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If Ned Brierley likes his teetottal ways, and brings up his lads and wenches same fashion, let him please himself; but he mustn't make teetottallers of you nor me." "And why shouldn't he make a teetottaller of me?" cried Thomas, his anger rising at his wife's opposition. "What has the drink done for us, I'd like to know?
I black-guarded him last night about yon teetottal chap as come a-lecturing and got our Sammul and Betty to sign the pledge, so just about an hour since he slips out in his Sunday hat and shoes, when Alice were down the yard, and when she comes back she finds a bit of papper on the table with a five-shilling piece and a bit of his hair lapped up in it, and there was writ on it, `From Sammul, for dear mother. Oh, Jenny, I'm afraid for my life he's gone off to Americay; or, worse still, he may have drowned or hanged himself."
I'm not fond of your teetottal chaps; but Tommy's a quiet, decent sort of man, and their Betty's as tidy a wench as you'll meet with anywhere; and I think it's a shame to bring 'em any more trouble, for they've had more nor their share as it is. It'd be a rare and good thing if some of you chaps'd follow Tommy's example.
"I reckon you're not so far wrong," was the answer. "Ah, well; so it is for sure," broke out Betty. "Why, you're the teetottal chap as came a-lecturing when me and our poor Sammul signed the pledge." "Sit ye down, sit ye down," cried her father; "you're welcome to our house, though it is but a sorrowful one." "I think, my friend," said the stranger, "that you are one of us now."
"No, no," said the other; "you're none of that sort. You look very down; a pint of ale'll be just the very thing to set you right." Johnson took the ale. "Didn't I see you coming out of Ned Brierley's?" asked one of the drinkers. "Well, and what then?" asked Johnson, fiercely. "Oh, nothing; only I thought, maybe, that you were for coming out in the teetottal line.
But you know all the while that I can't do without my little drop of drink. Well, it makes no odds whether I starve to death or die for want of the drink there'll be short work with me one road or the other; and then you and Betty can fill up my place with some of them teetottal chaps you're both so fond on, when I'm in the ground."
Johnson sat down in the old rickety rocking-chair at the opposite side of the fire to Samuel, and stooping down, unbuckled his clogs, which he kicked off savagely; then he looked up at his son, and said in a voice of suppressed passion, "So, my lad, you've been and signed teetottal." "Yes, I have," was the reply. "And you've signed too," he cried in a louder voice, turning fiercely upon Betty.
Before he could say more, Johnson had snatched up one of his heavy clogs and had hurled it at the head of his son, fortunately without striking him; then catching up both clogs, and hastily buckling them, he strode to the door, and pausing for a moment, gasped out, "I've said it, and I'll stick to it; ye shall both break your teetottal afore this time to- morrow, as I'm a living man."
He was turning away towards the pit, when he looked back and added, "I've heard that you and Thomas are for making him break his teetottal; have a care, Alice, have a care you'll lose him for good and all if you don't mind." She made him no answer, but turning to another collier, who had lately come from his work, and was sauntering across the road, she repeated her question,
"Thomas is not the chap to be scared out of what he's made up his mind to." "No," remarked another; "and there's many a one as'd stand by him if we were to try anything strong." "Can't we shame him at the meeting?" asked another. "Nay," said Jones, "he's gradely. You couldn't shame him by telling folks what he was; and all as knows him knows as he's kept his teetottal strict enough."
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