? It's nearly a year since
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Speaker 1: Edith was married. Oh yes, mamma. Missus Murray made it
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Speaker 1: and it's sure to be right. It may be a
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Speaker 1: straw's breadth shorter or longer waisted, according to my having
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Speaker 1: grown fat or thin, But I don't think I've altered
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Speaker 1: in the least. Hadn't you better let Dixon see it.
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Speaker 1: It may have gone yellow with lying by, if you like, mamma.
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Speaker 1: But if the worst comes to the worst, I've a
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Speaker 1: very nice pink gauze, which Aunt Shaw gave me only
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Speaker 1: two or three months before Edith was married. That can't
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Speaker 1: have gone yellow. No, but it may have faded. Well,
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Speaker 1: then I've a green silk. I feel more as if
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Speaker 1: it was the embarrassment of riches. I wish I knew
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Speaker 1: what you ought to wear, said Missus Hale. Nervously. Margaret's
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Speaker 1: manner changed instantly. Shall I go and put them on
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Speaker 1: one after another, mamma, and then you could see which
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Speaker 1: you liked best? But yes, perhaps that will be best,
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Speaker 1: So off Margaret went. She was very much inclined to
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Speaker 1: play some pranks when she was dressed up at such
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Speaker 1: an unusual hour, to make her rich white silk balloon
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Speaker 1: out into a cheese, to retreat backwards from her mother
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Speaker 1: as if she were the queen. But when she found
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Speaker 1: that these freaks of hers were regarded as interruptions to
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Speaker 1: the serious business, and as such annoyed her mother, she
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Speaker 1: became grave and sedate. What had possessed the world her world?
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Speaker 1: To fidget so about her dress she could not understand.
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Speaker 1: But that very afternoon, on naming her engagement to Bessy Higgins,
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Speaker 1: apropos of the servant that missus Thornton had promised to
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Speaker 1: inquire about, Bessy quite roused up at the intelligence. Dear,
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Speaker 1: and are you going to dine at Thornton's at Marlborough Mills. Yes, Bessy,
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Speaker 1: Why are you so surprised? Oh? I dunno. But they
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Speaker 1: visit with a the first folk in Milton, and you
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Speaker 1: don't think that we're quite the first folk in Milton,
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Speaker 1: eh Bessy. Bessy's cheeks flushed a little at her thought,
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Speaker 1: being thus easily read. Well, you'll see they thinkin a
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Speaker 1: deal O money here, and I reckon you've not getten much. No,
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Speaker 1: said Margaret, that's very true. But we are educated people,
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Speaker 1: and have lived amongst educated people. Is there anything so
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Speaker 1: wonderful in our being asked out to dinner by a
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Speaker 1: man who owns himself inferior to my father, by coming
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Speaker 1: to him to be instructed? I don't mean to blame
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Speaker 1: mister Thornton. Few drapers assistants as he was once could
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Speaker 1: have made themselves what he is. But can you give
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Speaker 1: dinners back in your small house? Thornton's house is three
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Speaker 1: times as big. Well, I think we could manage to
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Speaker 1: give mister Thornton a dinner back, as you call it,
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Speaker 1: perhaps not in such a large room, nor with so
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Speaker 1: many people, but I don't think we've thought about it
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Speaker 1: at all in that way. I never thought you'd be
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Speaker 1: dining with the Thorntons, repeated Bessy. Why the Mayor hisself
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Speaker 1: dines there, and the members of parliament and all? I
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Speaker 1: think I could support the honor of meeting the mayor
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Speaker 1: of Milton. But them ladies dress so grand, said Bessy
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Speaker 1: with an anxious look at Margaret's print gown, which her
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Speaker 1: Milton eyes appraised at sevenpence a yard. Margaret's face dimpled
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Speaker 1: up into a merry laugh. Thank you, Bessy for thinking
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Speaker 1: so kindly about my looking nice among all the smart people.
