put yourself in his place-第57部分

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〃What　spirits！〃　said　a　young　lady。

〃Yes；〃　said　another；　〃but　she　was　as　dull　as　the　grave　last　time　I　met　her。〃

So　ended　that　evening；　with　its　little　ups　and　downs。


Soon　after　this；　Henry　called　on　Miss　Carden；　and　spent　a　heavenly　hour　with　her。　　He　told　her　his　plans　for　getting　on　in　the　world；　and　she　listened　with　a　demure　complacency；　that　seemed　to　imply　she　acknowledged　a　personal　interest　in　his　success。　　She　told　him　she　had　always　ADMIRED　his　independence　in　declining　his　uncle's　offer；　and　now　she　was　beginning　to　APPROVE　it：　〃It　becomes　a　man；〃　said　she。

From　the　future　they　went　to　the　past；　and　she　reminded　him　of　the　snow…storm　and　the　scene　in　the　church；　and；　in　speaking　of　it；　her　eye　deepened　in　color；　her　voice　was　low　and　soft；　and　she　was　all　tenderness。

If　love　was　not　directly　spoken；　it　was　constantly　implied；　and；　in　fact；　that　is　how　true　love　generally　speaks。　　The　eternal　〃Je　vous　aime〃　of　the　French　novelist　is　false　to　nature；　let　me　tell　you。

〃And；　when　I　come　back　from　London；　I　hope　your　dear　mother　will　give　me　opportunities　of　knowing　her　better。〃

〃She　will　be　delighted；　but；　going　to　London！〃

〃Oh；　we　spend　six　weeks　in　London　every　year；　and　this　is　our　time。　I　was　always　glad　to　go；　beforeLondon　is　very　gay　now　you　know　but　I　am　not　glad　now。〃

〃No　more　am　I；　I　can　assure　you。　　I　am　very　sorry。〃

〃Six　weeks　will　soon　pass。〃

〃Six　weeks　of　pain　is　a　good　long　time。　　You　are　the　sunshine　of　my　life。　　And　you　are　going　to　shine　on　others；　and　leave　me　dark　and　solitary。〃

〃But　how　do　you　know　I　shall　shine　on　others？　　Perhaps　I　shall　be　duller　than　you　will；　and　think　all　the　more　of　Hillsborough；　for　being　in　London。〃

The　melting　tone　in　which　this　was　said；　and　the　coy　and　tender　side…glance　that　accompanied　it；　were　balm　of　Gilead　to　the　lover。

He　took　comfort；　and　asked　her；　cheerfully；　if　he　might　write　to　her。

She　hesitated　a　single　moment；　and　then　said　〃Yes。〃

She　added；　however；　after　a　pause；　〃But　you　can't；　for　you　don't　know　my　address。〃

〃But　you　will　tell　me。〃

〃Never！　never！　　Fifty…eight　Clarges　Street。〃

〃When　do　you　go？〃

〃The　day　after　to…morrow：　at　twelve　o'clock。〃

〃May　I　see　you　off　at　the　train？〃

She　hesitated。　　〃Ifyoulike；〃　said　she；　slowly：　〃but　I　think　you　had　better　not。〃

〃Oh；　let　me　see　the　last　of　you。〃

〃Use　your　own　judgment；　dear。〃

The　monosyllable　slipped　out；　unintentionally：　she　was　thinking　of　something　else。　　Yet；　as　soon　as　she　had　uttered　it；　she　said　〃Oh！〃　and　blushed　all；　over。　　〃I　forgot　I　was　not　speaking　to　a　lady；〃　said　she；　innocently：　then；　right　archly；　〃please　forgive　me。〃

He　caught　her　hand；　and　kissed　it　devotedly。

Then　she　quivered　all　over。　　〃You　mustn't；〃　said　she　with　the　gentlest　possible　tone　of　reproach。　　〃Oh　dear；　I　am　so　sorry　I　am　going。〃　　And　she　turned　her　sweet　eyes　on　him；　with　tears　in　them。

Then　a　visitor　was　announced；　and　they　parted。


He　was　deep　in　love。　　He　was　also；　by　nature；　rather　obstinate。　Although　she　had　said　she　thought　it　would　be　better　for　him　not　to　see　her　off；　yet　he　would　go　to　the　station；　and　see　the　last　of　her。


He　came　straight　from　the　station　to　his　mother。　　She　was　upstairs。　He　threw　himself　into　a　chair；　and　there　she　found　him；　looking　ghastly。

