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Old Jo Racket played this instrument more than sixty years ago; so far back I can answer for it. You remember Jo, Mrs. Bower, ma'am? Yes, yes, you can just remember him; you was a little 'un when he'd use to crawl round from the work'us of a Sunday to the "Green Man." When he went into the 'Ouse he give the fiddle to Mat Trent, Lyddy and Thyrza's father, Mr. Ackroyd. Ah, talk of a player!
"No, Dolly, he's a found child, and never had no father or mother that ever was heard of. We had him from the work'us when he was seven, to chop mangel wurzel, and here he's been ever since, nigh twelve year. He was Bill there, and he's Bill here." "What fun! Fancy having only one name. I wonder what they'll call his wife?" "I don't know. Time to talk of that when he can keep one.
He lifted the old thing in his arms and carried her toward the canon's house. The footman looked aghast. "Let me know when the canon returns," said John, and then marched up the carpeted stairs to his rooms. An hour afterward the old woman opened her eyes and said: "Anythink gorn wrong? Wot's up? Is it the work'us?" It was a clear case of destitution and collapse.
"Then get up and wash that there delf don't give me any imperence, or you'll find yourself in the street; there's others better than you I've turned away, and the work'us has been their end so mind your business, and do what you're told!" With this parting injunction Mrs. Murphy left the kitchen. The winter passed cold, foggy, murky, miserable winter. Eily was transformed.
And so saying Old Hurricane subsided into a seat immediately behind the child, to watch the examination. "What'll they do with her, do you think?" he inquired of a bystander. "Send her down, in course." "Down! Where?" "To Blackwell's Island to the work'us, in course." "To the workhouse her, that child? the wretches! Um-m-m-me!
What we want is work, not work'us bounty, though the parish has been busy enough amongst us lately, God knows! "Why, then," continued the leader. "Why, then," interrupted a cadaverous-looking man from the farther and darkest end of the cellar, "of course we'll make a London job of it, eh?"
'What did you say? inquired Oliver, looking up very quickly. 'A regular right-down bad 'un, Work'us, replied Noah, coolly. 'And it's a great deal better, Work'us, that she died when she did, or else she'd have been hard labouring in Bridewell, or transported, or hung; which is more likely than either, isn't it?
His adventure was known to everybody at the hospital. Once or twice he caught looks of amused compassion, and heard a twitter of laughter. As he stood by the bed, the old woman muttered: "I knoo ez it wuzn't the work'us, my dear. He spoke to me friendly and squeedged my 'and."
A braave tantara 'mongst the fam'ly, I tell 'e. Not a stiver all ate up in a 'nuity, an' her artful limb! just died on the last penny o' the quarter's payment. An' Lezzard left at the work'us door poor auld zawk! An' him fourscore an' never been eggicated an' never larned nothin'!" "To think it might have been your trouble, Blee!" "That's it, that's it! That's what I be full of!
He were always dead against making public show of his birds. 'They're there for reformation, not ignimony, he'd say. Prisons in the old days were often, with the asylum and the work'us, made the holiday show-places of towns.
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