Johnny Ludlow, First Series

bbling about farmers' boys and field labour and political economy. "And," said a gentleman to me, "as you were at the top and tail of the thing when

t, as his father had lived before him. The property was not their own; they rented it: it was fine land, and Jacobson had the reputation of being the best farmer for miles rou

use; they call it back'us there-and had to walk nearly two miles to his work of a morning. Mitchel was a steady man of thirty-five, with a round head and not any great amount of brains inside it. Not but what he had as much

en on as ploughboy. Old Jacobson objected, saying the boy was too young and little. Little he might be, Mitchel answered, but not too young-warn't he ten? The lad had been about the farm f

ht be tried. The boy was "cute," he said; strong enough also, though little; and if the master liked to pay him only four

w of cottages in Duck Lane, for we took that road, we saw Hannah Mitchel leaning over the footboard of her door to look after her children, who were playing near the pond in the sunshine with a lot more; quite a heap of the little reptiles, all badly clad and as dirty as pigs. Other labourers' dwellings stood within hail, and the children seemed to spring up in the place thicker than wheat; Mrs. Mit

peak. "Is it you, Hannah Mi

y. She had a bundle in her arms, which proved to

about," said Mrs. Todhetley, touching i

answer. "When there's only one pair of hands fo

haired woman, with a sensible face. Before she married Mitchel, she had lived as

you," said the woman. "Strength don'

attracted by the sight of the lady.

t got no soap nor no clothes to do it with. They come on so fast, and make s

nd that the man's wages were the ten shillings a week all the year round (but there were seasons when he

t Mitchel he says the master don't seem to like to listen. A'

t way b

to us. Some o' the farmers gives fourpence halfpenny a day to a ploughboy, some as much as sixpence. The master he bain't one of the nea

entioned afterwards. A child of ten ought to be learning a

e a hard li

shed the summer was coming on instead o the winter-'twould be ea

wait until the ne

older children grows, the more they wants to eat; and we've got six of 'em now. What would you, ma'am?-they don't bring food into the world with 'em; they m

aid: "Might she make bold to ask, if she or Squire Todhetley would say a good

ley. "In any case I could not do it with a good heart:

's harder

er cheeks with the answer; an

e square paddock, a huge piece of land, ploughed last year. The wheat had been carried from it only this afternoon, and the gleaners in their cotton bonnets were coming in. On, from thence, acros

ld Jacobson were in the green-house, looking at the grapes: a famous crop they had that year; not ripe yet. Mrs. Jacobson sat at the o

r was wanted at the Mitchels', it was he who attended. Mrs. Todhetley told exactly what had passed:

d the carters put shamefully upon those young ones. In another year

or boys to go out so young," cried the old lady, looking up fr

two things-early work or starving," said

and so it comes easy to 'em: as skinni

all the labourers seem to have no end of them. Hannah Mitchel has just

laugh, you'd have thought they were at a Christmas panto

the community. Look at this same man, Mitchel. His grandfather, a poor miserable labourer, had a troop of children; Mitchel's father had a troop, twelve; he, Mitchel, had six, and seemed to be going on fair for six more. There was no reason in it. Why couldn't they be content with a moderate number,

use the French were a prudent race. They knew there was no provision for superfluous children; no house-room at home, or food, or clothing; and no parish pay to fall back upon: they knew that however many children they had they must provide for them: they didn't set up, of themselves, a regiment of little fam

tell the parent

had told them; told them till

e grievously to be pitied, was

n to drown the superfluous little mi

ped the jelly-bag, the

sees, never was there a worse wrong than the one inflicted on these inoffensive children

old Jacobson stood to his word, and declined

ley wanted to get home by daylight, and the summer evenings were shortening. Never was brown bread-and-butter so sweet as the Jacobsons': we used to say

leaners were busy in the square paddock: Mrs. Todhetley spoke to some as we passed. At the other end, near the crooked stile, two urchins stood fighting, the b

one, casting up his big grey eyes to us appealingly through the tears.

