St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-05-27
pressed nv lips. as he set off for Otway

Yet | saw, day by day, how the cloud
deepened on my husbands face.
used to sit very quiet, just within
reach of his hand, of an evening, or we
would stroll down to Mrs. Otway's-
John very silent, but yet | knew by
the magnetism of touch, happy in the
feeling of my hand resting on his arm.
The mother and son spoke earnestly
together of the state of trade, and the
dark mists hanging over the north
country, and well typitied by the black
smoke that came from the big CHM
neys and hung like a canopy above the
town.
Who shall tell the tribute paid in
pain and tears by the women and
children in those troublesome days
Surely no bitterer pang there can be
than the sharp stab that goes through
mothers heart as the cry of her
child for "Bread breadr has to be
smothered against her breast, lest its
sound drive the brooding man by the
tireless hearth to madness and vio-
lencc.
This is what 'on strike" means to
the wives and little ones of our mill
hands. | say "our" because-alas
that | should have to write 1.-THE day
came when John returned from town
looking as | had never seen him-as
the mother who bore him had never
seen him.
Otway Mills were stopped. The
men, whose relations with the master
had been Il proverb in the trade, were
on strike.
"Our turn has come at last it is
hardly the mems fault; this sort OF
thing is us catching as the plague
They know they have been fairly
dealt with. That blackguard jim
Stevens is at the bottom of it; he was
seen talking to one of the delegates
from the union"
That was all John said. His mother
and listened: and noting the set line
of his lips, and the stern look i'll his
eyes, we knew that, let the men ot
| Otway Mills be as stubborn as they
might, the master would not yield an
inch.
John used generally to drive in ant
out, to and from the mills, but some
times he rode his big black horse,
King Cole, and now and again | would
ride by him on my pretty little bay
mare, Lassie, returning with th'
groom.
Well, the night after he told me o
the strike, | lay wide-eyed through al
the long. long hours, hearing each on
strike below stairs, and thinking thos
thoughts of mingled love and fear tha
gather about woman's heart like
flock of ill-omened birds when he
| 4. htn. af.r ans
with danger. The stiffness of nigh
is terrible magnifying medium; pos
sibiIities take gigantic proportion
seen through its vOiceless quiet. HOY
glad | was when faint lines of ligh
began to creep into the room!
Breakfast over, the passionate pro
test in my heart bubbled up to my Gps
like il spring that must well up to tn
light:
s'Jack oh Jack you will not go t
the mills to-day?"
81 did not think my wife would tr
/, to make coward of me-"
He kissed me Il moment after-hel
me very fast and clOse-then, befor
he went, he kissed me again.
THAT is for the yOungster up stairs,
he said, with Il tender smile softenin
the set look of his mouth "give
| him when he wakes"
The groom, an old and faithful SCI
want of the Otways, looked grave ;
he led up King Cole, and gave til
D bride into his masters hand. The
l John rode away, and | went into Il
, house, seeing nothing clearly for I'll
t mist that gathered around me, not eve
I baby's face, as nurse met me with hi
!. !. ut the foot of the stairs.
Threatening letters -missives of tn;
i most cowardly character called anon,
5 mous-came ut intervals. Many hu
bands would have hidden such thin:
c from IL wife, but think John kne
Il that of all trials | could have least el
dured the thought that he kept
y y trouble from me.
u At length, negotiations for the Ell
y plovment of alien ''hands"-men vii
o ing to work for the wages that was {
y the masters could give i'll those bltlI
! times-were spoken of. Wrath tn
had simmered now seethed scOwlil
Z men gathered in groups about the ma
q row streets that surrounded the mi
IL like IL labyrinth muttered curses MAJ
y starved and frightened women hur
IL by clinched fists threatened the Wor
for grievances brought about by t
e bad counsel of wicked men and t
l brute resolve and stubbOrnness of IL
1t cultured natures.
20 Many cases of low fever, the result
y insufficient food and fuel, Occurr
$ among the wives and children of o
/ rebelliOus operatives and my til
II was soon taken up by ministering
IL the necessities of the sick. In Il
X work John never strOVe to hinder III
IL not vet, in the want-strlcken homes
- the people, was one word of refereI
ie to the strike ever uttered i'll my hei
IL ing. The people were kindly and gra
= full to me in their own rough way, a
hI | crossed no threshold that welcO
II did not greet me.
III God knows how full my heart was
Ill those days of darkness He was tea
'Ss;, ing me the deepest lessons of life,
III ..in the day of my sorrOw sought
Lord" Not with long prayers, or 4
ny outward acts of devotion, but wit
nc close dependence Oh His care that
Oh came as the very air breathed.
was | without comfort. The sympa
'ht of those dependent upon us is a be
ay tiful thing in time of trouble;
nd there was not servant i'll our hOu
nm hold whose heart did not beat in sy
sht pathy with mine not one who did
a rejoice with me in the safe return
re- the master, evening by evening,
to enter into my repressed anxiety as
SAW him ride away i'll the morning.
ma At length came a day-one of IL
Ill DAYS that are to be found i'll most Ii
zen "a day that, however long we !
ing however far away from its scenes
'Pe after fate may drift us, is traced IL
10 our memories in indelible cOlors,
IA | -. -. Lii IL.