Put Yourself in His Place [58]
him in his tea, and was standing beside him, when the stone went like a pistol-shot, and snapped the horsing chains like a thread; a piece struck the wall, and did no harm, only made a hole; but the bigger half went clean up to the ceiling, and then fell plump down again; the grinder he was knocked stupid like, and had fallen forward on his broken horsing; the grindstone fell right on him, and, ah--I saw the son covered with the father's blood."
He shuddered visibly, at the recollection. "Ay," said he, "the man a corpse, and the lad an idiot. One faulty stone did that, within four yards of me, in a moment of time."
"Good heavens!"
"I was grinding at the next stone but one. He was taken, and I was left. It might just as well have been the other way. No saw- grinder can make sure, when he gets on his horsing, that he will come off it alive."
The visitor left Henry to think of this while he drew Bayne aside, and spoke on another matter.
Afterward, all three left the works together; and Henry was so pleased with his new ally, that he told him, at the gate, he should be glad if he might be allowed to make his acquaintance.
"By all means," said the other. "I am quite at your service. You will find me at the 'Cutlers' Arms.'"
"Who shall I ask for?"
"George Grotait."
"Grotait. The devil!"
"No, no. Not quite so bad as that."
"What," said Henry, roughly, "do you mean to say you are old Smitem?"
"That is a name FOOLS give me."
Henry had no reply ready, and so the sturdy old secretary got the better of him again, and went his way unruffled.
Henry scolded Bayne for not telling him. Bayne excused himself on the ground that he thought everybody knew Grotait. He added, "He knew you, and told me if he could serve you, without being unjust to the Trades, I was to tell him."
Henry replied to this only by a snort of defiance, and bade him good-night.
The next day and the next were spent in other works, and then Henry, having no more facts to learn, fell into deep dejection again. He saw he must either cheat Dr. Amboyne, by shamming work, or else must leave Hillsborough.
He had the honesty to go to the doctor and say that he had mastered the whole matter, and didn't see his way to take any more wages from a friend.
"You mean you have mastered the broad facts."
"I have, sir, and they are beyond belief; especially the file- cutters. They are the most numerous of all the Trades, and die like sheep. If your notion about Life, Labor, and Capital is right, the Trades are upside down; for the deadliest are the worst paid."
"And are you prepared with the remedies?"
"Not I."
"Yet you fancy you are at the end of your work. Why, you are only beginning. Now comes the real brain work; invention. Now are craniology and you upon your trial. But you are quite right about weekly salary. Invention must not be so degraded, but paid by the piece. Life, Labor, and Capital are upside down in this place, are they? Then you shall be the man to set them on their legs."
Henry shook his head. "Never, sir, unless I could give the masters bowels, and the men brains."
"Well, and why not? To invention all things are possible. You carry a note-book?"
"Yes, sir."
"Got it in your pocket?"
"No; on my shoulders."
"Haw! haw! haw! Then write this down in it--'THERE'S A KEY TO EVERY LOCK'"
"It's down, sir."
"Now you must go out trout-fishing with Billy. He will take you on the hills, where the air is pure, and favorable to invention. You will divert your mind from all external subjects, especially Billy, who is a fool, and his trout-killing inhumane, and I a merciless glutton for eating them; and you will think, and think, and think, and forge the required key to this lock with three wards--Life, Labor, Capital. And, when forged, the Philanthropic Society shall pay you a good price for it. Meantime, don't dream of leaving Hillsborough, or I shall give you a stirrup-cup that will waft you much further than London; for it shall be 'of prussic acid all composed,' or
He shuddered visibly, at the recollection. "Ay," said he, "the man a corpse, and the lad an idiot. One faulty stone did that, within four yards of me, in a moment of time."
"Good heavens!"
"I was grinding at the next stone but one. He was taken, and I was left. It might just as well have been the other way. No saw- grinder can make sure, when he gets on his horsing, that he will come off it alive."
The visitor left Henry to think of this while he drew Bayne aside, and spoke on another matter.
Afterward, all three left the works together; and Henry was so pleased with his new ally, that he told him, at the gate, he should be glad if he might be allowed to make his acquaintance.
"By all means," said the other. "I am quite at your service. You will find me at the 'Cutlers' Arms.'"
"Who shall I ask for?"
"George Grotait."
"Grotait. The devil!"
"No, no. Not quite so bad as that."
"What," said Henry, roughly, "do you mean to say you are old Smitem?"
"That is a name FOOLS give me."
Henry had no reply ready, and so the sturdy old secretary got the better of him again, and went his way unruffled.
Henry scolded Bayne for not telling him. Bayne excused himself on the ground that he thought everybody knew Grotait. He added, "He knew you, and told me if he could serve you, without being unjust to the Trades, I was to tell him."
Henry replied to this only by a snort of defiance, and bade him good-night.
The next day and the next were spent in other works, and then Henry, having no more facts to learn, fell into deep dejection again. He saw he must either cheat Dr. Amboyne, by shamming work, or else must leave Hillsborough.
He had the honesty to go to the doctor and say that he had mastered the whole matter, and didn't see his way to take any more wages from a friend.
"You mean you have mastered the broad facts."
"I have, sir, and they are beyond belief; especially the file- cutters. They are the most numerous of all the Trades, and die like sheep. If your notion about Life, Labor, and Capital is right, the Trades are upside down; for the deadliest are the worst paid."
"And are you prepared with the remedies?"
"Not I."
"Yet you fancy you are at the end of your work. Why, you are only beginning. Now comes the real brain work; invention. Now are craniology and you upon your trial. But you are quite right about weekly salary. Invention must not be so degraded, but paid by the piece. Life, Labor, and Capital are upside down in this place, are they? Then you shall be the man to set them on their legs."
Henry shook his head. "Never, sir, unless I could give the masters bowels, and the men brains."
"Well, and why not? To invention all things are possible. You carry a note-book?"
"Yes, sir."
"Got it in your pocket?"
"No; on my shoulders."
"Haw! haw! haw! Then write this down in it--'THERE'S A KEY TO EVERY LOCK'"
"It's down, sir."
"Now you must go out trout-fishing with Billy. He will take you on the hills, where the air is pure, and favorable to invention. You will divert your mind from all external subjects, especially Billy, who is a fool, and his trout-killing inhumane, and I a merciless glutton for eating them; and you will think, and think, and think, and forge the required key to this lock with three wards--Life, Labor, Capital. And, when forged, the Philanthropic Society shall pay you a good price for it. Meantime, don't dream of leaving Hillsborough, or I shall give you a stirrup-cup that will waft you much further than London; for it shall be 'of prussic acid all composed,' or