Mary Barton

elf-indulgen

elf-denial

ets, broad-buil

althy corners

here the wate

ths refreshed b

lleys where the

us to this a

and poor-of what

s "Child Of

flowers, the rain had only a disheartening and gloomy effect; the streets were wet and dirty, the drippings from the houses were wet and dirt

fore she heard some one fumbling at the door. The noise continued long enough to allo

things, unheeding. But Mary would not let him so rest. She ran up and brought down his working-day clothes, and went into the pantry to rummage up their l

lude occasionally about love and lovers,-had not heard the political news of the day: that Parliament had refused to listen to the working-men, when they petitioned with all the force of their rough, unt

her what oppressed him so, yet durst not ask. In this she was wise; for when we are heavy laden in

and stole her hand into his, while his sadness infected her, a

r us, for man will not hearken; no, n

fraid of speaking wrongly, that she was silent. But when his attitude had remained unchanged for more than half-an-hour, his eyes gazing vacantly and fixedly at the fire, no sound but no

enly and almost violently compressed.) "He dropped down dead i

er father's face for sympathy. Still the same fixe

o die," he said

tell Margaret that she need not come to sleep with her to-ni

actising her singing, and through the still nig

ort ye, my people

d not interrupt. She stood listening and "comforted," till the little

nd-daughter rose instant

," said old Job. "He'll be

rt; but in an hour or so John Barton was talking away as freely as ever, though all his ta

ever thought on, or ever heerd tell on except in th' story-books. They a

Lazarus! Does it haunt the minds of

ather," asked Mary, who was sitting

, they telled me. One-sixth may be made up o' grand palaces, and three-sixths o' middling kind, a

but did you s

sel might ha' sitten down to. I suppose they thought we wanted putting in heart. There were mutton kidneys, and sausages, and broiled ham, and fried beef and onions; more like a dinner nor a breakfast. Many on our chaps though, I could see, could eat but little. Th' food stuck in their throats when they thought o' them at home, wives and little

is none to

in then! They're sadly puzzled how to build houses though in London; there'd be an opening for a good steady master-builder there, as know'd his business. For yo see the houses are many on 'em built without any proper shape for a body to live in; some on 'em they've after thought would fall down, so they've stuck great ugly pillars out before 'em. And some on 'em (we thought they must be th' tailor's sign) had getten stone men an

asse

' th' gentlemen as couldn't get inside hung on behind, wi' nosegays to smell at, and sticks to keep off folk as might splash their silk stockings. I wondered why they didn't hire a cab rather than hang on like a whip-behind boy; but I suppose they wished to keep wi' their wives, Darby and Joan like. Coachmen were little squat men, wi' wigs like th' oud fashioned parsons. Well, we could na get on for these carriages, though we

note

a great

et

y all tongue-tied, and can't say their a's and i's properly), 'and it's our business to

ath to us, and many a little one clemming at home in Lancashire? Which business is of most conseque

ha' held my peace,

a little to see if he would

ry, man. Tell us what happened wh

tle pause J

; but I canna tell of our down-casting just as a piece of London news. As long as I live, our rejection that day will bide in

note

tive is not unfrequent in Chau

wife toke he

, he sayd, h

et

nquiries, they sat sil

n's gloom was lost. So after awhile he thought of a subject, neither sufficiently dissonant from the last

" said he to Mary, "that

prise, and looking at Jo

ld me she and Frank Jennings (as was a joiner lodging near us) should be so happy if they were married, I could not find in my heart t' say her nay, though I went sick at the thought of losing her away from my home. Howe'er, she were my only child, and I never said nought of what I felt, for fear o' grieving her young

ou said the young ma

She so happy, and he so happy; only the poor father as fretted sadly behind their backs. They were married, and stayed some days wi' me afore setting off; and I've often thought sin' Margaret's heart failed her many a time those few days, and she would fain ha' spoken;

replied his g

ney, thinking come Whitsuntide I'd take a holiday and go and see her an' th' little one. But one day towards Whitsuntide comed Jennings wi' a grave face, and says he, 'I hear our Frank and your Margaret's both getten the fever.' You might ha' knocked me down wi' a straw, for it seemed as if God told me what th' upshot would be. Old Jennings had gotten a letter, yo see, fra' the landlady they lodge

note

ying,"

et

ter when you got there?

th' door to us. We said, 'Where are they?' and I knew they were dead, fra' her look; but Jennings didn't, as I take it; for when she showed

e dead, and there were no one to love me, no, not one. I disremember [31] rightl

note

ember,"

et

st asleep, wi' his pocket handkercher over his head for a night-cap. She said he'd cried himself fairly off to sleep. There were tea on th' table all ready; for she were a kind-hearted body. But she still said, 'Come here,' and took hold o' my arm. So I went round the table, and there were a clothes-basket by th' fire, wi' a shawl put o'er it. 'Lift that up,' say

in a big, crowded, lonely churchyard in London. I were loath to leave them there, as I thought, when they rose again, they'd feel so strange at first away fra Manchester, and all old friends; but it couldna be helped. Well, God watches o'er their grave there as well as here. That funeral cost a mint o' money, but Jennings and I wished to do th' thing decent. Then we'd the stout little babby to bring home. We'd not overmuch m

