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Bellamy, Edward, 1850-1898

"The Duke of Stockbridge"

Deakin kin git ye put in any time he wants
ter complain on ye. Ye better not rile him."
But at this Meshech, instead of being impressed, burst into a loud haw
haw.
"Yes'dy mornin ye could a scart me outer a week's growth a talkin
baout Squire, but, gol, ye'll have ter try suthen else naow. Wy don'
ye know we wuz a serenadin Squire with a hoss-fiddle till ten o'clock
las' night, an he didn' das show his nose outer doors.
"Gosh!" he continued, getting into bed and turning over toward the
wall, "I'd giv considabul, ef I could dream I wuz lickin Squire. Mebbe
I kin. Don' ye wake me up agin Sally," and presently his regular
snoring proclaimed that he had departed to the free hunting grounds of
dreamland in pursuit of his desired game.
Now Meshech's was merely a representative case. He was by no means the
only workingman who that morning kept his bed warm to an unaccustomed
hour. Except such as had farms of their own to work on, or work for
themselves to do, there was scarcely any one in Stockbridge who went
to work. A large part of the labor by which the industries of the
community had been carried on, had been that of debtors working out
their debts at such allowance for wages as their creditor-employers
chose to make them.


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