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When corncob pipes went up from a nickel to six cents, smoking traditions tottered. That was a year or more ago, but one can still recall the indignation written on the faces of nicotine-soaked gaffers who had been buying cobs at a jitney ever since Washington used one to keep warm at Valley Forge.
In the Roman times and long ages before ever the rumour of the Romans had come into these parts, men drove their cattle up into these places as the summer came on.... How haunted is this place! There have been quarrels here, hopes, children have played here and lived to be old crones and old gaffers, and died, and so it has gone on for thousands of lives.
For other people, they would urge the reasonable question, how else came Roger by the cash? and getting no answer, or worse than none a prevaricating, mystifying mere put-off they had hardly an alternative in common exercise of judgment: therefore, "Shame on her," said the neighbours, "and the bitterest shame on him:" and the gaffers and grand-dames shook their heads virtuously.
'Well why can't 'em hire a travelling chap to touch up the picters into her own gaffers and gammers? Then they'd be worth sommat to her. 'Ah, here they are? I thought so, said Havill, who had been standing up at the window for the last few moments. 'The ringers were told to begin as soon as the train signalled.
Here the gaffers and gammers, whose dancing days were over, told stories of great impressiveness, and at intervals surveyed the advancing and retiring couples from the same retreat, as people on shore might be supposed to survey a naval engagement in the bay beyond; returning again to their tales when the pause was over.
His smile lit up the dark sunburnt face like sunshine. He had a kind word, a friendly hand-clasp for everybody even for gaffers and goodies who had hobbled from their village shanties to see the sport, and to get their share of cold sirloin and old October. He took the feeble old creatures into the tent, and saw that they found a place at the board.
"He is trying to find out a secret that will lick all the printing offices in France and Navarre." "And meantime you take your orders from a washer-woman, you snip of a foreman, on two francs a day." "She is pretty though," retorted Cerizet; "it is better to have her to look at than the phizes of your gaffers." "And do you live by looking at his wife?"
'Arf a dollar 'eads!" roared the gamblers, making their bets. "Get set! get set!" cried the boxer, lolling in his seat with a nonchalant air; and in a twinkling a bright heap of silver lay in front of each player, the wagers made with the gaffers opposite. The spinner handed his stake of five shillings to the boxer, who cried "Fair go!"
"Why don't you cut him down, you old fools?" cried the Admiral to three gaffers, who stood moralising, while Mrs. Cheeseman sat upon a barrel, sobbing heavily, with both hands spread to conceal the sad sight. "We was afraid of hurting of him," said the quickest-witted of the gaffers; "Us wanted to know why 'a doed it," said the deepest; and, "The will of the Lord must be done," said the wisest.
That's the short and the long of it." "The workhouse!" "Aye." Stupefaction. The crows chattering wildly overhead. "And he owns Darwin's Dovecot?" "He owns Darwin's Dovecot." "And how i' t' name o' all things did that come about'!" "Why, I'll tell thee. It was i' this fashion." Not without reason does the wary writer put gossip in the mouths of gaffers rather than of gammers.
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