" said Mrs. Todhetley

Dick,

k-wh

Mitc

hetley to me. "But there are so many boys about here, Johnny;

ldren catch up ideas, and no doubt he was as eager as the parent

you have been

. They give me leave to come on since

ted to be a ploughboy. Oh yes! he answered, his face lighting up, as if the situation offered some glorious prospect. It 'ud be two shilling a week; happen m

rusks, I think, Johnny,"

is mother had taken the wheat from him, and looked out at the door with it in her hands. Seeing her, Mrs. Todhetley wen

be earning, and the master can't be got to take him on. And me t

e boy would not be stro

k. "How can he be strong if he gets no work to make him strong, ma'am? Strength comes with the working-and nobody

the rusk as if they had been children in a fairy tale. "It's Totty," said he, pausing in the work of division to speak,

" she remarked, as we went along. "Intellige

to let him go on th

rse he is not old enough or big enough, practically speaking; but on the other hand, where there are so many mouths to feed, it seems hard not

ry, when the skies were lowering, and the air was cold and raw, but not frosty, I was crossing a field on ol

skull o' yourn, if ye doan't keep t

st horse. Looking round, I saw little Mitchel. The horses stopped, and I went up to him. Ha

attained, is it, Dick

s taller, but the face looked pinche

ke being a

Hard always; frightfu

's T

y better, but she didn't die; Jimmy did. Which was

d Jimmy

but him-Dick. Mother said he'd had i

rption of Mitchel's means, certain it was, Dick loo

u been i

n ill. 'Twas Jimmy

er had put me to do with," struck in the

u lazy,

out, but the boy remembered in time who

bursting into tears. "I does

him a good sound slap on the left cheek. "And now g

ling hands to the first horse to guide him. I am sure the boy wa

him, Hall? He did no

and the furrows 'ud be as crooked as a dog's leg. You dun' know what

d the plough going slowly up it, Dick seeming t

prevailed with his master at last. Mr. Jacobson is good-hearted, and knew the Mitchels were in sore need

ve of a busy farm can tell you. Besides the ploughing, he had to pump, and carry water and straw, and help with the horses, and go errands to the blacksmith's and elsewhere, and so on. Carters and ploughmen do not spare their boys; and on a large farm like this they are the immediate rulers, not the master himself. Had Dick been under Mr. Jacobson's personal eye, perhaps it might have been lightened a little, for he was a humane man. There were three things that made it seem particularly hard for Dick Mi

for some pea-soup. They were going to carry the basins into the parlour, but we said we'd rather eat it there by the big blazing fire. Mrs. Jacobson came in. I can see

said Fred. "It's the

ed. I don't care t

't spoi

ich would not be pleasant for their journey.-For this was the last day of the nephews' stay, and she was going home with them for a week. There had been no v

hild sitting out in the cold!

by the distant pig-sty, and seemed to be eating something that he held i

e of the servants, "go

warm enough for the weather; an old red woollen comforter was twisted ro

dinner?" asked

pulling the forelo

you not go

ead for dinner today, and she give it

the cold? You might have gon

'm," was all

ghtly with the cold; his teeth chattered. Mrs. Jacobson took his hand, and put hi

he said to Mary when she went away. So

d never have answered. There were boys on the farm besides Dick, and no favour could be shown to one more than to another. No, nor to the boys more than to the men. Nor to the me

might happen to be. For a young boy to be out with the plough in the cold winter weather, seems nothing to a farmer and a farmer's men: it lies in the common course of events. He has to get through as he best can; he must work to eat; and as a compensating balance there comes the warmth and the easy work of summer. Dick Mitchel was only one of the race; the carter and ploughman, his masters,

snow to be seen one day, the green of the fields the next. But on the morning after old Jacobson started, the frost set in with a vengeance, and we got our skates out. Another day came in, and the Squire declared he ha

and then kept on by moonlight-the skates in my hand and all aglow with heat, who should be sitting by the bank on this side the crooked

t airily, young D

head and stared a lit

don't you

murmured Dick

help you ove

had my hand on his shoulder to steady him, for his legs seemed to sl

har

hat?"

