Hewasdressedinhisbest，hisSundaysuitofcourse；whilehisfaceglitteredwiththescrubbinghehadbestowedonit。Hisdarkblackhairhadbeenarrangedandre-arrangedbeforethehouseholdlooking-glass，andinhisbutton-holehestuckanarcissusasweetNancyisitsprettyLancashirename，hopingitwouldattractMary’snotice，sothathemighthavethedelightofgivingither。ItwasabadbeginningofhisvisitofhappinessthatMarysawhimsomeminutesbeforehecameintoherfather’shouse。Shewassittingattheendofthedresser，withthelittlewindow-blinddrawnononeside，inorderthatshemightseethepassers-by，intheintervalsofreadingherBible，whichlayopenbeforeher。SoshewatchedallthegreetingafriendgaveJem；shesawthefaceofcondolence，thesympatheticshakeofthehand，andhadtimetoarrangeherownfaceandmannerbeforeJemcamein，whichhedid，asifhehadeyesfornoonebutherfather，whosatsmokinghispipebythefire，whilehereadanoldNorthernStar，borrowedfromaneighbouringpublic-house。ThenheturnedtoMary，who，hefeltbythesureinstinctoflove，bywhichalmosthisbodythought，waspresent。HerhandswerebusyadjustingherdressforcedandunnecessarymovementJemcouldnothelpthinking。Heraccostwasquietandfriendly，ifgrave；shefeltthatshereddenedlikearose，andwishedshecouldpreventit，whileJemwonderedifherblushesarosefromfear，oranger，orlove。Shewasverycunning，Iamafraid。Shepretendedtoreaddiligently，andnottolistentoawordthatwassaid，whileinfactsheheardallsounds，eventoJem’slong，deepsighs，whichwrungherheart。AtlastshetookupherBible，andasiftheirconversationdisturbedher，wentup-stairstoherlittleroom。AndshehadscarcelyspokenawordtoJem；scarcelylookedathim；nevernoticedhisbeautifulsweetNancy，whichonlyawaitedherleastwordofpraisetobehers!Hedidnotknow——thatpangwasspared——thatinherlittledingybedroomstoodawhitejug，filledwithaluxuriantbunchofearlyspringroses，makingthewholeroomfragrantandbright。
Theywerethegiftofherricherlover。SoJembadtogoonsittingwithJohnBarton，fairlycaughtinhisowntrap，andbadtolistentohistalk，andanswerhimasbesthemight。“There’stherightstuffinthishere’Star，’andnomistake。Sucharight-downpieceforshorthours。““Atthesamerateofwagesasnow？“askedJem。“Aye，aye!elsewhere’stheuse？It’sonlytakingouto’themasters’pocketwhattheycanwellafford。DidIevertellyewhatth’Infirmarychapletmeinto，manyayearagone？““No，“saidJem，listlessly。“Well!yomustknowIwereinth’Infirmaryforafever，andtimeswererareandbad，andtherebegoodchapstheretoaman，whilehe’swick，whate’ertheymaybeaboutcuttinghimupatafter。SowhenIwerebettero’th’fever，butweakaswater，theysaystome，saysthey，’Ifyo’canwrite，youmaystayinaweeklonger，andhelpoursurgeonwi’sortinghispapers；andwe’lltakecareyo’veyourbellyfulofmeatanddrink。
Yo’llbetwiceasstronginaweek。’Sotherewantedbutonewordtothatbargain。SoIweresettowritingandcopying；th’writingIcoulddowellenough，butthey’dsuchqueerwayso’spelling，thatI’dne’erbeenusedto，thatI’dtolookfirstatth’copyandthenatmyletters，foralltheworldlikeacockpickingupgrainso’corn。Butonethingstartledmee’enthen，andIthoughtI’dmakeboldtoaskthesurgeonthemeaningo’t。I’vegettennoheadfornumbers，butthisIknow，thatbyfarth’
greaterparto’th’accidentsascomedin，happenedinth’lasttwohourso’work，whenfolkgettentiredandcareless。Th’surgeonsaiditwerealltrue，andthatheweregoingtobringthatfacttolight。“JemwasponderingMary’sconduct；butthepausemadehimawareheoughttouttersomecivillisteningnoise；sohesaid，“Verytrue。““Aye，it’strueenough，mylad，thatwe’resadlyover-borne，andworsewillcomeofitaforelong。Block-printersisgoingtostrike；they’ngettenabang-upunion，aswon’tlet’embeputupon。Butthere’smanyathingwillhappenaforelong，asfolkdon’texpect。Yomaytakemywordforthat，Jem。“Jemwasverywillingtotakeit，butdidnotexpressthecuriosityheshouldhavedone。SoJohnBartonthoughthe’dtryanotherhintortwo。“Workingfolkwon’tbegroundtothedustmuchlonger。We’na’hadasmuchtobearashumannaturecanbear。So，ifth’masterscan’tdousnogood，andtheysaytheycan’t，wemuntryhigherfolk。“StillJemwasnotcurious。HegaveuphopeofseeingMaryagainbyherowngoodfreewill；andthenextbestthingwouldbe，tobealonetothinkofher。Somutteringsomethingwhichhemeanttoserveasanexcuseforhissuddendeparture，hehastilywishedJohngoodafternoon，andlefthimtoresumehispipeandhispolitics。Forthreeyearspasttradehadbeengettingworseandworse，andthepriceofprovisionshigherandhigher。Thisdisparitybetweentheamountoftheearningsoftheworkingclassesandthepriceoftheirfood，occasioned，inmorecasesthancouldwellbeimagined，diseaseanddeath。Wholefamilieswentthroughagradualstarvation。TheyonlywantedaDantetorecordtheirsufferings。Andyetevenhiswordswouldfallshortoftheawfultruth；
theycouldonlypresentanoutlineofthetremendousfactsofthedestitutionthatsurroundedthousandsuponthousandsintheterribleyears1839，1840，and1841。Evenphilanthropistswhohadstudiedthesubject，wereforcedtoownthemselvesperplexedintheirendeavourtoascertaintherealcausesofthemisery；thewholematterwasofsocomplicatedanature，thatitbecamenexttoimpossibletounderstanditthoroughly。Itneedexcitenosurprise，then，tolearnthatabadfeelingbetweenworkingmenandtheupperclassesbecameverystronginthisseasonofprivation。Theindigenceandsufferingsoftheoperativesinducedasuspicioninthemindsofmanyofthem，thattheirlegislators，theirmagistrates，theiremployers，andeventheministersofreligion，were，ingeneral，theiroppressorsandenemies；andwereinleaguefortheirprostrationandenthralment。ThemostdeplorableandenduringevilthataroseoutoftheperiodofcommercialdepressiontowhichIrefer，wasthisfeelingofalienationbetweenthedifferentclassesofsociety。Itissoimpossibletodescribe，orevenfaintlytopicture，thestateofdistresswhichprevailedinthetownatthattime，thatIwillnotattemptit；andyetIthinkagainthatsurely，inaChristianland，itwasnotknownevensofeeblyaswordscouldtellit，orthemorehappyandfortunatewouldhavethrongedwiththeirsympathyandtheiraid。Inmanyinstancesthesufferersweptfirst，andthentheycursed。Theirvindictivefeelingsexhibitedthemselvesinrabidpolitics。