t as we'd gotten to th' dinner-table, and helped oursels, and eaten two mouthful, came in th' guard, and a fine chap wi' a sample o' calico flourishing in his hand. 'Coach is ready!' says one; 'Half-a-crown your dinner!' says th' other. Well, we thought it a deal for both our dinners, when we'd hardly tasted 'em; but, bless your life, it were half-a-crown apiece, and a shilling for th' bread and milk as were possetted all over babby's clothes. We spoke up again [33] it; but every body said it were the rule, so what could two poor oud chaps like us do again it? Well, poor babby cried without stopping to take breath, fra' that time till we got to Brummagem for the night. My heart ached for th' little thing. It caught wi' its wee mouth at our coat sleeves and at our mouths, when we tried t' comfort it by talking to it. Poor lit

note

"pobs," chil

et

note

at is not with me, he is age

et

ave you gotten a

for gentlemen as does not like to

' babby seems to have taken a mind to yo; and may be in th' d

s, th' one wi' a woman's night-cap on, sitting on our hinder ends for half th' night, hushabying a babby as wouldn't be hushabied. Toward morning, poor little wench! it fell asleep, fairly tired out wi' crying, but even in its sleep it gave such pitiful sobs, quivering up fra' the very bottom of its little heart, that once or twice I almost wished it lay on its mother's breast, at peace for ever. Jennings fell asleep too; but I began for to reckon up our money. It were little enough we had left, our dinner the day afore had ta'e

ing so like home), and walked a' that day, carrying babby turn and turn about. It were well fed by chambermaid afore we left, and th' day were fine, and folk began to have some knowledge o' th' proper way o' speaking, and we were more cheery at thoughts o' home (though mine, God knows, were lonesome enough). We stopped none for dinner, but at baggin-time [34] we

note

" time of the

et

note

s. Anglo-Saxon, "dreoga

et

t so like gentlefolk a to

lk, if we had na ridden, and I'm sure bo

note

, nor never schal."-Wick

et

ad been done amiss, when there were no going back to undo it. So presently he coughs

t would ha' been better for my son if he had

ut that I were carrying her babby, I think I should ha'

never to ha' made th' world, for then we'd never ha'

nts God had pleased to send, were worse blasphemy. Howe'er, I said nought more angry, for

bby, and get some pobbies down its throat, for it's well-nigh clemmed, I'd pray for yo' till my dying day.' So she said nought, but gived me th' babby back, and afore yo' could say Jack Robinson, she'd a pan on th' fire, and bread and cheese on th' table. When she turned round, her face looked red, and her lips were tight pressed together. Well! we were right down glad on our breakfast, and God bless and reward that woman for her kindness that day; she fed th' poor babby as gently and softly, and spoke to it as tenderly as its own poor mother could ha' done. It seemed as if that stranger and it had known each other afore, maybe in Heaven, where folk's spirits come from they say; th' babby looked up so lovingly in her eyes, and made little noises more like a dove than aught else. Then she undressed it (poor darling! it were time), touching it so softly; and washed it from head to foot, and as many on its things were dirty; and what bits o' things its mother had gotten ready for it had been sent by th'

r, and stood there whistling wi' his hands in his breeches-pock

to have no breakfas

c-house reckoning, for we'd eaten a main deal afore the chap came down. So says I, 'And, missis, what should we gie you for the babby's bread and milk?' (I had it once in my mind to say 'and for a' your trouble with it,' but my heart would na let me say it, for I could read in her ways how it had been a work o' love.) So says she, quite quick, and stealing a look at her husband's back, as looked all ear, if ever a back did, 'Oh, we could take nought for the little babby's food, if it had eaten twice as much, bless it.' Wi' that he looked at her; such a scowling look! She knew what he meant, and stepped softly across the floor to him, and put

hen he had carried his grand-daughter under the dis

"That night we reached Manchester, and I'd found out that Jennings would be glad enoug

a bird steals to her leafy nest. Her half-open mouth was as scarlet as the winter-berries, and contrasted finely with the clear paleness of her complexion, where the eloquent blood flushed carnation at each motion. Her black eye-lashes lay on the delicate cheek, which was still more shaded by the masses of her golden ha

. I've been awa

p from smiling, and Job Legh

g on oud times. It were like enough to send thee to sleep. Try if thou canst keep thine eyes open while I read thy father

note

," amazed,

et

g his legs, and coughing to clear his voice, he read aloud a l

oor, who, on t

alleys dim and

r pale girl, who

er afflictio

tcast lamb; she

ps, and frozen

es are modest

hair streams on

sing fair, is

, the snow lies

ed, her shoes a

utcast lamb, who

lp the

oor! An infant

narrow gatewa

hing there, so

ild, to screen

nt, her bonnet

doth her baby

des the ruthle

her heart hath

udden, darts a

w hot bread, go

mpting load is

elp thee, helple

lp the

oor! Behold yo

ose, his wounde

ait, and looks

nward, stopp

tored with art

to enjoy one

ungry palate

zest the famis

s a crust of

hands the preci

he storm that

s. God help the

lp the

poor! Another

d venerabl

at with faded

ay, and thread

" seem "to mock

bosom to the

s and casts

napkin wipes th

und, as if he

d feasted in

ad; and some ha

oor; and he i

lp the

or, who in lone

, where whin an

story sad in

the world, and

il and want

oom doth call

worn-out nature

are not fed. The

less cot, and b

howls a dirge

perish thus-opp

amine, hopeless,

et arise, and

note

fe of a Radical"-a man who illustrates his orde

et

ry! wench, couldst thou copy me them lines, dost th

e heard and read an

lentine, all bordered with hearts and darts-a valentine she had once susp