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"There never was a man built for the chair like Bob Eccles I say! Our evening's broke up, and I, for one, 'd ha' made it morning. Hark, outside; By Gearge! they're snowballing." An adjournment to the front door brought them in view of a white and silent earth under keen stars, and Dick Curtis and the bilious boatbuilder, foot to foot, snowball in hand. A bout of the smart exercise made Mr.
George's kinder demeanor towards Abel began shortly after the coming of the little Jan, and George himself accounted for it in the following manner: "You do be kind to me now, Gearge," said Abel, gratefully, as he stood one day, with the baby in his arms, watching the miller's man emptying a sack of grain into the hopper.
'Why, old Sewis, says he, 'you're acquainted with old Sewis? Why, of course you are. Yes, old Sewis 's alive, Master Harry. And you bet me at single-wicket! That 'll be something to relate to 'em all. By Gearge, if I didn't think I'd got a nettle in my fist when I saw you pitch into my stumps. Dash it! thinks I. But th' old squire 'll be proud of you, that he will. My farm lies three miles away.
But I'll never read like thee," he added, despairingly. "Drattle th' old witch; why didn't she give I some schooling?" He spoke with spiteful emphasis, and Abel, too well used to his rough language to notice the uncivil reference to his mother, said with some compassion, "Were you never sent to school then, Gearge?" "They should ha' kept me there," said George, self-defensively.
Suddenly the waggoner came to a halt, and said 'Blest if that Gearge bain't a snorin' on his pins! Evan lingered by him with some curiosity, while the waggoner thumped his thigh to, 'Yes he be! no he bain't! several times, in eager hesitation. 'It's a fellow calling from the downs, said Evan. 'Ay, so! responded the waggoner. 'Dang'd if I didn't think 'twere that Gearge of our'n. Hark awhile.
"I played moocher," he continued, by which he meant truant, "and then they whopped I, and a went home to mother, and she kept un at home, the old vool!" "Well, Gearge, thee must work hard, and I'll teach thee, Gearge, I'll teach thee!" said little Abel, proudly. "And by-and-by, Gearge, we'll get a slate, and I'll teach thee to write too, Gearge, that I will!"
That's all, Abel; that's all." "There ain't no signs of wind," said Abel. "It's main quiet and unked too outside, Gearge. And I do think it be like rain. There was a miller-moth, Gearge; do that mean any thing?" "I can't say," said George. "I bean't weatherwise myself, Abel. But if there be no wind, there be no work, Abel; so us may go back to our larning.
"I likes to see thee with that babby, Abel," said George, pausing in his work. "Thee's a good boy, Abel, and careful. I likes to do any thing for thee, Abel." "I wish I could do any thing for thee, Gearge," said Abel; "but I be too small to help the likes of you, Gearge." "If you're small, you're sprack," said the miller's man. "Thee's a good scholar, too, Abel. I'll be bound thee can read, now?
He decided for the former, and one day brought his spelling-book to George in the round-house. "I've been a looking for that yere word, Gearge," said he. "There's lots of Mo's, but it bean't among 'em. Here they be. Words of two syllables; M, Ma, Me, Mi; here they be, Mo."
One of the men frightened me by saying, 'By Gearge! I'll in with you into a gig, and off with you after that ther' faller. He pretended to mean it, and started up. I watched him without flinching. He remarked that if I 'had not cut my lucky from school, and tossed my cap for a free life, he was whatever may be expressed by a slap on the thigh.
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