友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
热门书库 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

put yourself in his place-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



ver sits down in a public…house; and has not a single enemy in Hillsborough; great or small。  He says that his life was saved by his fellow…workmen; and that as he lay scorched'(Oh; dear!')

〃Well; go on; Grace。〃

〃It is all very well to say go on; papa'scorched and bleeding on the ground and unable to distinguish faces' (poor; poor Mr。 Little!) 'he heard; on all sides of him; expressions of rugged sympathy and sobs; and tears; from rough; butmanly fellows; who'(oh! oh! oh!〃)

Grace could not go on for whimpering; and Jael cried; for company。 Henry left off carving; and turned away his head; touched to the heart by this sweet and sudden sympathy。

〃How badly you read;〃 said Mr。 Carden; and took the journal from her。  He read in a loud business…like monotone; that; like some blessed balm; dried every tear。  〃'Manly fellows who never shed a tear before: this disposed of one alternative; and narrowed the inquiry。  It was not a personal feud; therefore it was a Trade outrage; or it was nothing。  We now took evidence bearing on the inquiry thus narrowed; and we found the assault had been preceded by a great many letters; all of them breathing the spirit of Unionism; and none of them intimating a private wrong。  These letters; taken in connection; are a literary curiosity; and we find there is scarcely a manufacturer in the place who has not endured a similar correspondence; and violence at the end of it。  This curious chapter of the human mind really deserves a separate heading; and we introduce it to our readers as

       〃THE LITERATURE OF OUTRAGE。〃

〃'First of all comes a letter to the master intimating that he is doing something objectionable to some one of the many Unions that go to make a single implement of hardware。  This letter has three features。  It is signed with a real name。  It is polite。  It is grammatical。

〃'If disregarded; it is speedily followed by another。  No。 2 is grammatical; or thereabouts; but; under a feigned politeness; the insolence of a vulgar mind shows itself pretty plainly; and the master is reminded what he suffered on some former occasion when he rebelled against the trades。  This letter is sometimes anonymous; generally pseudonymous。

〃'If this reminder of the past and intimation of the future is disregarded; the refractory master gets a missive; which begins with an affectation of coarse familiarity; and then rises; with a ludicrous bound; into brutal and contemptuous insolence。  In this letter; grammar is flung to the winds; along with good manners; but spelling survives; by a miracle。  Next comes a short letter; full of sanguinary threats; and written in; what we beg leave to christen; the Dash dialect; because; though used by at least three million people in England; and three thousand in Hillsborough; it can only be printed with blanks; the reason being simply this; that every sentence is measled with oaths and indecencies。  These letters are also written phonetically; and; as the pronunciation; which directs the spelling; is all wrong; the double result is prodigious。 Nevertheless; many of these pronunciations are ancient; and were once universal。  An antiquarian friend assures us the orthography of these blackguards; the scum of the nineteenth century; is wonderfully like that of a mediaeval monk or baron。

〃'When the correspondence has once descended to the Dash dialect; written phonetically; it never remounts toward grammar; spelling or civilization; and the next in the business is rattening; or else beating; or shooting; or blowing…up the obnoxious individual by himself; or along with a houseful of people quite strange to the quarrel。  Now; it is manifest to common sense; that all this is one piece of mosaic; and that the criminal act it all ends in is no more to be disconnected from the last letter; than the last letter from its predecessor; or letter three from letter two。  Here is a crime first gently foreshadowed; then grimly intimated; then directly threatened; then threatened in words that smell of blood and gunpowder; and thendone。  The correspondence and the act reveal

     〃The various talents; but the single mind。〃

〃'In face of this evidence; furnished by themselves; the trades Unions; some member of which has committed this crime; will do well to drop the worn…out farce of offering a trumpery reward and to take a direct and manly course。  They ought to accept Mr。's preposterously liberal offer; and admit him to the two Unions; and thereby disown the criminal act in the form most consolatory to the sufferer: or else they should face the situation; and say; 〃This act was done under our banner; though not by our order; and we stand by it。〃  The Liberal will continue to watch the case。'〃


〃This will be a pill;〃 said Mr。 Carden; laying down the paper。 〃Why; they call the Liberal the workman's advocate。〃

〃Yes; papa;〃 said Grace; 〃but how plainly he shows  But Mr。 Little is a stranger; and even this terrible lesson has not  So do pray advise him。〃

〃I shall be very happy; but; when you are my age; you will know it is of little use intruding advice upon people。〃

〃Oh; Mr。 Little will treat it with proper respect; coming from one so much older than himself; and better acquainted with this wretched town。  Will you not; Mr。 Little?〃 said she; with so cunning a sweetness that the young fellow was entrapped; and assented; before he knew what he was about; then colored high at finding himself committed。

Mr。 Carden reflected a moment。  He then said; 〃I can't take upon myself to tell any man to give up his livelihood。  But one piece of advice I can conscientiously give Mr。 Little。〃

〃Yes; papa。〃

〃And that isTO INSURE HIS LIFE。〃

〃Oh; papa!〃 cried Grace。

As for Henry he was rather amused; and his lip curled satirically。 But the next moment he happened to catch sight of Jael Dence's face; her gray eyes were expanded with a look of uneasiness; and; directly she caught his eye she fixed it; and made him a quick movement of the head; directing him to assent。

There was something so clear and decided in the girl's manner that it overpowered Henry who had no very clear idea to oppose to it; and he actually obeyed the nod of this girl; whom he had hitherto looked on as an amiable simpleton。

〃I have no objection to that;〃 said he; turning to Mr。 Carden。 Then; after another look at Jael; he said; demurely; 〃Is there any insurance office you could recommend?〃

Mr。 Carden smiled。  〃There is only one I have a right to recommend; and that is the 'Gosshawk。'  I am a director。  But;〃 said he; with sudden stiffness; 〃I could furnish you with the names of many others。〃

Henry saw his way clear by this time。  〃No; sir; if I profit by your advice; the least I can do is to choose the one you are a director of。〃

Grace; who had latterly betrayed uneasiness and irritation; now rose; red as fire。  〃The conversation is taking a turn I did not at all intend;〃 said she; and swept out of the room with royal disdain。

Her father apologized carelessly for her tragical exit。  〃That is a young lady who detests business; but she does not object to its fruitsdresses; lace; footmen; diamonds; and a carriage to drive about in。  On the contrary; she would be miserable wit
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!