, 1870-05-29
" BOB" !"
A WorkfnKrnan.s stor.

father when WAS about 16, and haven't no |
brothets or sisters; 20. n found work to be |
short about ouz way, and heard there wss good |
WsSeo earning up in the Weat, and another |
started on TIL We came to town ven call |
1fuebIldge, md TOR that matter it Amt 30 far
from the real naKne. We got work TO do thsrr,
though the pay WAS poor. but food and things
we're cheaper thin 1t Manchester; md I've
I'm bound to lire there now, unless the whole
place goes to H1nAah-
When / WAS lid Ut lessons, the naster
aaked me one day to write my own name on
great black slate. Just knew ny letters then:
SAYS MASTER" that amt Jack" and they Ill
began A-laughing because / conldn's spell.
Since then the nArne'a stuck to mo. Ny mate
brought it with him when We came here, go
that its slways: Morning, JAke;" Lend us
penny, Jake;' "ln have your curls, JAke,'
I sint married now; but as to whether ever
shall be or not. amt suro Bit, and Oats
all about t. I've been sweot on one or two
girls; Polly Howe, a. lives up Back street, I
waa very neN splced 10. and don't mind tell
ing how that came to be broken OF.
We were citing on 4 stle etogetherone night;
! remember it was Saturday, because Polly
had just been buying things for next week
from the stoses we factory hands have stltted
-eo-ope1ntive, you know-when there cAme
Of them With Ris front teeth shoving. They
were both dressed in btack, and instead
OF going on, turned round TO look Ut us.
Now, no fellow likes that when has sweet
heartins, 30 said pretty sha1p: "WhAt's the
but kept on ehaing their heads then he
with the rst's mouth 6ays very quietly: You're
on the broad roAd, my friend"
That's better than being aiwayB on the
broad grin, answered, and thought "a riled
him, for he turned green, and showed his hand
! int rkaf hnf &r
sent tract At me.
"Take this, sinner saye he. I'd have let
it alone, only Polly wonld take 1t and then
he grinned It her, and asked her to 60 to their
in the hands Of the devouring wolf. | knew he
ueAnt me- 90 jumped down md Aaked him
to hght, and he made Oh tolerably quick,
can tell you- Dut Polly'A never been the SANG
aitsz that She goes to their meetings regu-
lszly, and says buying grocery after sunaown
| wicked. For al that, she's thick IS thieves
with tho scamp that gare us the tract, and
she sent me- letter to SAY We weren't to be
ANYTHING mora to each other. I've got it NOW !;
It's this:
"DEAR JAKE: write this to say that c.nt
hare you. You're too full Of Jiesh and 1e1o
ttfns you're too much OF the toorld. You're
too fond Of rafting. Remember, JAKE, there
| dinI no tarrier dogs in ass celestial city. o,
Jake, my souls sAfety won't let me- speak to
you .gain; but minister says il ,oan ploE up
ness for what you said, theteu be s hops for
you still. Yours huly,, PoILr HOWE.
"P. S, I'm going to be married to minister
next week"
Wei, you may be sure didn't attend the
/ got = paper thrust into my band, and found
it was > tract called The Rough's Road 70 Ruin.
I read three pages; but when I found it said
that only theJ who went to that chapel would
go to heaven, and that ninety-nine out Of
every hundred Of us must be lost, I Just laid
lockout, but the matters offered to keep me
on at high vsBe, wouldn't without the 9th
ers; neither would run away from : fight,
but stick BY my mates, even if got worst Oh I;
for that's what call doing what's right. But
one'e-self by dropping on Other people, WY,
it amt in my line; and so tore the Gact up,
and lit my pipe with it.
You'll be wondering nov, perhaps, how old
Am. A bit less than you think, It's likely, for
we factory lads mostly do our courting young.
1 know WAS born on the first Of August, and
my own notion ia that I'm twenty, but it may
be year more or Less I amt quite sure.
ANYHOW, it's fro Year, good since first came
TO T1uobridge.
came with another fellow. as said before.
to h1lf-pay, and I having notion to Bee the
| world, thought might ~ well tramp about a
bit To find out what Was doing in other parts,
Bill jenkins WAS Al orphan, sxme s l, and
thought with me that it wasn't any use 10 stay
and be starved. So, having talked Of it times,
We fixed at last to start on Sunday. I'd got
sixteen ehillings, for sold of every stick Is
!! ther had left, as al that WAS Of no use to mo
and Bill he'd Eot eight or nine-I forget which.