〃Oh；　mother！　what　shall　I　do？〃

〃What　is　the　matter；　love？〃

〃She　is　false；　she　is　false。　　She　has　gone　up　to　London　with　that　Coventry。〃


APPENDIX。

EXTRACT　FROM　HENRY　LITTLE'S　REPORT。


The　File…cutters。

〃This　is　the　largest　trade；　containing　about　three　thousand　men；　and　several　hundred　women　and　boys。　　Their　diseases　and　deaths　arise　from　poisoning　by　lead。　　The　file　rests　on　a　bed　of　lead　during　the　process　of　cutting；　which　might　more　correctly　be　called　stamping；　and；　as　the　stamping…chisel　can　only　be　guided　to　the　required　nicety　by　the　finger…nail；　the　lead　is　constantly　handled　and　fingered；　and　enters　the　system　through　the　pores。

〃Besides　this；　fine　dust　of　lead　is　set　in　motion　by　the　blows　that　drive　the　cutting…chisel；　and　the　insidious　poison　settles　on　the　hair　and　the　face；　and　is　believed　to　go　direct　to　the　lungs；　some　of　it。

〃The　file…cutter　never　lives　the　span　of　life　allotted　to　man。　After　many　small　warnings　his　thumb　weakens。　　He　neglects　that；　and　he　gets　touches　of　paralysis　in　the　thumb；　the　arm；　and　the　nerves　of　the　stomach；　can't　digest；　can't　sweat；　at　last；　can't　work；　goes　to　the　hospital：　there　they　galvanize　him；　which　does　him　no　harm；　and　boil　him；　which　does　him　a　deal　of　good。　　He　comes　back　to　work；　resumes　his　dirty　habits；　takes　in　fresh　doses　of　lead；　turns　dirty　white　or　sallow；　gets　a　blue　line　round　his　teeth；　a　dropped　wrist；　and　to　the　hospital　again　or　on　to　the　file…cutter's　box；　and　so　he　goes　miserably　on　and　off；　till　he　drops　into　a　premature　grave；　with　as　much　lead　in　his　body　as　would　lap　a　hundredweight　of　tea。〃

THE　REMEDIES。

A。　　What　the　masters　might　do。

〃1。　　Provide　every　forge　with　two　small　fires；　eighteen　inches　from　the　ground。　　This　would　warm　the　lower　limbs　of　the　smiths。　　At　present　their　bodies　suffer　by　uneven　temperature；　they　perspire　down　to　the　waist；　and　then　freeze　to　the　toe。

〃2。　　For　the　wet…grinders　they　might　supply　fires　in　every　wheel；　abolish　mud　floors；　and　pave　with　a　proper　fall　and　drain。

〃To　prevent　the　breaking　of　heavy　grinding…stones；　fit　them　with　the　large　strong　circular　steel　plateof　which　I　subjoin　a　drawing　instead　of　with　wedges　or　insufficient　plates。　　They　might　have　an　eye　to　life；　as　well　as　capital；　in　buying　heavy　grindstones。　　I　have　traced　the　death　of　one　grinder　to　the　master's　avarice：　he　went　to　the　quarry　and　bought　a　stone　for　thirty…five　shillings　the　quarry…master　had　set　aside　as　imperfect；　its　price　would　have　been　sixty　shillings　if　it　had　been　fit　to　trust　a　man's　life　to。　　This　master　goes　to　church　twice　a　Sunday；　and　is　much　respected　by　his　own　sort：　yet　he　committed　a　murder　for　twenty…five　shillings。　Being　Hillsborough；　let　us　hope　it　was　a　murderer　he　murdered。

〃For　the　dry…grinders　they　might　all　supply　fans　and　boxes。　　Some　do；　and　the　good　effect　is　very　remarkable。　　Moreover　the　present　fans　and　boxes　could　be　much　improved。

〃One　tradethe　steel…fork　grindersis　considerably　worse　than　the　rest；　and　although　the　fan　does　much　for　it；　I'm　told　it　must　still　remain　an　unhealthy　trade。　　If　so；　and　Dr。　Amboyne　is　right　about　Life；　Labor；　and　Capital；　let　the　masters　co…operate　with　the　Legislature；　and　extinguish　the　handicraft。

〃For　the　file…cutters；　the　masters　might

1st。　　Try　a　substitute　for　lead。　　It　is　all　very　well　to　say　a　file　must　rest　on　lead　to　be　cut。　　Who　has　ever　employed　brains　on　that　question？　　Who　has　tried　iron；　wood；　and　gutta…percha　in　layers？　Who　has　ever　tried　any　thing；　least　of　all　the　thing　called　Thought？

