'Nicholas, we do not want to reason; you misunderstand my father.

We do not reason--we believe; and so do you. It is the one sole

comfort in such times.' He turned round and caught her hand. 'Ay! it is, it is--(brushing

away the tears with the back of his hand).--'But yo' know, she's

lying dead at home and I'm welly dazed wi' sorrow, and at times I

hardly know what I'm saying. It's as if speeches folk ha'

made--clever and smart things as I've thought at the time--come

up now my heart's welly brossen. Th' strike's failed as well; dun

yo' know that, miss? I were coming whoam to ask her, like a

beggar as I am, for a bit o' comfort i' that trouble; and I were

knocked down by one who telled me she were dead--just dead That

were all; but that were enough for me.

Mr. Hale blew his nose, and got up to snuff the candles in order

to conceal his emotion. 'He's not an infidel, Margaret; how could

you say so?' muttered he reproachfully 'I've a good mind to read

him the fourteenth chapter of Job.' 'Not yet, papa, I think. Perhaps not at all. Let us ask him about

the strike, and give him all the sympathy he needs, and hoped to

have from poor Bessy.' So they questioned and listened. The workmen's calculations were

based (like too many of the masters') on false premises. They

reckoned on their fellow-men as if they possessed the calculable

powers of machines, no more, no less; no allowance for human

passions getting the better of reason, as in the case of Boucher

and the rioters; and believing that the representations of their

injuries would have the same effect on strangers far away, as the

injuries (fancied or real) had upon themselves. They were

consequently surprised and indignant at the poor Irish, who had

allowed themselves to be imported and brought over to take their

places. This indignation was tempered, in some degree, by

contempt for 'them Irishers,' and by pleasure at the idea of the

bungling way in which they would set to work, and perplex their

new masters with their ignorance and stupidity, strange

exaggerated stories of which were already spreading through the

town. But the most cruel cut of all was that of the Milton

workmen, who had defied and disobeyed the commands of the Union

to keep the peace, whatever came; who had originated discord in

the camp, and spread the panic of the law being arrayed against

them.

'And so the strike is at an end,' said Margaret.




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