登陆注册
5363000000016

第16章

And then mother would make us sit down under the old hawthorn tree (where we used to make our house among the great roots as stood above th' ground), to pick and tie up the heather. It seems all like yesterday, and et it's a long long time agone. Poor sister Sally has been in her grave this forty year and more. But I often wonder if the hawthorn is standing yet, and if the lasses still go to gather heather, as we did many and many a year past and gone. I sicken at heart to see the old spot once again. May be next summer I may set off, if God spares me to see next summer. "Why have you never been in all these many years?" asked Mary. "Why lass! first one wanted me and then another; and I couldn't go without money either, and I got very poor at times. Tom was a scapegrace, poor fellow, and always wanted help of one kind or another; and his wife (for I think scapegraces are always married long before steady folk) was but a helpless kind of body. She were always ailing, and he were always in trouble; so I had enough to do with my hands, and my money too, for that matter. They died within twelvemonth of each other, leaving one lad (they had had seven, but the Lord had taken six to himself), Will, as I was telling you on; and I took him myself, and left service to make a bit on a home-place for him, and a fine lad he was, the very spit of his father as to looks, only steadier. For he was steady, although nought would serve him but going to sea. I tried all I could to set him again a sailor's life. Says I, 'Folks is as sick as dogs all the time they're at sea. Your own mother telled me (for she came from foreign parts, being a Manx woman) that she'd ha' thanked any one for throwing her into the water.' Nay, I sent him a' the way to Runcorn by th' Duke's canal, that he might know what th' sea were; and I looked to see him come back as white as a sheet wi' vomiting. But the lad went on to Liverpool and saw real ships, and came back more set than ever on being a sailor, and he said as how he had never been sick at all, and thought he could stand the sea pretty well. So I told him he mun do as he liked; and he thanked me and kissed me, for all I was very frabbit with him; and now he's gone to South America, at t'other side of the sun, they tell me. Mary stole a glance at Margaret to see what she thought of Alice's geography; but Margaret looked so quiet and demure, that Mary was in doubt if she were not really ignorant. Not that Mary's knowledge was very profound, but she had seen a terrestrial globe, and knew where to find France and the continents on a map. After this long talking Alice seemed lost for a time in reverie; and the girls respecting her thoughts, which they suspected had wandered to the home and scenes of her childhood, were silent. All at once she recalled her duties as hostess, and by an effort brought back her mind to the present time. "Margaret, thou must let Mary hear thee sing. I don't know about fine music myself, but folks say Marget is a rare singer, and I know she can make me cry at any time by singing 'Th' Owdham Weaver.' Do sing that, Marget, there's a good lass." With a faint smile, as if amused at Alice's choice of a song, Margaret began. Do you know "The Oldham Weaver"? Not unless you are Lancashire born and bred, for it is a complete Lancashire ditty. I will copy it for you. THE OLDHAM WEAVER I Oi'm a poor cotton-weyver, as mony a one knoowas, Oi've nowt for t' yeat, an' oi've worn eawt my clooas, Yo'ad hardly gi' tuppence for aw as oi've on, My clogs are both brosten, an' stuckins oi've none, Yo'd think it wur hard, To be browt into th' warld, To be--clemmed, an' do th' best as you con. II Owd Dicky o' Billy's kept telling me lung, Wee s'd ha' better toimes if I'd but howd my tung, Oi've howden my tung, till oi've near stopped my breath Oi think i' my heeart oi'se soon clem to deeath, Owd Dicky's weel crammed, He never wur clemmed, An' he