Complete Works. D. H. Lawrence

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      “Have you seen Hose?” called a very small woman from across the road. It was Mrs. Anthony, a black-haired, strange little body, who always wore a brown velvet dress, tight fitting.

      “I haven't,” said Mrs. Morel.

      “Eh, I wish he'd come. I've got a copperful of clothes, an' I'm sure I heered his bell.”

      “Hark! He's at the end.”

      The two women looked down the alley. At the end of the Bottoms a man stood in a sort of old-fashioned trap, bending over bundles of cream-coloured stuff; while a cluster of women held up their arms to him, some with bundles. Mrs. Anthony herself had a heap of creamy, undyed stockings hanging over her arm.

      “I've done ten dozen this week,” she said proudly to Mrs. Morel.

      “T-t-t!” went the other. “I don't know how you can find time.”

      “Eh!” said Mrs. Anthony. “You can find time if you make time.”

      “I don't know how you do it,” said Mrs. Morel. “And how much shall you get for those many?”

      “Tuppence-ha'penny a dozen,” replied the other.

      “Well,” said Mrs. Morel. “I'd starve before I'd sit down and seam twenty-four stockings for twopence ha'penny.”

      “Oh, I don't know,” said Mrs. Anthony. “You can rip along with 'em.”

      Hose was coming along, ringing his bell. Women were waiting at the yard-ends with their seamed stockings hanging over their arms. The man, a common fellow, made jokes with them, tried to swindle them, and bullied them. Mrs. Morel went up her yard disdainfully.

      It was an understood thing that if one woman wanted her neighbour, she should put the poker in the fire and bang at the back of the fireplace, which, as the fires were back to back, would make a great noise in the adjoining house. One morning Mrs. Kirk, mixing a pudding, nearly started out of her skin as she heard the thud, thud, in her grate. With her hands all floury, she rushed to the fence.

      “Did you knock, Mrs. Morel?”

      “If you wouldn't mind, Mrs. Kirk.”

      Mrs. Kirk climbed on to her copper, got over the wall on to Mrs. Morel's copper, and ran in to her neighbour.

      “Eh, dear, how are you feeling?” she cried in concern.

      “You might fetch Mrs. Bower,” said Mrs. Morel.

      Mrs. Kirk went into the yard, lifted up her strong, shrill voice, and called:

      “Ag-gie—Ag-gie!”

      The sound was heard from one end of the Bottoms to the other. At last Aggie came running up, and was sent for Mrs. Bower, whilst Mrs. Kirk left her pudding and stayed with her neighbour.

      Mrs. Morel went to bed. Mrs. Kirk had Annie and William for dinner. Mrs. Bower, fat and waddling, bossed the house.

      “Hash some cold meat up for the master's dinner, and make him an apple-charlotte pudding,” said Mrs. Morel.

      “He may go without pudding this day,” said Mrs. Bower.

      Morel was not as a rule one of the first to appear at the bottom of the pit, ready to come up. Some men were there before four o'clock, when the whistle blew loose-all; but Morel, whose stall, a poor one, was at this time about a mile and a half away from the bottom, worked usually till the first mate stopped, then he finished also. This day, however, the miner was sick of the work. At two o'clock he looked at his watch, by the light of the green candle—he was in a safe working—and again at half-past two. He was hewing at a piece of rock that was in the way for the next day's work. As he sat on his heels, or kneeled, giving hard blows with his pick, “Uszza—uszza!” he went.

      “Shall ter finish, Sorry?” cried Barker, his fellow butty.

      “Finish? Niver while the world stands!” growled Morel.

      And he went on striking. He was tired.

      “It's a heart-breaking job,” said Barker.

      But Morel was too exasperated, at the end of his tether, to answer. Still he struck and hacked with all his might.

      “Tha might as well leave it, Walter,” said Barker. “It'll do to-morrow, without thee hackin' thy guts out.”

      “I'll lay no b—— finger on this to-morrow, Isr'el!” cried Morel.

      “Oh, well, if tha wunna, somebody else'll ha'e to,” said Israel.

      Then Morel continued to strike.

      “Hey-up there—LOOSE-A'!” cried the men, leaving the next stall.

      Morel continued to strike.

      “Tha'll happen catch me up,” said Barker, departing.

      When he had gone, Morel, left alone, felt savage. He had not finished his job. He had overworked himself into a frenzy. Rising, wet with sweat, he threw his tool down, pulled on his coat, blew out his candle, took his lamp, and went. Down the main road the lights of the other men went swinging. There was a hollow sound of many voices. It was a long, heavy tramp underground.

      He sat at the bottom of the pit, where the great drops of water fell plash. Many colliers were waiting their turns to go up, talking noisily. Morel gave his answers short and disagreeable.

      “It's rainin', Sorry,” said old Giles, who had had the news from the top.

      Morel found one comfort. He had his old umbrella, which he loved, in the lamp cabin. At last he took his stand on the chair, and was at the top in a moment. Then he handed in his lamp and got his umbrella, which he had bought at an auction for one-and-six. He stood on the edge of the pit-bank for a moment, looking out over the fields; grey rain was falling. The trucks stood full of wet, bright coal. Water ran down the sides of the waggons, over the white “C.W. and Co.”. Colliers, walking indifferent to the rain, were streaming down the line and up the field, a grey, dismal host. Morel put up his umbrella, and took pleasure from the peppering of the drops thereon.

      All along the road to Bestwood the miners tramped, wet and grey and dirty, but their red mouths talking with animation. Morel also walked with a gang, but he said nothing. He frowned peevishly as he went. Many men passed into the Prince of Wales or into Ellen's. Morel, feeling sufficiently disagreeable to resist temptation, trudged along under the dripping trees that overhung the park wall, and down the mud of Greenhill Lane.

      Mrs. Morel lay in bed, listening to the rain, and the feet of the colliers from Minton, their voices, and the bang, bang of the gates as they went through the stile up the field.

      “There's some herb beer behind the pantry door,” she said. “Th' master'll want a drink, if he doesn't stop.”

      But he was late, so she concluded he had called for a drink, since it was raining. What did he care about the child or her?

      She was very ill when her children were born.

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