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Speaker 1: But I've plenty of grand gowns. A week ago I
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Speaker 1: should have said they were far too grand for anything
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Speaker 1: I should ever want again. But as I'm to dine
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Speaker 1: at mister Thornton's and perhaps to meet the Mayor, I
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Speaker 1: shall put on my very best gown. You may be
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Speaker 1: sure what when ye wear, asked Bessy, somewhat relieved. White silk,
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Speaker 1: said Margaret, A gown I had for a cousin's wedding
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Speaker 1: a year ago. That'll do, said Bessy, falling back in
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Speaker 1: her chair. I should be loath to have YO look
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Speaker 1: down upon. Oh I'll be fine enough if that will
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Speaker 1: save me from being looked down upon in Milton. I
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Speaker 1: wish I could see ye dressed up, said Bessy. I reckon,
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Speaker 1: yore not what folk would call pretty. Ye've not red
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Speaker 1: and white enough for that. But don ye know I
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Speaker 1: hate dream d yo long afore I ever seed yo nonsense,
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Speaker 1: bessy aye, But I did your very face lookin with
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Speaker 1: your clear, steadfast eyes out o the darkness, with your
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Speaker 1: hair blown off from your brow, and goin out like
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Speaker 1: rays round your forehead, which was just as smooth and
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Speaker 1: as straight as it is now. An yore always comin
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Speaker 1: to give me strength, which I seemed to gather out
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Speaker 1: o your deep comfortin' eyes, and yo were dressed in
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Speaker 1: shining raiment, just as you're going to be dressed. So
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Speaker 1: ye see it was you, nay, bessy, said Margaret gently.
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Speaker 1: It was but a dream. And why might I nay
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Speaker 1: dream a dream in my affliction as well as others?
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Speaker 1: Did not any one I the Bible, aye, and see
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Speaker 1: visions too. Why even my father thinks a deal o dreams.
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Speaker 1: I tell ye again, I saw yea as plainly coming
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Speaker 1: swiftly towards me, with your hair blown back, with the
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Speaker 1: very swiftness of the motion, just like the way it
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Speaker 1: grows a little standing off like and the white shining
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Speaker 1: dress on you've getten to wear. Let me come and
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Speaker 1: see ye in it. I want to see yo and
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Speaker 1: touch yo, as in very deed yo were in my dream.
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Speaker 1: My dear Bessy, it's quite a fancy of yours, fancy
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Speaker 1: or no fancy. Ye've come as I knew you would
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Speaker 1: when I saw your movement in my dream. And when
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Speaker 1: y're hear about me, I reckon, I feel easier in
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Speaker 1: my mind and comforted, just as a fire comforts one
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Speaker 1: on a dree day. You said it were on the
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Speaker 1: twenty first. Please God, I'll come and see yo. Oh, Bessie,
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Speaker 1: you may come and welcome, but don't talk. So it
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Speaker 1: really makes me sorry, it does. Indeed, then I'll keep
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Speaker 1: it to myself if I bite my tongue out. Not
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Speaker 1: but what it's true. For all that, Margaret was silent.
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Speaker 1: At last, she said, let us talk about it sometimes
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Speaker 1: if you think it true, but not now. Tell me
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Speaker 1: has your father turned out? Aye, said Bessy heavily, in
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Speaker 1: a manner very different from that she had spoken in
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Speaker 1: but a minute or two before. He and many another
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Speaker 1: all hampers men, and many a one beside. The women
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Speaker 1: are as bad as the men in their savageness. This
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Speaker 1: time food is high, and they mun have food for
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Speaker 1: their childer. I reckon, suppose Thornton's settem their dinner out.
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Speaker 1: The same money spent on potatoes and meal would keep
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Speaker 1: many a crying babby quiet and hush up its mother's
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Speaker 1: heart for a bit. Don't speak, so, said Margaret. Ye
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Speaker 1: make me feel wicked and guilty in going to this dinner, No,
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Speaker 1: said Bessy. Sum's pre elected ssumptuous feasts and purple and
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Speaker 1: fine linen may be, Yo're one on um. Others toil
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Speaker 1: and moil all their lives long, and the very dogs
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Speaker 1: are not pitiful in our days as they were in
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Speaker 1: the days of Lazarus. But if yo ask me to
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Speaker 1: cool your tongue with the tip of my finger, I'll
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Speaker 1: come across the great gulf to yo, just for the thought,
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Speaker 1: O what you've been to me here, Bessy, you're very feverish.
