Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: August 27, 2024
Before Jim had time to answer, a coarse-looking man of middle height, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, a pipe in his mouth, and his whole appearance bespeaking one who, in his best moments, was never thoroughly sober, strode up to the unhappy mother, and shouted out, "What's up now? what's all this about?" "Your Sammul's run away that's what it's about," said Jim.
John was on the other side of his wife holding her other hand. "You know, John," she said with a smile, "I only gave you the one hand when we were wed, so our Sammul's a right to t'other. And now, tell us all, Sammul dear, from the very first. You needn't be afraid of speaking out afore our John; he knows all as we know, and you must take him for your brother."
"I guess there'll be rare crying at our house if Sammul's gone off for good; it'll drive Alice and our Betty clean crazy." With a sorrowful "good night" he stepped out again into the darkness, and set his face homewards.
"Summat ails you, I'm sure," said the kind woman. "Oh, Jenny," replied the unhappy father, "our Sammul's gone off gone off for good and all.
"Betty," she said, softly and sadly, "you're all the wenches I have; ay, and all the childer too, for our Sammul's as good as dead and gone, we shall never see him no more ah, he was a good lad to his poor mother; he'd never have grudged her the brass to buy a drop of drink.
"Well?" exclaimed both Betty and her mother when he entered they could say nothing more. He understood too plainly what they meant. "Our Sammul's not been at your brother John's," he said to his wife; "what must we do now? The Lord help me; I'm a miserable wretch."
"Oh, Sammul, I am so glad to see you you can't wonder, for you're all the brothers I have, and I'm all the sisters you have; you can't wonder at it, John." "I'm not wondering at anything but the Lord's goodness," said her husband, in a husky voice, and wiping his eyes. "Here, Sammul," exclaimed Betty to her eldest child, "get on your Uncle Sammul's knee, and hug him with all your might. Eh!
What's it done with my wage, with our Betty's wage, with our poor Sammul's wage? Why, it's just swallowed all up, and paid us back in dirt and rags. Where's there such a beggarly house as this in all the village? Why haven't we clothes to our backs and shoes to our feet? It's because the drink has took all." "It's not the drink," screamed Alice, her eyes flashing with rage.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking