FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  
his, but any commoner's in the land, though he were the mightiest production of all the ages, in intellect, worth, and character, and I bankrupt in all three. This was to remain so, as long as England should exist in the earth. With the spirit of prophecy upon me, I could look into the future and see her erect statues and monuments to her unspeakable Georges and other royal and noble clothes-horses, and leave unhonored the creators of this world--after God--Gutenburg, Watt, Arkwright, Whitney, Morse, Stephenson, Bell. The king got his cargo aboard, and then, the talk not turning upon battle, conquest, or iron-clad duel, he dulled down to drowsiness and went off to take a nap. Mrs. Marco cleared the table, placed the beer keg handy, and went away to eat her dinner of leavings in humble privacy, and the rest of us soon drifted into matters near and dear to the hearts of our sort--business and wages, of course. At a first glance, things appeared to be exceeding prosperous in this little tributary kingdom--whose lord was King Bagdemagus--as compared with the state of things in my own region. They had the "protection" system in full force here, whereas we were working along down toward free-trade, by easy stages, and were now about half way. Before long, Dowley and I were doing all the talking, the others hungrily listening. Dowley warmed to his work, snuffed an advantage in the air, and began to put questions which he considered pretty awkward ones for me, and they did have something of that look: "In your country, brother, what is the wage of a master bailiff, master hind, carter, shepherd, swineherd?" "Twenty-five milrays a day; that is to say, a quarter of a cent." The smith's face beamed with joy. He said: "With us they are allowed the double of it! And what may a mechanic get--carpenter, dauber, mason, painter, blacksmith, wheelwright, and the like?" "On the average, fifty milrays; half a cent a day." "Ho-ho! With us they are allowed a hundred! With us any good mechanic is allowed a cent a day! I count out the tailor, but not the others--they are all allowed a cent a day, and in driving times they get more--yes, up to a hundred and ten and even fifteen milrays a day. I've paid a hundred and fifteen myself, within the week. 'Rah for protection--to Sheol with free-trade!" And his face shone upon the company like a sunburst. But I didn't scare at all. I rigged up my pile-driver, and allo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  



Top keywords:

allowed

 

hundred

 

milrays

 

things

 

mechanic

 

Dowley

 
protection
 

master

 

fifteen

 
bailiff

brother

 

country

 

warmed

 

Before

 
talking
 

listening

 
hungrily
 

stages

 

carter

 

considered


pretty
 

awkward

 

questions

 

snuffed

 

advantage

 
double
 

driving

 

tailor

 

rigged

 

driver


company

 

sunburst

 

working

 

beamed

 

Twenty

 
swineherd
 

quarter

 
carpenter
 

average

 

wheelwright


dauber

 
painter
 

blacksmith

 

shepherd

 

Gutenburg

 

Arkwright

 
creators
 

unhonored

 
clothes
 
horses