The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-05-20

| and then shown his stick through tn,
knot and sticking it over his shoulder
and then shifting his hands in hi
pockets, and taking the road uppards
whistlin' like blackbird No; j
meant something else 1t mean
| breaking mp a tidy little home as tive
young folks-coE- mon people, il
course-had been saving up fol
years, to make snug: it meant hal
breaking poor simple lass's heart tC
part with this little thing and thai
little thing; tearing up the nest that
took SO long a building. and was allus
SO snug arter cold days work ]
looked at the clean little winders
and then at the bright kettle on the
shiny black hob, and then at the wer
ry small fire as there was. and then
fust at one thing, and then at another
all SO clean and neat and homely, and
all showing how proud my lass was
OF 'em all. and then l thought a
little more of what going up to Lon
don really did mean, and l suppose it
must have been Though feeling low
and faint and poorly, and I'm almost
ashamed to tell it, for I'm such big
strong chap; but truths truth.
Well, somehow a blind seemed to
come over my eyes, and my head
went down upon my knees, and
cried like a school-Doy But it went
off, for my lass was kneeling aside me
in minute. and got my thick
head upon her shoulder, and began
adding all she could to make me
believe it was all right, and she
wouldn't mind a bit, but we'd get on
wonderful we'll up there; while she
made me believe to be so cheer fui,
and knelt at my side, a-ciphering
away "a putting down naught for
herself, and carrying | don't know
how much for me,-till [ glowed up,
under the discovery that whether
work was plenty, or whether work was
slack, [, Bill Stock -christened vii
ham-was rich i'll my good wife.
That was something like thought,
that was, and seemed to stiffen me
up, and put bone and muscle into a
fellow till ne felt strong as a hon; so
We F7Oa W tanning oNtI INC III idllSc
meuts; and two days arter, Polly ard
| was in "a lodging in London.
Mex morning | was up at five, and
made myself smart; not fine. but
clean, and looking as If | warnt
afraid of work; and | finds my way to
one o the big workshops, where the
bell was ringing for six O'Clock, and
the men was a scuf1ling in; while a
chap with book was on the look ont
to time the late ones, for stopping on
pay day out of their wages.-which is
but fair, yer know, for if two hundred
men lost quarter of an hour apiece
in a week, it would come to something
stiff in a year Well, there was a
eoHple more ehaps ike me standing
at the gate, and one of 'em slips in,
and comes ont again directly a swear
and growing like anything, and then
t other goes in. and he comes out
swearing too, and then ] feels my
heart 90 sinking down ever SO low
SO [ says to the fust,-
ANY chance of a job?" | says.
''Go to :" somewhere, he says. crt-
ting up rough: so | asks L other one.
ANY chance Of iob?' l says.
Not ha'porth." he says, turning
his back, and going off with the fust
one; and | must say as they looked a
pretty pair of blacks.
SO | stood there for quite five min
utes wondering what to do; whether |
should 90 in and ask for myself, Or go
and try somewhere else. | didn't
like to try, arter seeing two men re
fused. All at once tall sharp eyed
man comes ont of a side place and
looks at me quite fierce Now, my
man." he says whats yonr business?
What do you want ?"
job, sir" says [.
Then Why don't you come in and
ask?' he says.
Saw two turned back l says
80, we don't want such as them
here he says, ''bnt there's plenty Of
work for men who mean it and then
he looks through me Almost. i sup
pose you do mean it. eh?"
Give us hold of trowel,' says l,
splitting in both hands.
"Bricklaver?' says he, smiling.
Right" says l.
From the country ?" says he.
Yes" says l.
Work slack there?" says he.
Awful says l.
You'll do" says he. Here, Jones.
Put this fellow in number four lot"
If you'll believe me. could have
taken hold of him and hugged him
but didn't, for | kept it for Polly.
Well i wonder how many times
I've said well" since l begunLI was
in work now. and L meant to keep it
Didn't | make the bricks and mortar
fly. My holman did his days work
that day, if he never did it afore
Then some of the men began to take
it up, and got to chatting; one says
there'd soon be no work left; and
another says, I'd better have a couple
o Paddles to keep me going, one fol
bricks. and another for mortar; while
one fellow makes hisself precious un
pleasant, by keeping on going ''puf
puff puffr' ike a steam ingin', be
cause | worked so fast But / le
them chaff as long as they liked; ant
bime by [ comes to be working along
of my steam ingin' friend, and jest a,
he'd been going it little extra, 1 say'
to him quietly
Ever been ont o work, matey?"
Not to signify" he says.
Cause if ever you are, and com
down very close to ground. you'll b,
as glad to handle the trowel again a
am He didn't puff any more tha
day. not as | heerd.
London work was something fresl
to me. / used to think that ia beer
about some tidy buildings down on
way. but what was the tidiest on zen
to the London jobs | was put on
jobs where the scaffolding must hav
cost hundreds upon hundreds o
pounds more than the house, lant
and everything else put together, c
the biggest place | had ever worke
I unpD | uSaI tpc to think I mo