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Speaker 1: I can tell it in the touch of your hand
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Speaker 1: as well as in what you're saying. It won't be
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Speaker 1: division enough in that awful day that some of us
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Speaker 1: have been beggars here and some of us have been rich.
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Speaker 1: We shall not be judged by that poor accident, but
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Speaker 1: by our faithful following of Christ. Margaret got up and
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Speaker 1: found some water and soaking her pocket handkerchief in it.
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Speaker 1: She laid the cool wetness on Bessy's forehead and began
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Speaker 1: to chafe the stone cold feet. Bessy shut her eyes
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Speaker 1: and allowed herself to be soothed. At last, she said,
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Speaker 1: you'd have been delved out o your five wits as
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Speaker 1: well as me, if you'd had one body after another
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Speaker 1: coming in to ask for father and stayin to tell
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Speaker 1: me each one their tale. Some spoke a deadly hatred
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Speaker 1: and made my blood run cold wi the terrible things
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Speaker 1: they said o the masters. But more being, women kept plaining, plaining,
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Speaker 1: with the tears running down their cheeks, and never wiped
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Speaker 1: away nor heeded of the price a meat, and how
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Speaker 1: their children could not sleep at nights for the hunger.
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Speaker 1: And do they think the strike will mend this, asked Margaret.
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Speaker 1: They say so, replied Bessy. They do say. Trade has
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Speaker 1: been good for long, and the masters has no the money.
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Speaker 1: How much Father doesn't know, but in course the union does,
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Speaker 1: and as is natural, they want in their share o
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Speaker 1: the profits now that food is getting dear, and the
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Speaker 1: Union says they'll not be doing their duty if they
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Speaker 1: don't make the masters give em their share. But masters
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Speaker 1: has get in the upper hand somehow, and I'm feared
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Speaker 1: they'll keep it now and forever more. It's like the
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Speaker 1: Great Battle o Armageddon, the way they keep on grinning
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Speaker 1: and fighting at each other, till even while they fight,
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Speaker 1: they are picked off into the pit. Just then Nicholas
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Speaker 1: Higgins came in. He caught his daughter's last words, Aye,
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Speaker 1: and I'll fight on too, and I'll get it this time.
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Speaker 1: It'll not take long for to make em give in,
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Speaker 1: for they've gotten a pretty lot of orders, all under contract,
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Speaker 1: and they'll soon find out they'd better give us our
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Speaker 1: five percent than lose the profit they'll gain, let alone
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Speaker 1: the fine for not filling the contract. Aha, my masters,
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Speaker 1: I know who'll win. Margaret fancied from his manner that
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Speaker 1: he must have been drinking, not so much from what
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Speaker 1: he said as from the excited way in which he spoke,
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Speaker 1: and she was rather confirmed in this idea by the
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Speaker 1: evident anxiety Bessy showed to hasten her departure. Bessy said
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Speaker 1: to her the twenty first, that's Thursday week. I may
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Speaker 1: come and see your dressed for Thornton's. I reckon, what
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Speaker 1: time is your dinner? Before Margaret could answer, Higgins broke
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Speaker 1: out Thornton's. Are to go in to dine at Thornton's.
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Speaker 1: Ask him to give yo a bumper to the success
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Speaker 1: of his orders. By the twenty first, I reckon he'll
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Speaker 1: be pottered in his brains how to get em done
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Speaker 1: in time? Tell him there's seven hundred'll come marching into
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Speaker 1: Marlborough Mills the morning after he gives the five percent,
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Speaker 1: and will help him through his contract. In no time.
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Speaker 1: You'll have em all there, my master Hamper. He's one
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Speaker 1: o the old fashioned sort. Ne'er meets a man bout
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Speaker 1: an oath or a course. I should think he were
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Speaker 1: going to die if he spoke me civil. But arter
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Speaker 1: all his bark's wore than his bite. An Yo may
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Speaker 1: tell him one of his turn outs said so if
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Speaker 1: you like ay, but you'll have a lot of prize
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Speaker 1: mill owners at Thornton's. I should like to get speech
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Speaker 1: to them. When they're a bit inclined to sit still
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Speaker 1: after dinner. I couldna run for the life on em.