ne'er picked ower i' his loife. III We tow'rt on six week--thinking aitch day wur th' last, We shifted, an' shifted, till neaw we're quoite fast; We lived upo' nettles, whoile nettles wur good, An' Waterloo porridge the best o' eawr food, Oi'm tellin' yo' true, Oi can find folk enow, As wur livin' na better nor me. IV Owd Billy o' Dans sent th' baileys one day, Fur a shop deebt oi eawed him, as oi could na pay, But he wur too lat, fur owd Billy o' th' Bent, Had sowd th' tit an' cart, an' ta'en goods for th' rent, We'd neawt left bo' th' owd stoo', That wur seeats fur two, An' on it ceawred Marget an' me. V Then t' baileys leuked reawnd as sloy as a meawse, When they seed as aw t' goods were ta'en eawt o' t' heawse, Says one chap to th' tother, "Aws gone, theaw may see, Says oi, "Ne'er freet, mon, yeaur welcome ta' me." They made no moor ado But whopped up th' eawd stoo', An' we booath leet, whack--upo' t' flags! VI Then oi said to eawr Marget, as we lay upo' t' floor, "We's never be lower i' this warld, o'im sure, If ever things awtern, oi'm sure they mun mend, For oi think i' my heart we're booath at t' far eend; For meeat we ha' none, Nor looms t' weyve on,-- Edad! they're as good lost as fund." VII Eawr Marget declares had hoo clooas to put on, Hoo'd goo up to Lunnon an' talk to th' greet mon; An' if things were na awtered when there hoo had been, Hoo's fully resolved t' sew up meawth an' eend; Hoo's neawt to say again t' king, But hoo loikes a fair thing, An' hoo says hoo can tell when hoo's hurt. The air to which this is sung is a kind of droning recitative, depending much on expression and feeling. To read it, it may, perhaps, seem humorous; but it is that humour which is near akin to pathos, and to those who have seen the distress it describes it is a powerfully pathetic song. Margaret had both witnessed the destitution, and had the heart to feel it, and withal, her voice was of that rich and rare order, which does not require any great compass of notes to make itself appreciated. Alice had her quiet enjoyment of tears. But Margaret, with fixed eye, and earnest, dreamy look, seemed to become more and more absorbed in realising to herself the woe she had been describing, and which she felt might at that very moment be suffering and hopeless within a short distance of their comparative comfort. Suddenly she burst forth with all the power of her magnificent voice, as if a prayer from her very heart for all who were in distress, in the grand supplication, "Lord remember David." Mary held her breath, unwilling to lose a note, it was so clear, so perfect, so imploring. A far more correct musician than Mary might have paused with equal admiration of the really scientific knowledge with which the poor depressed-looking young needlewoman used her superb and flexile voice. Deborah Travers herself (once an Oldham factory girl, and afterwards the darling of fashionable crowds as Mrs Knyvett) might have owned a sister in her art. She stopped; and with tears of holy sympathy in her eyes, Alice thanked the songstress, who resumed her calm, demure manner, much to Mary's wonder, for she looked at her unweariedly, as if surprised that the hidden power should not be perceived in the outward appearance. When Alice's little speech of thanks was over, there was quiet enough to hear a fine, though rather quavering, male voice, going over again one or two strains of Margaret's song. "That's grandfather!" exclaimed she. "I must be going, for he said he should not be at home till past nine." "Well, I'll not say nay, for I have to be up by four for a very heavy wash at Mrs Simpson's; but I shall be terrible glad to see you again at any time, lasses; and I hope you'll take to one another." As the girls ran up the cellar steps together, Margaret said: "Just step in, and see grandfather. I should like him to see you." And Mary consented.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 沉睡谋杀案