he power of speech, or had been struck stupid. I made out at last that he had le

r it, Dick. You s

ng; a short strap with a broken buck

sleep, just

It were

was th

says God's all above there: I

t. The recovery of the strap seemed

in this world, Dick.

s I can't do more nor my arms'll let

ly do your best always;

Dick without warning, face foremost. Picking him

ou do that

n't k

your

't mean it when I fell under the horses toda

ure he would have gone down again. Arriv

your own door,

said. "I ha' got to

with that. Let's see

t first I thought I must have got into a black fog. The room was a narrow, poking place; but I couldn't see across it. Two children we

e to excuse it. It don't smoke as bad as this

n't. I should call it rat

says he thinks the chim

g in the cold on the other side of the stile, and my belief is, he t

it that has to be out and about. It'll soon be gone,

ding his face on her old stuff gow

he not be kept indoors until it gives a bit

hing as keeping a ploughboy at home for a

dlow, sir, he'd

were ill, and had

a master paying in illness, though it's not many of 'em as would, but I've never knowed 'em pay f

tea, Mrs. Mitchel, and let him

might just as well have suggested wine, for all they had of either. Leaving the strap at the blacksmith'

was what I g

ou don't choose to let your boy run up with that, or take it yourself, you

is senses. Not that he had much from us: we c

ssary; it is not put in to make up a story. But I never thought wor

erce wind was blowing that cut you in two. It kept us from skating-and that's saying a good deal. We got half-way to the

" cried Tod. "He can't do any good on this hard ground. He must

we'd be off again; and this time gained the pond. The wind was like a kn

which lay away on the left, we caught sight

a man, expecting to hear that old

ploughboy," was the answer. "

y! Why, Tod, that mu

gain. "The youngster's half frozen, I dare say. L

ght of real ill was in his mind. I went across to th

Mitchel i

ave fell down five times since noon, and the last time wouldn't get up upon

on the warm brick floor before the kitchen fire, a blanket on his legs, and his head on a cushion. Mrs. P

n him anything

've put the ket

ny brandy i

nder. No. Her missis never took anyt

some one must go for Mr. Duffham. And

ade off at this, saying he'd bring them both. Hall

ter, Dick? Tell

ken away the candle, but the fire was bright. As I took one of his hands to rub it, his fingers clasped themsel

t-that-the

ight,

k-ee-

in any pa

N

co

N

easpoonful into Dick's mouth. But he could not swallow it. Who should come

Dick!" cried Jones, peering down in

nds, I'll go and get some brandy. We can't

n his fat gouty legs with a groan, and laid hold of one of the h

as locked up, and no brandy could be got at. The cook gave me a bot

eet had met him half-way, so no time was lost. He was putting something into Dick's lips with a teaspoon-perhaps

Johnny," he

rtled me. "Mr

YES. "The exposure today has been t

but one vast hardship from the cradle to the grave, who have to struggle always, do not feel strong emotion.

ly back from his brow; which now had a d

octor's face; and I think she read the truth there. She gathered his poor head into her arms, and let it re

icky!

her. She gave one sob a

o Mr. Duffham, who was standing in the blaze of the

tchen. Her tears began to fall d

t you like to s

aid-it,-

s been a good

stupid girl burst into a sob.

w, and came at long intervals. Presently Mr. Duffham took him

d. And I think, taking the wind and the wor

he state the boy was in on that last bitter day, and have sent him home. But Hall declared he never thought anyth

r that dreary season. They attacked the farmers; asking the public whether labourers' children were to be held as of no more value than this, in a free and generous country like England, and why they were made to work so young by such hard and wicked task-masters as the master of Elm Farm. That put the master of Elm Farm on his

ghed Mrs. Todhetley. "Any way, Johnny, it is very hard on the young ones to have to work as poor little