〃2d。　　If　lead　is　the　only　bedwhich　I　doubt；　and　the　lead　must　be　barewhich　I　dispute；　then　the　master　ought　to　supply　every　gang　of　file…cutters　with　hookstaps；　and　basins　and　soap；　in　some　place　adjoining　their　work…rooms。　　Lead　is　a　subtle；　but　not　a　swift；　poison；　and　soap　and　water　every　two　hours　is　an　antidote。

〃3d。　　They　ought　to　forbid　the　introduction　of　food　into　file…　cutting　rooms。　　Workmen　are　a　reckless　set；　and　a　dirty　set；　food　has　no　business　in　any　place　of　theirs；　where　poison　is　going。

〃B。　　What　the　workmen　might　do。

〃1st。　　Demand　from　the　masters　these　improvements　I　have　suggested；　and；　if　the　demand　came　through　the　secretaries　of　their　Unions；　the　masters　would　comply。

〃2d。　　They　might　drink　less　and　wash　their　bodies　with　a　small　part　of　the　money　so　saved：　the　price　of　a　gill　of　gin　and　a　hot　bath　are　exactly　the　same；　only　the　bath　is　health　to　a　dry…grinder；　or　tile…　cutter；　the　gin　is　worse　poison　to　him　than　to　healthy　men。

〃3d。　　The　small　wet…grinders；　who　have　to　buy　their　grindstones；　might　buy　sound　ones；　instead　of　making　bargains　at　the　quarry；　which　prove　double　bad　bargains　when　the　stone　breaks；　since　then　a　new　stone　is　required；　and　sometimes　a　new　man；　too。

〃4th。　　They　might　be　more　careful　not　to　leave　the　grindstone　in　water。　　I　have　traced　three　broken　stones　in　one　wheel　to　that　abominable　piece　of　carelessness。

〃5th。　　They　ought　never　to　fix　an　undersized　pulley　wheel。　　Simmons　killed　himself　by　that；　and　by　grudging　the　few　hours　of　labor　required　to　hang　and　race　a　sound　stone。

6th。　　If　files　can　only　be　cut　on　lead；　the　file…cutters　might　anoint　the　lead　over　night　with　a　hard…drying　ointment；　soluble　in　turps；　and　this　ointment　might　even　be　medicated　with　an　antidote　to　the　salt　of　lead。

7th。　　If　files　can　only　be　cut　on　BARE　lead；　the　men　ought　to　cut　their　hair　close；　and　wear　a　light　cap　at　work。　　They　ought　to　have　a　canvas　suit　in　the　adjoining　place　（see　above）；　don　it　when　they　come；　and　doff　it　when　they　go。　　They　ought　to　leave　off　their　insane　habit　of　licking　the　thumb　and　finger　of　the　left　handwhich　is　the　leaded　handwith　their　tongues。　　This　beastly　trick　takes　the　poison　direct　to　the　stomach。　　They　might　surely　leave　it　to　get　there　through　the　pores；　it　is　slow；　but　sure。　　I　have　also　repeatedly　seen　a　file…cutter　eat　his　dinner　with　his　filthy　poisoned　fingers；　and　so　send　the　poison　home　by　way　of　salt　to　a　fool's　bacon。　　Finally；　they　ought　to　wash　off　the　poison　every　two　hours　at　the　taps。

〃8th。　　Since　they　abuse　the　masters　and　justly；　for　their　greediness；　they　ought　not　to　imitate　their　greediness　by　driving　their　poor　little　children　into　unhealthy　trades；　and　so　destroying　them　body　and　soul。　　This　practice　robs　the　children　of　education　at　the　very　seed…time　of　life；　and　literally　murders　many　of　them；　for　their　soft　and　porous　skins；　and　growing　organs；　take　in　all　poisons　and　disorders　quicker　than　an　adult。

C。　　What　the　Legislature　might　do。

〃It　might　issue　a　commission　to　examine　the　Hillsborough　trades；　and；　when　accurately　informed；　might　put　some　practical　restraints　both　on　the　murder　and　the　suicide　that　are　going　on　at　present。　　A　few　of　the　suggestions　I　have　thrown　out　might；　I　think；　be　made　law。

〃For　instance；　the　master　who　should　set　a　dry…grinder　to　a　trough　without　a　fan；　or　put　his　wet…grinders　on　a　mud　floor　and　no　fire；　or　his　file…cutters　in