Blade-O'-Grass. Golden Grain. and Bread and Cheese and Kisses.Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
General
Blade-O'-Grass. Golden Grain. and Bread and Cheese and Kisses.
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
Christmas stories; Fiction
'Now, then, Jimmy,' said Robert Truefit, 'tell us what you wanted to
see us about.'
'Well, you know that place they calls Paul's-buildin's. It's been
empty ever so long, and there's a large 'all in it.'
'I know it, Jimmy.'
'Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. The 'all's been
taken for twelve bob a week by some fellers as 'as formed theirselves
into a society called the Workin'-man's League--a society as is goin'
to stick up for workin'man's rights and all that sort o' thing. And
what do you think they've painted on the door. Bob? Why, The Temple o'
Liberty! And this feller as comes 'angin' round 'ere to-night calls
'isself a Delegate. _I_ calls 'im a 'Postle. It sounds better, don't
it? 'Im and 'is mates meets three times a week at the Temple o'
Liberty to take in members at tuppence a 'ead, and to collar
subscriptions. Lord! they'd collar anythink, sich fellers as them!
They do a pretty good stroke o' business altogether, I should say.'
'If Jimmy's not mistaken,' observed Robert Truefit to me, 'these are
some of the men who live by the trade. But what makes you so
interested in this one particular man, Jimmy?'
'I'd rather not say jist now, Bob. But I did ketch jist a glimpse of
'is face, and if I'm right, I've seed it afore. Per'aps I _am_ right;
per'aps I ain't. Any'ow this ain't the time to speak, 'cordin' to my
judgment, till I'm more settled about it. There's a big meetin' next
week at the Temple o' Liberty, and there'll be some tall speechifyin',
I daresay. I'll 'ave a good look at that there 'Postle's face then.
Will you go, Bob? and you, sir? This is a sort o' thing as ought to be
looked into. If I was a workin'-man like Bob, I shouldn't be satisfied
without I 'ad a finger in the pie--though there's nothin' good to be
got out of it, mind you, unless you're a 'Postle! And if I was a
parson, I'd think it my duty to 'eer what they've got to say for
theirselves.'
We promised to accompany Jimmy Virtue to the meeting; and then I asked
him if he knew where Blade-o'-Grass lived. He went into Stoney-alley
with us, closing has shop-door, and pointed out the house.
'She's got a room on the third floor,' he said; 'she went into it last
week. They about like birds, them gals do; it seems as they can't rest
nowhere. But they allus comes back to the old spot! She was born about
'ere, and it's my opinion she'll die about 'ere. What are you goin' to
do, Bob?
'I shall stop here until Mr. Meadow's visit is paid. Nay, sir,' he
said, seeing that I was about to attempt to dissuade him, 'I shall
wait for you. Our roads home are same, and perhaps you will allow me
to walk part of the way with you.'
'I shall go,' said Jimmy Virtue, 'and smoke a pipe outside The True
Briton's Delight. I've got the lonelies on me to-night, and Jack's not
allus the best o' company; gits stupid like, and 's got no go in 'im.
You'll see me there as you pass.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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