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Speaker 1: I'd tell him my mind. I'd speak up again the
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Speaker 1: hard way they're drivin on us. Good Bye, said Margaret hastily.
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Speaker 1: Good Bye, Bessy. I shall look to see you on
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Speaker 1: the twenty first, if you're well enough. The medicines and
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Speaker 1: treatment which doctor Donaldson had ordered for missus Hale did
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Speaker 1: her so much good at first that not only she herself,
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Speaker 1: but Margaret began to hope that he might have been
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Speaker 1: mistaken and that she could recover permanently. As for mister Hale,
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Speaker 1: although he had never had an idea of the serious
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Speaker 1: nature of their apprehensions, he triumphed over their fears with
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Speaker 1: an evident relief, which proved how much his glimpse into
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Speaker 1: the nature of them had affected him. Only Dixon croaked
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Speaker 1: forever into Margaret's ear. However, Margaret defied the raven and
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Speaker 1: would hope they needed this gleam of brightness indoors, for
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Speaker 1: out of doors, even to their uninstructed eyes, there was
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Speaker 1: a gloomy, brooding appearance of discontent. Mister Hale had his
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Speaker 1: own acquaintances among the working men, and was so depressed
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Speaker 1: 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 this
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Speaker 1: man from a distant country 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: as trade was conducted there must always be a waxing
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Speaker 1: and waning of commercial prosperity, and that in the waning
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Speaker 1: a certain number of masters, as well as of men,
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Speaker 1: must go down into ruin and be no more seen
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Speaker 1: among the ranks of the happy and prosperous. He spoke
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Speaker 1: as if this consequence were so entirely logical that neither
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Speaker 1: employers nor employed had any right to complain if it
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Speaker 1: became 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, trampled 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 a lordly hand, 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 were
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Speaker 1: passed by in the swift, merciless improvement or alteration, which
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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 when 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 thank him for the individual kindness which brought him
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Speaker 1: that very evening to offer her, for the delicacy which
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Speaker 1: made him understand that he must offer her privately every
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Speaker 1: convenience for illness that his own wealth or his mother's
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Speaker 1: foresight had caused them to accumulate in their household, and which,
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Speaker 1: as he learnt 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 reconciled 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 laid down axioms of trade and serenely followed
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Speaker 1: them out to their full consequences. The discord jarred upon
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Speaker 1: her inexpressibly, the more because of the gathering woe of
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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 committeeman,
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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 Bessy, found him arguing the
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Speaker 1: point with Boucher, the neighbor of whom she had frequently
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Speaker 1: heard mention and as by turns exciting Higginson's compassion as
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Speaker 1: an unskillful workman with a large family depending on 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. Boucher stood with both hands
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Speaker 1: on the rather high mantel piece, swaying himself a little
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Speaker 1: on the support which his arms thus placed gave him,
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Speaker 1: and looking wildly into the fire with a kind of
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Speaker 1: despair 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 fingers, to go
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Speaker 1: to her fustian cutting, blubbering out loud the while, and
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Speaker 1: evidently longing to be away from a scene that distressed her.
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Speaker 1: Margaret came in upon this 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 Bessy.
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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 hurried 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 Bowcher that took no notice whatever of who came
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Speaker 1: in and who went out. It's no use Higgins, who
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Speaker 1: cannot live long, athi'un, who's just sinkin away not for
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Speaker 1: want of meat, her cell, but because who cannot stand
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Speaker 1: the sight of the little one's clemmin hey, clemmen. Five
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Speaker 1: shillings a week may do well enough for thee with
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Speaker 1: but two mouths to fill, and one on em a
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Speaker 1: wench who can weely earn her own meat. But it's
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Speaker 1: clemment to us, an, I tell thee plain if who
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Speaker 1: dies as I'm feared, who will afore we're gettin the
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Speaker 1: five percent? Now fling the money back in the Master's face,
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Speaker 1: and say, be doomed to ye, be doomed to the
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Speaker 1: whole cruel world. O Ye that could nay lea me
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Speaker 1: the best wife that ever bore childer to a man.