    沉睡谋杀案

    新婚的格温达搬进了海边的一幢白色别墅。她兴致勃勃地布置自己的新家,一桩桩怪事却接连发生。“难道,这房子闹鬼?”种种线索显示,作祟的不是鬼魂,而是多年前发生的一起谋杀案。格温达向马普尔小姐求助,得到的忠告却是“让沉睡的谋杀案继续沉睡”。可好奇的年轻人不甘心停止追查。终于,过去的罪恶苏醒,即将写下新的悲剧……
  • 囚爱之甜蜜的背叛

    囚爱之甜蜜的背叛

    她在最美好的年纪遇到了他,她视他为依靠,而他却为了权力将她抛弃。父亲的背叛,继母的陷害,使她崩溃。而他却在她最无助的时候再次出现……
  • 青春景象

    青春景象

    锦州这天格外热,家境相对好些的迟怀德把相好的两个同学李可、黄海洋约进了小酒馆。李可说,把覃燕叫来吧。覃燕是他们的同学,更是李可的恋人。覃燕考上了大学,而迟怀德他们却名落孙山,正郁郁不得志。因此,黄海洋说,算了,不叫,人家念大学去了,你不是自找没趣吗?李可说,我还是想她。李可没有说的是,他和覃燕早偷吃了禁果,他想她想得发疯,打她电话总是不在服务区,发她短信也没有回复。他又不敢找上门去。现在迟怀德邀大伙儿喝酒,正是叫她的机会啊!可是迟怀德说,喝酒,别黏黏糊糊的!三个高中同学在酒馆喝酒,喝出了方向。
  • 时光冉冉我们依旧

    时光冉冉我们依旧

    毕业以后,黎梦以为他已经不重要了,但在一次梦醒后,才懂得原来他就是她的神明啊!可是她好像再也得不到他了……殊不知,这一切都是他早已布好的局……
  • 我们的潮婚时代

    我们的潮婚时代

    她,职场女,以为自己的婚姻固若金汤,在婆婆上门、意外怀孕流产、第三者高调宣战之后,她该何去何从?她,孔雀女,为了爱情甘愿失去自我,无奈婆婆恶毒,老公懦弱,为了未出生的孩子,她该何去何从?她,居家女,大大咧咧以自我为中心,挥金如土卯吃寅粮,在老公随情人一走了之后,她该何去何从?三个女人三台戏。她们,是同学,相互扶持。她们,是好友,相互帮助。她们,是闺蜜,互为智囊。她们的婚姻,该何去何从?一场爱情的防守反击,三段婚姻的精彩大戏:逼婚、裸婚、闪婚、隐婚……
  • 重生后我成了王爷的心尖宠

    重生后我成了王爷的心尖宠

    她是将军府嫡长女,为人所害,凄惨而死,许是老天怜悯,再次重生,回到了四年前,不但身带异瞳,能看到别人看不到的东西,还有随身空间,她发誓,此生一定要将伤害她母女之人,得到报应。他是莫离国的异姓王,手握兵权,威震八方,相传莫离国大半江山都是他打下的,皇上对他都他礼让三分,相传他是一个嗜血王爷,杀人不眨眼。某日,在大街上碰见一个衣衫褴褛,长相俊俏的美男子,追着她喊:“娘子,娘子。”某女:“丫的,谁是你娘子?姑奶奶还没有订亲呢!哪里凉爽哪里呆去。”某男:“你就是我娘子,这辈子跟定你了。”《爽文,男强女强,1v1宠文》
  • 暖情异世

    暖情异世

    冷凌曦在经历了家人和未婚夫的背叛后,心灰意冷,不小心穿越到异世界感受到了从所未有的呵护与温暖。
  • 清异录

    清异录

    卿上是一位以天为被以地为床,四海为家的除妖师,一路打怪升级捡装备,好不快活。做人没负担,一人吃饱全家饿不着,卿上是美滋滋的靠在树枝上,一条长腿晃悠悠的荡在空中......“娘子,今晚我们吃什么?”卿上的腿僵在空中,口中的尾巴草被她咬断,随后凶巴巴地道:“吃吃吃,一天到晚你就知道吃!”这么说着,身子却轻轻飘下,一副大爷模样:“走,打点野妖去!”
  • Roundabout Papers

    Roundabout Papers

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 莲华传

    莲华传

    莲华:愿天下太平!君离:只要是你想做的,即便是粉身碎骨我也会答应!孟哲:如果可以,我愿来世还做你的哥哥,一辈子替你遮风挡雨!孟子煜:如有来生,我再也不愿生在帝王家。孟浩宇:心儿,如果连你也走了,我要这天下还有何意义?墨亦寒:我这辈子最后悔的一件事就是错过你。墨凡:大师兄,消消气!墨轩:谁说天下太平了,剑就不必出鞘了?熙嬅:我终究,嫁给了爱我的人。庭落:原来,心比天高命如纸薄的人竟是我。北羽:陛下,您嘱托我的事情,臣没有忘。林柯:对不起,国和家我只能选一个!