Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-11-10
A Common Case.
ger

Your. home is in America, then. Sirg" said
the Engishman, with the rather wistful air Of
an English artisan-of, whose creed the FIRST
article is that be must not.stop outside his own
place.
But Max answered with q corlialty which
showed the other that he might ask any
questions he chose Max bad no idea of going
outside his place either But as he did not
know yet what that place was, and as be knew
that he was himself gentleman, be had no
hesitation in talking, as an equal, whether
with prince, priest, or peasant. So John Ny
rick was almost Immediately at ease with him,
and was pushing inquiries as to the new hone
before him, which Max answered gladly aud
intclligently.
II was the old story. Here was 4 gcol wea-
yer, who bad even prospcred so far as to be az
the head Of the room in the flannel mill in
which he worked-nay, the man was proud Of
bis skill in his craft But for all that, he had
abandoned il, and abandoned il, rs he said,
forever. lie had withdrawn from Corpora.
tive store, at heavy loss, all he had invested
there he bad sold, at worse loss every stick
Of bis modest furniture be bad drawn from
the savings-bsnk al hisearnings and bis wifc's;
and now, with the shy, honest wife herself,
whom Max saw yonder nursing her baby, with
the shy, pretty daughter yondcr, leaning a.
gainst the rail and looking a, the guls, and
with these children, be was going to a ncw
land, 70 be farmer, and meant 70 leave foreycr
his old home. What was more strange, he was
leaving it with exuItation, without tear.
Max was greatly interested 10 Myri,k. 10
told him at once Of bis own experiences as
working hand in making flannel. They COM
pared notes eagerly as 70 English aud Amcii-
can customs. lie found that Myrick was sour
sd-perbaps with reason. He bad indeed,
more than the average Of that jealousy which
a man who has worked hard till forty, with a
wife who has worked hard, and children who
have worked hard, is apt 10 have, when ho
looks upon the owner Of The factories in which
they have worked, aud upon his wife and chill
dren. To see the owner. lis wife aud children,
better dressed every dsy than he and bic ever
were on Sunday 10 see them drive into the
village 10 their carriage Of forenoon, and gap
log as if they had nothing TO do, when he bad
only stepped for an instant out Of bis room,
made Myrick angry. Bnt bis anger was not
so much with them. uyrick had been an en-
,husiast in one and another plan for cooper
alton" in which united workmen, 10 their
union, were 20 take the place Of the rich capi-
tallst. And ofeach Of these plans the upsLot
bad always been the same. II il were CO.
operative shop for buying and selling, it had
ended in their training some smart fellow to
be the shop-keeper, and as soon as he learned
how, at the cost Of the co-OperatOrs, Why, they
were nowhere, and he had stepped into the
class Of shop-keepers, aud made bis profits out
Of the workmen as well as the oldest screw ia
the town. Once they thought they had mado
some headway in little mill for spinning
yarns, which was on this same cooperative
principle. " But, Lord Mr. Rising, il Just
lasted while our money lasted. Tho market
faitened, aud we needed TO hold our yarns a
little, you know and then, who was going to
discount bill for us7 We had no edit
Credit is luxury for another guess sort Of
folk than We"
SO the poor fellow was leaving Yorkshire
with two or three very bitter tastes in lis
mouth lie had learned 70 bate the business
to which he was bred, be had learned 10 hate
the country in which he was bred, and lie had
learned to distrust men-thrce very bad les
sons.
Many talk had lie and Max about such
matters Max told him what be had learned
about the co-operators Of Germany. 1t inter-
ested Myrick, bur gave him but little courage
The result Of all such talk was well enough eK-
pressed one nigh. as they parted, shen Max
said:
Well, do not know just how It Is 70 be.
But tell you, men have got to staud by each
other. That is the whole story from
Back to Back" by Edward Everett Haze, in
Harper's Magazine for November.