Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-04-14
BESSi
A Character sketch.

l.
Tho light OF early morning was just begin
ming TO pierce the murky air which at all
times hangs like dimly transparent veil over
and around Black Regis, as l entered that
typical Black Country village A long strag-
Cling row of tumble-down huts, boasting two
shutter covered windows and one shattered
door, constituted the chief feature Of the
place the few houses in fair repair being
quite subordinate. In each of the huts afore-
said might bo found little forge, or "smithy"
fire, An anvil, large number of small square
iron bars, and hammers for shaping the same
into nails. And in these huts work one or
two young women or girls engaged through.
out the livelong day in the occupation of nail
making. From early morning until late at
night you can hear the ceaseless tap, tap
tap tap Of the small nailhammers welded
by the muscular amazons of Black Regis.
strange sight truly. l was long of opinion
that nail-making was a species of labor con-
fined to the male sex and confess 1 would
rather have remained under that delusion for
1 cannot help feeling a certain repugnance at
beholding women engaged in such ocoupa-
tions.
Black Regis is, as l have said, a murky
place being darkened by the smoke and
chemical fumes that arise from coal pit shafts,
immediate surroundings. To stranger, this
smoke, with its accompaniment of variegated
fumes, is offensive and well-nigh intolerable.
But the inhabitants of Black Regis inhale the
poisonous atmosphere uncomplainingly, and
are possibly ignorant of its nauseous charac-
ter.
Black Regis is a dull place socially as well
as atmosphericllly. There is no place of
public amusement or recreation other than
the public. house, and the half lflevelled sur
faces of refuse used as a cricket or gambling
ground. But these were sufficient for such as
have no higher craving or more laudable am
bition. Good enough for them as is in it !"
was the emphatic assertion Of the chief per-
sonsge of this sketch-Bess Bess what
Nothing else Nothing but plain, simple,
honest Bess. She had apparently no other
name. "And don't want none, neither !" was
the triply strong negation in which she re-
piled to the same query put to her by myself.
whats the use O having more'n one name
1t don't make you any better, nor any richer.
1t only takes longer to say, and amt noways
a bit o. use"
'But it would be rather awkward" said l,
'if everybody had only one name. We could
not get ON in the world at ALL"
"Well, p'raps not. But that amt nothin'
to do wi Inc. There amt no use as I can see
on for such as me to have more'n one name.
We amt known more'n two or three mile
away from home an nobody cares to know
whether we has name at all or not, for that
matter, so long as we pays for all as We get,
an don't come no capers. Why, sir, what do
it matter to you whether my names Bee or
Sal, or Liz, so long as you gets to know > at
you wants TO know from me, an pays nothin'
for it ?"
This was cut The oG-hand manner in
xubiab fha pnaaal da1ixoraA nd ha
twinkle of the eye which accompanied the
last clause of it, showed me that Bess was no
fool but sharp, shrewd young woman, who
had fathomed the curiosity that had led me
to seek the otherwise unwelcome interior of
her little hut. She had an eye to the ''siller"
too, thought that last hint of hers telling
me plainly that she did not expect to talk to
me for nothing. took up two or three of the
nails she had forged, and telling her would
take them home with me as sample of her
skill, requested her TO accept 4 trifling equiv
alent
There, go on That was only my chat. l
don't mind your talking bit only there's so
many fools comes gabbin' here, and expectin'
me to waste my time fooln' wi 'em. didn't
think as you was one on 'em but l thought
I'd try you. You see, you never knows what's
in the pit till you sinks the shaft, and then
you see es whether there's anything worth
working, or only rubbish"
"Well Bess-I suppose 1 may call you
Bess ?"
"Why, of course, what else could you call
me- I'd like to know p
''Of course, I'd forgotten that Well, what
was that affair of Bill Thomson being saved
from drowning, that heard about this morn
ing
''I thought as much knew you'd come
a-fshiL'. / never see such fools as some men
is Can't take care o. themselves, and then
kicks up lot O. bother when anybody does a
bit of a thing for em. Bill ought to ha'
known better than to 60 an fall into the
canal an him drunk an all. An he ought to
hA' known better than to go an make lot O.
palaver an talk about me pulling of him out.
Why, anybody 'ud pull a man out o. the wa
ter as couldn't get out hsself. There amt
nothing to make fuss about in that. II
somebody else had a-heard him holler instead
o. me, they'd a run an hauled him out by the
I hair as 1 did"
"But you nearly lost your own life-did you
not2"
| "I dunno P'raps did 1 know was un,
| der the water bit. You see, women's petit
coats hang about their legs, an is trouble
to 'em. But there, never see such fool as
that Bill is anyway. Next time he falls in
he'll stop in for me-if there's anybody else
| about to pull HIM out. Ihe latter part oil
the speech was added apologetieally, as if she
were ashamed of having been so mean as tC
say she would not help anybody in distress
A good soul, Bess. Rough, uncultivated
unrefned, but still noble in a rugged way
and possessing the true qualities of heroisn
courage and humility. Black Regis was the
better for her presence. She was in some de
gres restraining influence for good He
companions and socates almost unconscious
ly feared her censure, and were often deterr
ed from committing unworthy actions by thu
thought of what Bess would say. In Difficult
ty they ran TO her. She could advise, and
better STILL assist them in their needE; ant
many an act of true charity was performed b!
her.
None could quell disturbance quicker thai
she. When the authority of the policeman
would have been laughed at she could com
mand respect and order. Upon one occasion
she caught miner ill-using his wife, and
calling the men who stood listlessly by 81
lot o. faint-hearted FOOLS" took the case il
hand herself, and gave the man good beat
ing This raised her very high in the esti
nation of the Black Regisites Nothing s.
popularizes person in the eyes of the vulga
and untutored as muscular superiority-su
premacy of brute force. From that tim
forth the appearance of Bess upon the seen
of action was sufficient in most cases to sta.
the hands of the combstants.