Mower County transcript., 1892-05-25

and Runt George as they called me. She
did not run away and cry, or point and
laugh at me as the other children did.
She was picking daisies on the edge Of
an old coalpit when we first saw her-a
little curly haired lass Of five years old.
She was crowned with daisies, and she
didn't seem to me to belong to the same
class of beings as the grimy things l had
been among all my days. She gave me
daisy, and asked me if knew who
made it. And when I said I didn't
know, unless it came of itself, she named
God to me. Nobody had named God to
me before except in oaths.
"Do I tire you, sir" said Padiham,
with this talk about myself?'
Certainly not; you interest me great
ly."
''The old gentleman will hardly be
ready to see you yet, It is almost nine,
and at the stroke of nine he has his break
fast. always go up then to give him
good morning. You can go with me-"
Meantime, tell me how you found
them again."
II found them by drawing of hers.
But I will go on straightforward with
my story.
81 couldn't stay a dolt, though I had
to drudge for many day after I first
saw little Ellen, and she gave me the
daisy and named God to me. Whenever
I could get away, and that was only once
a quarter or 4 half year, I went up to see
her. She made a friend of me, and told
me to take care of her father. He was
very much down, quite broken and help
less, with just enough strength to do half
his appointed work. So I helped him
with the rest. - .-
''After long time the owners found
out that he had education, and they took
him into the Office. All the men were
sorry to lose Gentleman Hugh, aud
when he went I lost heart and took to
drinking up my miserable earnings with
the rest. There was, drudge in the
dark and getting to be drunkard,
when Gentleman Hugh came to me and
told me- how some one had left him
legacy, and must get out of the pit and
share with him. He said little Ellen
would not be happy unless she had me.
$50 he took me up into the air and
sun and put me to school. But could
never learn much out of books. Put
tools in my hands and I can make
things, and that is what my business is
in the world. You see those arms, well
made as your own. You see those
hands, strong as a vice, and those fin
gers, fine as a woman's. They are tools
and able to handle tools. The rest Of
my body is stunted; my brain is stunted.
I'm no fool; but I'm not the man ought
to be. Every day feel that I cannot
put my thoughts into the highest FORM"
every man of any power feels that"
1said, "by whatever machinery his power
finds expression"
''Perhaps so. Well, when Mr.. Clith-
eroe had once given me start in the open
air, and I had got tools in my hands,
pretty soon they began to talk Of me as
one of the masters in Lancashire. There's
a great call in England for thorough
workmen. came up to London. fel!
in with the gentleman who sent you
here, and got on well. There's as much
good work goes out of this little shop as
out of some big establishments with
great names over the door. People try
to get me to start great shop and make
a great fortune and have George Padi-
ham talked about. But I'm Dwarf
George, born in coal mine and stunted
in coal mine, and Lamely court, with
my little shop in the basement, suits me
best.
II never forgot how owed all my
good luck to Gentleman Hugh and my
dear little Ellen. If it had not been for
them should have died underground of
hard work before thirty, as most of my
mates did. Their help of me gave me q
kindly feeling toward broken down gen.
tlefolks. lowed the class my luck, and
when I got on and had money to spend,
having no one of my own to spend it for,
l looked up people as badly off as Cen
tleman Hugh was when first knew him
and helped them. They are hard class
to heip-proud as Lucifer sometimes,
with their own kind. took this house
here, ont Of the way as much as any spot
in London. Whenever knew of gen
tleman or a gentlewoman given out or
WO4u OU] ~ kncy COuAu AOG I<460 C<tC0 OI
themselves, I brought them in here. If
they were only given out put stuff into
them again, cheered them up and fonnd
some work for them to do. Gentlefolks
are not such fools if they only had edu-
cation. IF I found one that was worn
out beyond all patching,I packed him
into snug corner up stairs and let him
lie there. They like it better than pub
lie hospitals and retreats.
'tAll the while I was getting on and
getting rich in small way, with some
small shares in patents I own. But
kept my eye on Gentleman Hugh.
knew what would come to him, and I
never took in ten shillings that did not
put away one for him and his daughter.
II knew of his going to America with
the Mormons, damn 'em! went down
to Clitheroe to persuade him to give up
the plan. He would not. He quarreled
with me-our first hard words. He for
bade his daughter to write to me.
II knew he would come back some
time or other, stripped and needy. I
watched the packets lists of passengers.