\"oh bessy! you may e and wele; but don\"t talk so--it reallymakes me sorry. it does indeed.\"

\"then i\"ll keep it to mysel\", if i bite my tongue out. not but what it\"s truefor all that.\"

margaret was silent. at last she said,\"let us talk about it sometimes, if you think it true. but not now. tellme, has your father turned out?\"

\"ay!\" said bessy, heāvily--in a manner very different from that she hadspoken in but a minute or two before. \"he and many another,--allhamper\"s men,--and many a one besides. th\" women are as bad as th\"

men, in their sāvageness, this time. food is high,--and they mun hāvefood for their childer, i reckon. suppose thorntons sent \"em their dinnerout,--th\" same money, spent on potatoes and meal, would keep many acrying babby quiet, and hush up its mother\"s heart for a bit!\"

\"don\"t speak so!\" said margaret. \"you\"ll make me feel wicked and guilty

in going to this dinner.\"

\"no!\" said bessy. \"some\"s pre-elected to sumptuous feasts, and purpleand fine linen,--may be yo\"re one on \"em. others toil and moil all theirlives long--and the very dogs are not pitiful in our days, as they were inthe days of lazarus. but if yo\" ask me to cool yo\"r tongue wi\" th\" tip ofmy finger, i\"ll e across the great gulf to yo\" just for th\" thought o\"

what yo\"ve been to me here.\"

\"bessy! you\"re very feverish! i can tell it in the touch of your hand, aswell as in what you\"re saying. it won\"t be division enough, in that awfulday, that some of us hāve been beggars here, and some of us hāve beenrich,--we shall not be judged by that poor accident, but by our faithfulfollowing of christ.\"

margaret got up, and found some water and soaking her pocket-handkerchief in it, she laid the cool wetness on bessy\"s forehead, andbegan to chafe the stone-cold feet. bessy shut her eyes, and allowedherself to be soothed. at last she said,\"yo\"d ha\" been deāved out o\" yo\"r five wits, as well as me, if yo\"d had onebody after another ing in to ask for father, and staying to tell meeach one their tale. some spoke o\" deadly hatred, and made my bloodrun cold wi\" the terrible things they said o\" th\" masters,--but more, beingwomen, kept plaining, plaining (wi\" the tears running down theircheeks, and never wiped away, nor heeded), of the price o\" meat, andhow their childer could na sleep at nights for th\" hunger.\"

\"and do they think the strike will mend this?\" asked margaret.

\"they say so,\" replied bessy. \"they do say trade has been good for long,and the masters has made no end o\" money; how much father doesn\"tknow, but, in course, th\" union does; and, as is natural, they wantentheir share o\" th\" profits, now that food is getting dear; and th\" unionsays they\"ll not be doing their duty if they don\"t make the masters give\"em their share. but masters has getten th\" upper hand somehow; and i\"mfeared they\"ll keep it now and evermore. it\"s like th\" great battle o\"

armageddon, the way they keep on, grinning and fighting at each other,till even while they fight, they are picked off into the pit.\"