Page:Dickens - A Child s History of England, 1900.djvu/780

346 weathers. If it don't happen to be good for my work today it's good for some other man's to-day, and will come round to me to-morrow. We must all live."

"Pray shake hands," said Mr. Traveller.

"Take care, sir," was the tinker's caution, as he reached up his hand in surprise; "the black comes off."

"I am glad of it," said Mr. Traveller. "I have been for several hours among other black that does not come off."

"You are speaking of Tom in there?"

"Yes."

"Well, now," said the tinker, blowing the dust off his job, which was finished. "Ain't it enough to disgust a pig, if he could give his mind to it?"

"If he could give his mind to it," returned the other, smiling, "the probability is that he wouldn't be a pig."

"There you clench the nail," returned the tinker.

"Then what's to be said for Tom?"

"Truly very little."

"Truly nothing you mean, sir," said the tinker, as he put away his tools.

"A better answer, and (I freely acknowledge) my meaning. I infer that he was the cause of your disgust?"

"Why, look'ee here, sir," said the tinker, rising to his feet, and wiping his face on the corner of his black apron energetically;" I leave you to judge;—I ask you!—Last night I has a job that needs to be done in the night, and I works all night. Well, there's nothing in that. But this morning I comes along this road here, looking for a sunny and soft spot to sleep in, and I sees this desolation and ruination. I've lived myself in desolation and ruination; I knows many a fellow-creetur that's forced to live life-long in desolation and ruination; and I sits me down and takes pity on it, as I cast my eyes about. Then comes up the long-winded one as I told you of from that gate, and spins himself out like a silk-worm concerning the donkey (if my donkey at home will excuse me) as has made it all—made it of his own choice! And tells me, if you please, of his likewise choosing to go ragged and naked and grimy—maskerading, mountebanking, in what is the real hard lot of thousands and thou sands! Why, then I say it's a unbearable and non