Author(s): Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

American

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VIII. A TROUBLESOME CHARACTER. / DEGREESLD Bijah Mudge stepped painfully over a DEGREES ' tub of yellow ochre and crossed the printroom at the overseer's beck. There had been an order of some kind, but he was growing deaf, and the heavy engines were on. The overseer repeated it. "Sir?" "I said your notice, did n't I? I say your notice, don't I? You '11 work your notice, you will." "A-a-ah !" said Bijah, drawing a long breath. He stood and knotted his lean fingers together, watching the yellow dye drop off. "Is there a reason given, sir?" "No reason." "Folks my age ain't often ordered on notice without reason," said the old man, feebly. "Folks your age should be more particular how they give satisfaction," said the overseer, significantly. "I 've known o' cases as where a boss has guessed at a reason, on his own hook, you know, Jim." Irish Jim was in the print-rooms at Hayle and Kelso at that time. Some said the new partner had a finger in "getting him out of the weavingroom. It was a sharp fellow, and belonged somewhere. Here he would be brutal to old men and little boys; but there were no girls in the printroom. "On his own hook and at a guess," said the "boss," "a man might ask who testified to Boston on a recent little hour-bill as we know of." "/ testified," cried the old man, shrilly, "before a committee of the Legislature of the State of Massachusetts. I 'd do it ag'in, Jim! In the face of my notice, I 'd do it ag'in! At the risk o' the poor-us, I 'd do it ag'in! I call Hayle and Kelso to witness as I 'd do it ag'in! In the name of the State of Massachusetts, I 'd do it ag'in!" "Do it again !" said Jim, with a brutal oath. "Who hinders you?" "But there were no reasons !" added the overseer, sharply. "You fail to give satisfaction, ...