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Speaker 1: And look thee Lad, I'll hate thee and the whole
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Speaker 1: pack of the union, aye, and chase you through heaven
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Speaker 1: with my hatred. I will, Lad, I will, if you're
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Speaker 1: leading me astray in this matter, thou Saidst. Nicholas on Wednesday, Senate.
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Speaker 1: And now it's Tuesday of the second week, that afore
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Speaker 1: a fortnight we'd had the Master's come a begging to
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Speaker 1: us to take back our work at our own wage.
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Speaker 1: And time's nearly up, and there's our lile Jack lyin
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Speaker 1: a bed, too weak to cry, but just every now
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Speaker 1: and then sobbin up his heart for want of food.
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Speaker 1: How lile Jack? I tell thee lad who's never looked
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Speaker 1: up since he was born, and who loves him as
21:57
Speaker 1: if he were her very life as he is, for
22:00
Speaker 1: I reckon, he'll have cost me that precious price. Har
22:04
Speaker 1: lile Jack, who wakened me each morn with putting his
22:07
Speaker 1: sweet little lips to my great rough foul face, A
22:10
Speaker 1: seekin a smooth place to kiss, and he lies, clemmin' here.
22:16
Speaker 1: The deep sobs choked the poor man, and Nicholas looked
22:20
Speaker 1: up with eyes brimful of tears to Margaret before he
22:25
Speaker 1: could gain courage to speak, Hold up, man, thy loud Jack,
22:30
Speaker 1: shall nay, clem I ha get him brass an. We'll
22:34
Speaker 1: go by the chap as up a milk an, a
22:36
Speaker 1: good four pounder this very minute. What's mine's thine? Sure enough,
22:41
Speaker 1: I thou'st I want only dunna loose heart, man, continued
22:47
Speaker 1: he as he fumbled in a tea pot for what
22:50
Speaker 1: money he had. I lay you my heart and soul
22:54
Speaker 1: will win for a this. It's but barn on one
22:57
Speaker 1: more week and you'll just see the way the master'll
23:00
Speaker 1: come round. Prayin on us to come back to our
23:03
Speaker 1: mills and the union. That's to say, ay will take care.
23:08
Speaker 1: You've everything for the children and the misses, So dunnot
23:12
Speaker 1: turn faint heart and go to the tyrants a seekin work.
23:17
Speaker 1: The man turned round at these words turned round, a
23:20
Speaker 1: face so white and gaunt and tear furrowed and hopeless
23:25
Speaker 1: that it's very calm forced Margaret to weep. You know
23:29
Speaker 1: well that a worser tyrant than e'er the masters were,
23:33
Speaker 1: says clem to death, and see'em ay, clem to death.
23:38
Speaker 1: Ere yo, dare go again the union. You know it well, Nicholas.
23:42
Speaker 1: For a you're one on'em. You may be kind hearts
23:46
Speaker 1: each separate, but once bent together, you've no more pity
23:50
Speaker 1: for a man than a wild, hunger maddened wolf. Nicholas
23:55
Speaker 1: had his hand on the lock of the door. He
23:57
Speaker 1: stopped and turned round on boucher, close following, So help
24:02
Speaker 1: me God man alive. If I think not, I'm doin
24:06
Speaker 1: best for thee and for all on us. If I'm
24:10
Speaker 1: going wrong, when I think I'm going right, it's their
24:13
Speaker 1: sin who he left me where I am in my ignorance,
24:18
Speaker 1: I ha thought till my brains ached. Belie me, John,
24:22
Speaker 1: I have, and I say again, there's no hope for us,
24:26
Speaker 1: But have n faith iy the union. They'll win the day.
24:30
Speaker 1: See if they do not, Not one word had Margaret
24:34
Speaker 1: or Bessy spoken. They had hardly uttered the sighing that
24:38
Speaker 1: the eyes of each called to the other to bring
24:40
Speaker 1: up from the depths of her heart. At last, Bessy said,
24:45
Speaker 1: I never thought to hear Father colon God again, but
24:49
Speaker 1: YO heard him say, so help me God, Yes, said Margaret.
24:55
Speaker 1: Let me bring you what money I can spare. Let
24:58
Speaker 1: me bring you a little food for that poor or
25:00
Speaker 1: men's children. Don't let them know it comes from any
25:03
Speaker 1: one but yer Father, it will be. But little Bessy
25:08
Speaker 1: lay back, without taking any notice of what Margaret said.
25:11
Speaker 1: She did not cry. She only quivered up her breath.
25:16
Speaker 1: My heart's strain dry our tears, said she. Boucher's been
25:20
Speaker 1: in these days past a telling me of his fears
25:23
Speaker 1: and his troubles. He's but a weak kind o chap,
25:27
Speaker 1: I know, but he's a man for aye that. And
25:30
Speaker 1: though I've been angry many a time before, now wi
25:34
Speaker 1: him and his wife has knew no more nor how
25:37
Speaker 1: him to manage. Yet, Yo, see, all folks isn't wise.
25:43
Speaker 1: Yet God lets em live, aye, and gives em some
25:46
Speaker 1: one to love and be loved by, just as good
25:50
Speaker 1: as Solomon. And if sorrow comes to them they love
25:55
Speaker 1: it hurts em hessore as e'er it did Solomon, I
25:59
Speaker 1: can make it out. Perhaps it's as well such a
26:03
Speaker 1: one as Boucher has the union to see after him.
26:06
Speaker 1: But I'd like for to see the mean as make
26:09
Speaker 1: the union and put 'em one by one face to
26:12
Speaker 1: face with Boucher. I reckon if they heard him, they'd
26:17
Speaker 1: tell him if I cotched em one by one, he
26:21
Speaker 1: might go back and get what he could for his work,
26:24
Speaker 1: even if it weren't so much as they ordered. Margaret
26:29
Speaker 1: sat utterly silent. How is she ever going to go
26:32
Speaker 1: away into comfort and forget? That man's voice with the
26:36
Speaker 1: tone of unutterable agony, telling more by far than his words,
26:41
Speaker 1: of what he had to suffer. She took out her purse.
26:45
Speaker 1: She had not much in it of what she could
26:47
Speaker 1: call her own, but what she had she put into
26:49
Speaker 1: Bessy's hand without speaking thank you. There's many on em
26:55
Speaker 1: gets no more, and it's not so bad off leastways
26:59
Speaker 1: does not show it as he does. But father won't
27:02
Speaker 1: let em want now he knows, Yo. See Boucher's been
27:07
Speaker 1: pulled down wi his childer and her being so cranky,
27:12
Speaker 1: and ay they could pawn has gone this last twelvemonth, Yo,
27:15
Speaker 1: Not to think we'd ha lettin em clem. For all
27:18
Speaker 1: we're a bit pressed oursel. If neighbors doesn't see after neighbors,
27:23
Speaker 1: I dunno who will. Bessy seemed almost afraid lest Margaret
27:27
Speaker 1: should think they had not the will and to a
27:30
Speaker 1: certain degree, the power of helping one whom she evidently
27:33
Speaker 1: regarded as having a claim upon them. Besides, she went on,
27:39
Speaker 1: Father is sure and positive the masters must give in
27:42
Speaker 1: within these next few days, that they cannot hold out
27:45
Speaker 1: much longer. But I thank Yo all the same. I
27:49
Speaker 1: thank Yo for myself as much as for Boucher, for
27:53
Speaker 1: it just makes my heart warm to Yo more and more.
27:58
Speaker 1: Bessy seemed much quieter to day, but fearfully languid and exhausted.
28:03
Speaker 1: As she finished speaking, she looked so faint and weary
28:06
Speaker 1: that Margaret became alarmed. It's not, said, Bessy, it's not
28:11
Speaker 1: death yet. I had a fearful night with dreams or
28:15
Speaker 1: somewhat like dreams, for I were wide awake and I'm
28:19
Speaker 1: all in a swounding days to day, only Yon, poor
28:23
Speaker 1: Chap made me alive again. No, it's not death yet,
28:28
Speaker 1: but death is not far off. Aye cover me up,
28:33
Speaker 1: and all may be sleep If the cough will let
28:36
Speaker 1: me good night, good afternoon, mappen, I should say, But
28:42
Speaker 1: the light is dim and misty to day. End of
28:48
Speaker 1: chapter nineteen,