Part 4 (1/2)

and ”Jock o' Hazeldean,” and they rewarded me with fifteen pence for my efforts, besides treating me to some light refreshment.

THE BAG MYSTERY

But I became anxious to join my travelling companion, whom I had left waiting outside-or who had left me waiting for him. So I bade the company ”Adieu!” and quitted the tavern; but loo! my anonymous friend had _vanished_ like a vision from my sight. I searched for him high and low in the ”publics” at ”the other end of the town,” but all in vain.

Meanwhile it had begun to dawn upon me that the stranger wasn't _my_ friend at all. What greatly disheartened me was to know that he had my green bag, containing my stock-in-trade, in his possession wherever he was. This was a great blow to me. Having satisfied myself that he was not in Brighouse I pushed on my journey. I asked each person I met if he had seen a man with a green bag, but none of them seemed to remember having seen either a green bag or a man carrying one of those articles. I now began to think I was truly on my ”last legs.”

AT WARP-DRESSING AGAIN

But I did not utterly forget the sentiment of Shakespeare-”There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” I stayed the night at a little village called Kirkburton, and the following morning I walked to Clayton West. Here, I found out, a good deal of fancy weaving was carried on; and, looking at my case from all its bearings, I came to the conclusion that it was advisable for me to abandon my theatrical career, for the present at least, and try my hand at warp-dressing again. This was duly resolved upon. Accordingly, I applied at a factory at Clayton West, belonging I believe, to Mr Norton.

I got employment without much trouble: luckily they were in want of a ”man o'my sort.”

A MINISTERING ANGEL

I started work at noon and worked during the dinner-hour. The first of the hands to return from dinner was a good-looking young wench, a twister-in. She thoughtfully asked if I had had my dinner. Of course I didn't think I had, as it was too far to go home to it. ”Oh! but you shall have some dinner” says the big-hearted factory-la.s.s; ”for I'll go home and bring you something.” ”Thank you,” said I, and she was gone. But not for long; not many minutes elapsed before she was by my side with a big jug of coffee and a goodly-sized, appetising, real Yorks.h.i.+re pasty, the size of an oven-tin or thereabouts. I don't want to go into fractions, besides, it isn't at all necessary. Suffice it to say that I presented her with my heart felt thanks.

Bards hev sung the fairest fair, Their rosy cheeks an' auburn hair, The dying lover's deep despair, Their harps hev rung; But useful wimmin's songs are rare, An' seldom sung.

Low is mi lot, and hard mi ways While paddlin' thro' life's stormy days; Yet ah will sing this la.s.s's praise Wi' famous glee.

Tho' rude an' rough sud be mi lays Sho'st la.s.s for me.

As to the repast itself-well I enjoyed that with much warmth, as we sometimes say. Then I resumed the work which had been set out for me, and finished by five o'clock in the afternoon. There I left off until next morning. I had obtained in advance a few s.h.i.+llings to tide me over the night.

CHAPTER V

”T'OTHER LODGER!”

I went in search of lodgings about the village. In the end I came across an old lady, and, after I had had a consultation with her on the above-mentioned subject, she said she could take me in as a lodger if I cared to sleep with another lodger she had-a young butcher: if I was in by eleven o'clock, she a.s.sured me, I should be all right. I accepted her offer. Sometime before eleven o'clock, the ”other lodger” came home. He was not by any means what Keighley teetotallers would term a ”temperate, upright, law-abiding citizen,” for he was as drunk as a pig. When he heard that I was to be his bed-fellow, oh! there was a ”s.h.i.+ne,” and no mistake. He vehemently declared that he'd never ”lig” with me; and, under the circ.u.mstances, I sustained his objection, and we parted. Tired and weary as I was I felt that I could well spare all I possessed if only I could get the use of a bed:-

Oh! bed, on thee I first began To be that curious creature-man, To travel thro' this life's short span, By fate's decree, Till ah fulfill great Nature's plan, An' cease ta be.

When worn wi' labour, or wi' pain, Hah of'en ah am glad an' fain To seek thi downy rest again.

Yet heaves mi' breast For wretches in the pelting rain 'At hev no rest.

AMONG THE IRISH