\ It WAS hot weather, the middle of June, and
we'd jolly time Of it zt first only, Try as We
would. thore wasn't Anythlng Y do. Peoplle
people, 10 TINT We strangers had but poos
chance.
We'll, We went on and on, still the came,
only that our money was quite gone then We
separated. Bill thought the1e'd be = chance
up London-wAy, md struck on to the west,
look up bit about there.
shan't easy forget the first time took 70
sing for living that Was the day After ~
parted With Bill. II WAS in = big town. and ]
felt At to choke with shame. I'd sung through
Ill the best streets without taking anything,
and began to b precious bad, when heard
Here, boy j. and there was An old womau
standing At her door with = cup OF tea and
so1no bread and butter. Didn' tuck in Just
and didn't bless the old lady vhsn "a done
hna ..11e gave me threepence Tor bed:
gave mo heart. that did, to So on, though
thing was better than staying to rot at The
workhouse. vhcrs they bring you down will
bullying and poor food, till the plueks all out
So it came about at last, After Td been il
this WAY about 4 fortnight, that one day gut
10 the town OF Truebridgo. II WIS we'll on ir
the evening, pretty duskish; and IS made I
point OF not begging till ID asked for work
because, like enough, ones mates would keeE
it up against you, slouched down High street
on the darkest side; the one or two bobbies !
paseed looking After me pretty sharp; and the
baker, where went to buy loaf With my last
brown, Watching me and his bread as il he
thought vas magnetizer, and could mes.
mcrize his thseepence-halfpenny csustiea into
Presently, came TO The bridge, ind looked
over. There was black, smelly river. such II
we have in Lancashire, and several tall chin.
neys, 20 knew they did eoms kind OF factory
work. "a no money to pay for lodging. and
keeping along the banis. I vent through
turnstile, md passed two or three Of the grsa,
buitdings full Of windows. reminding mo ot
hornc, and the time when I thought Ill trxmpt
wore thieves, and held it great sport to 60 oai
At night With two or three moro, and drive
them mad with chat and pes-shooters.
After I'd got ona bit, tho river got broader, and
hranchcd into two-&t least It seemed 80 al
ffet; only when "a come there found it was
= brook running into the min stream. ]
turned OF along it, for there looked to be
something OF stack ahead whom, passing l
|
other side but a little chap fishing away all b.
himself. stood to look, for he didn't see me-
but kept pulling them out quito fast with i
willow w-hranch for rod. and \ bit OF breAd-pahte
on his hook, He'd soon got about dozen, oi
t"o o. three ounces each: aud they lay jump.
ing about on tho grass, near getting in agair
sometimes, only be didn't seem to care, but
went on hard as ever.
My mouth ~.tered, for though they were
1awf theyd be relish for my d.!
he'd been on Ni tbe sam same sid side "1s'' ., ths
water, nightnt have taken them without
more said, though I'm tolerably honest, too
Anyhow, called out: .'Gi7e US one, ms
se{!' H. Looked m rn,o,n, :, . IL, -, .,.
ping the fish IN grass, md then be began il
cross the brook on stepping stonos, with The
water about up to his knees, and then he can't
on y bold As brass, and SAYS he; WHO are
Ton may guess wasn't much up tor laugh
mite, for be vas head and shoulders less th.r 1
me, his shirt Was blaek .nd ragged, and his
trousers turned up At the knees, 80 that be
didn't quite look the eort Of CHIP to be afrail
Of, Well, I told him was = fellow down II
luck; and, says /: "I'l trouble yun for one
or Two Of than .S ash; thores more than you'll
:. 0h"e he shouts, a thss's jolly. You're
just the chap want, Como on to my tower,
and I1l FRY en-. and give you bed too
Where's that ?" said, for thought he
| WIS trying to humbuG.
30 he pointed to ruined old mill And We
vent On, ! keeping good lookout that he
didn't bolt, which moro than halt expected
Presently, we Game to the door Of the mill.
It stood right out among fields, and was built
ot wood It VAS quite broken down. only .
bit Of ons Of the sails standing. When wol
| got in. saw thara VIA freah str.w M II.
ground, and An old E1eat-cost rnade m 1ite