New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-15
THE HEART OF JOHN MIDDLETON
From Dickens's Household Words.


was born at Sawley, where the shadow of
Pendle Hill falls at sunrise. l suppose Sawley
sprang up into village in the time OF the monks,
WIZ had an abbey there. Many of the cottages
g. - I'D ~tacesi others again are built OF
the abbey sscces. vrixed up With the shale from
the neighboring quarresi and you may rec raNoy
n quaint bit of carving worked into the walls or
forming the lintels Of the doors. There is row
of houses built still more recently, where one
Mr.. Peel came to live there for the sake OF the
water.power, and gave the place tlliP into
something like life; though different kind of life,
rs i take it from the grand slow ways folks had
when the monks were about
Now it was-six o'clock, ring the bell, throng
10 the factory sharp home at twelve and even
at night, when work was done, we hardly knew
how to walk slow y, we had been so BUSTED all
day long. | cant recOllect the time when | did
not go to the factory. My father used to drag me
there when was quite little fellow in order to
wind reels for him. never remember my mother.
should have been better man than lhave been,
If had only had notien of the sound OF her voice,
or the look Of her face.
My father and lodged in the house Of a man,
who also worked in the factory. We were sadly
thronged in Sawley, so many people came from
different parts of the country to earn livelihood
at the new work and it was some time before
the row of cottages | have spoken OF could be
built While they were building my father was
turned out of bis lodgings for drinking and being
disorderly, and he and | slept in the brick kiln
that is TO say, when we did sleep O. nights bat,
often and often, we went poaching and many
hare and pheasant have | rolled up in clay, aud
roasted in the embers of the kiln. Then, as fol
lowed to reason, was drowsy next day. over my
work but father had no mercy on me for sleep
ing, for all he knew the of it, bat kicked
me where i lay heavy lump on the factory floor,
and cursed and swore at me till got up for very
fear and to my winding again. But when his
back was turned | paid him OFT with heavier
han ho had - nd a
man that might be revenged on him. The words
l then spoke would not now dare to repeat aud
worse than hating words, hating heart went
with them. l forgot the time when l did not
know how to hate. When first came to read
and learnt about lshmael | thought must be Of
his doomed race. for my hand was against every
man, and every mans against me. Bat | was
seventeen or more before l cared for my book
enough to learn to read.
After the row of works was finished, father
took one, and set up for himself in letting lodg-
ings. | can't say much for the furnishing bat
there was plenty Of straw, and we kept up good
fires and there is set OF people who value
warmth above every thing The worst lot about
the place lodged with us. We used to have
supper in the middle of the night there was
game enough, or if there was not game, there was
poultry to be had for the stealing. By day we
all made a show Of working IN the factory By
night we Toasted and drank.
Now this web of my life was black enough aud
coarse enough out py anu Dys u illliS SoilSN
fmy thread began to be woven in the dawn Of
Gods mercy was at hand.
One blOwy October morning, as | sauntered
lazily along to the MILL came to the little wooden
bridge over a brook that falls into the Brbbe.
On the plank there stood child, balancing the
pitcher on her head with which she had been TO
fetch water. She was SO light on her feet that,
had it not been for the weight of the pitcher al
most believe the wind would have taken her up,
and waited her away as ii carries off bio y ball
in seed time her blue cotton dress was blown
before her, as If she were spreading her wings
for fight she turned her face round, as If 70
ask me for something, but when she saw who it
was she hesitated, for had bad name in the
village, and doubt not she had been warned
against me. But her heart was too innocent TO
be distrusttul so she said to me tmdly,
please, John Middleton, will you carry me
this heavy Jug Just over the bridget"
1t was the very first time hal ever been
spoken 10 gently. | was ordered here and there
by my father and his rough companions | was
abused and cursed by them if failed in doing
what they wished if succeeded, there came no
expression olthanks or gratitude. was Informed
OF facts necessary for me to know. But the gen.
tie words OF request or entreaty were sfore time
unknown TO me, and row their tones fell on my
ear soft and sweet SIS distant peal OF bells. I
wished that knew how 10 speak properly in
reply; but though we were OF the same standing
as regarded worldly circumstances, there was
some mighty difference between u.s. which made
me unable to speak ia her language OF soft
words and modest entreaty. There was nothing
for me but TO take up the pitcher in kind OF gru,
shy silence, akd carry il over the bridge rs she I
had asked me. When gave it her back again, /
she thanked me aud tripped away, leaving me.
wordIess, gazing after her like an awkward lout /
Is Is l was knew well enough who she was
She was grandchild to Eleanor Hadield. an aged !
woman who was rePuted as a witch by my father
ano MS SET ior no other reason, that can make
out, than her scorn, dignity, and fearlessness of
rancor. 1t Was true We often met her in tina
grey dawn Of the morning when we returned
from poachiDg. and my father used TO curse ber
under bis breath, for witch, such as were burnt
long ago, on Pendle HiR top but had heard that
Eleanor was 4 skllfui sick nurse, and ever ready
10 give her services to those who were i'll and /
believe that she had been sitting up through the
night the night that we had been spending under