English fiction -- 19th century; Labor unions -- Fiction
About 11 o'clock, that same day, the postman brought him a letter, so
vilely addressed, that it had been taken to two or three places, on
speculation, before it reached its destination.
Little saw at once it was another anonymous communication. But he was
getting callous to these missives, and he even took it with a certain
degree of satisfaction. “Well done, Bramah! Obliged to send their venom
by post now.” This was the feeling uppermost in his mind. In short, he
opened the letter with as much contempt as anger.
But he had no sooner read the foul scrawl, than his heart died within
him.
“Thou's sharp but not sharp enow. We know where thou goes courting up
hill. Window is all glass and ripe for a Peter shall blow the house
tatums. There's the stuff in Hillsbro and the men that have done others
so, and will do her job as wells thine. Powders a good servant but a bad
master.
“ONE WHO MEANS DOING WHAT HE SAYS.”
At this diabolical threat, young Little leaned sick and broken over the
handle of his bellows.
Then he got up, and went to Mr. Cheetham, and said, patiently, “Sir, I
am sorry to say I must leave you this very day.”
“Don't say that, Little, don't say that.”
“Oh it is with a heavy heart, sir; and I shall always remember your
kindness. But a man knows when he is beat. And I'm beat now.” He hung
his head in silence awhile. Then he said, in a faint voice, “This is
what has done it, sir,” and handed him the letter.
Mr. Cheetham examined it, and said, “I am not surprised at your being
taken aback by this. But it's nothing new to us; we have all been
threatened in this form. Why, the very last time I fought the trades,
my wife was threatened I should be brought home on a shutter, with my
intestines sweeping the ground. That was the purport, only it was put
vernacular and stronger. And they reminded me that the old gal's clothes
(that is Mrs. Cheetham: she is only twenty-six, and the prettiest lass
in Coventry, and has a row of ivories that would do your heart good:
now these Hillsborough hags haven't got a set of front teeth among 'em,
young or old). Well, they told me the old gal's clothes could easily be
spoiled, and her doll's face and all, with a penn'orth of vitriol.”
“The monsters!”
“But it was all brag. These things are threatened fifty times, for once
they are done.”
“I shall not risk it. My own skin, if you like. But not hers: never, Mr.
Cheetham: oh, never; never!”
“Well, but,” said Mr. Cheetham, “she is in no danger so long as you keep
away from her. They might fling one of their petards in at the window,
if you were there; but otherwise, never, in this world. No, no, Little,
they are not so bad as that. They have blown up a whole household,
to get at the obnoxious party; but they always make sure he is there
first.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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