Facing Death; Or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit: A Tale of the Coal Mines

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XIV.

  THE NIGHT-SCHOOL.

  Jack found that, as he expected, his friends Harry Shepherd, BillCummings, and Fred Wood, would be glad to attend a night-school, and towork in earnest; for the example of what Jack had done for himself, evenso far as they knew, had excited a strong desire for improvement amongthem. They, however, were doubtful as to others, and agreed that itwould not do to propose it in a straightforward manner, but that a gooddeal of careful management would be necessary.

  Jack, it was arranged, should open the subject after leading up to itcarefully. Harry should be the first to consent, Bill Cummings was togive in his adhesion when he saw signs of wavering among the others, andFred Wood to delay his until a moment when his coming forward would beuseful.

  The following Saturday, when many of them were always together, shouldbe the occasion, and Fred Wood was to lead up to the matter by askingJack some questions as to the relative bigness of the earth and thesun.

  Saturday came, the lads gathered in a field which belonged to theVaughan, and upon which a great tip of rubbish and shale was graduallyencroaching. Here choosing sides they played at rounders for a couple ofhours, and then flung themselves down on the grass. Some of them lightedpipes, and all enjoyed the quiet of the fine autumn evening.

  Presently Fred Wood artfully fired off the questions he had prepared,which Jack answered.

  "What a sight o' things thou know'st, Jack!" Bill Cummings said.

  "I don't know much yet, Bill, but I hopes to know a goodish deal someday."

  "And thou really lik'st reading, Jack? I hate it," John Jordan said.

  "I didn't like it ower much at first," Jack answered, "but as I got on Iliked it more and more. I wish you chaps had the chances I had. It isn'tevery one who would take the pains wi' a fellow as Merton took wi' me."

  "What ud be t' good o't?" John Jordan asked. "I doan't see no good inknowing that t' sun be a hundred thousand times as big as t' world."

  "There's use in a great deal o' what one gets to know, though," Jacksaid; "not so much now as some day, maybe. A chap as has some sort o'edication has chances over another o' being chosen as a viewer or anoversman."

  "Oh! that's what thou be'est looking forward to, Jack, eh? Well there'ssummat in that, and I shouldna' wonder if we see thee that some day; butwe can't all be oversmen."

  "Not in the Vaughan," Jack said; "but there's plenty o' other pits, anda chap as has got his head screwed on straight, and can write well andfigure a bit, and have read up his work, may always look forward togetting a step up wherever he goes. Besides, look at the difference itmakes to the pleasures o' life. What has a man got to do who ain'tlearnt to be fond o' reading? Nowt but to go to t' public to spend hisevenings and drink away his earnings. So 'ee goes on, and his woifedoan't care about taking pains about a house when t' maister ain't neverat home but to his meals, and his children get to look for him cominghome drunk and smashing the things, and when he gets old he's just abroken-down drunkard, wi'out a penny saved, and nowt but the poorhousebefore him. Now, that's the sort o' life o' a man who can't read, orcan't read well enough to take pleasure in it, has before him. That isso, bean't it?"

  There was a long silence; all the lads knew that the picture was a trueone.

  "Now look at t'other side," Jack went on; "look at Merton. He didn't getmoore pay a week than a pitman does; look how he lived, how comfortableeverything was! What a home that ud be for a man to go back to after hiswork was done! Noice furniture, a wife looking forward neat and tidy toyour coming hoam for the evening. Your food all comfortable, the kidsclean and neat, and delighted to see feyther home."

  There was again a long silence.

  "Where be the girls to make the tidy wife a' cooming from, I wonder?"John Jordan said; "not in Stokebridge, I reckon!"

  "The lasses take mostly after the lads," Jack said. "If we became betterthey'd be ashamed to lag behind. Mrs. Dodgson, the new schoolmaister'swife, told me t'other day she thought o' opening a sort o' night classfor big girls, to teach 'em sewing, and making their own clothes, andsummat about cooking, and such like."

  "That would be summat like," said Harry Shepherd, who saw that hisopportunity had come. "I wonder whether t' maister would open anight-school for us; I'd go for one, quick enough. I doan't know as I'verightly thought it over before, but now ye puts it in that way, Jack,there be no doubt i' my moind that I should; it would be a heap betterto get some larning, and to live like a decent kind o' chap."

  "I doan't know," John Jordan said; "it moight be better, but look what alot o' work one ud have to do."

  "Well, John, I always finds plenty o' time for play," Jack said. "Youcould give an hour a day to it, and now the winter's coming on you'd bemain glad sometimes as you'd got summat to do. I should ha' to talk tothe schoolmaister a bit. I doan't know as he'd be willing to give up histime of an evening two or three evenings a week, say two, when he's beenat work all day. It be a good deal to ask a man, that is."

  "It be, surely," Harry said; "but what a sight o' good it would do, andif his woife be willing to give oop her time to the girls, maybe hewould do as much for us." There was a pause again. Several of the ladslooked irresolute.

  "Well," Bill Cummings said, "I be ready for another if some more of 'eewill join't." The example was contagious. Four others agreed to join.

  "Come," Harry Shepherd said, "it bean't no use if Jack can't tellschoolmaister that a dozen o' us will come in ef he will open a schooltwo nights a week. You'll join, woan't you, Fred Wood?"

  "Oi allers hated my books," Fred said, "and used to be bottom o' class.It ain't as I doan't believe what Jack Simpson says; there be no doubtas it would be a sight better look-out if one got to be fond o' books,and such loike. I doan't believe as ever I shall be, but I doan't mindgiving it a trial for six months, and if at the end o' that time Idoan't like it, why I jacks it oop."

  The adhesion of this seemingly reluctant recruit settled the matter.Even John Jordan yielded upon the same terms, and the whole party,fifteen in number, put down their names, and Jack Simpson undertook tospeak to Mr Dodgson.

  "See how we shall get laughed at," John Jordan said. "Why, we shall getmade fun o' by the whole place."

  "Let 'em laugh," Jack said, "they won't laugh long. I never was laughedat, and why should you be? They canna call us Jennies, for we sixteenwill play any sixteen wi'in five miles round, at any game they like, orfight 'em if it comes to that. We has only got to stick together. Isha'n't be one of the night-school, but I am one wi' you, and we'll juststick together. Don't let us mind if they do laugh; if they go on at it,and I doubt they will, just offer to fight anyone your own size, and ifhe be bigger than you like I'll take him in hand."

  "That's it," Harry Shepherd said enthusiastically; "we'll sticktogether, and you see how we'll get on; and look here, I vote we eachpay threepence a week, that will get us a room at two bob, and candles.Then we can work a' night wi'out being disturbed."

  "This be a good idea o' thine, Harry. I'll give my threepence a week aswell as the rest, and I'll come in on the nights when you don't go toschool and help any that wants it."

  "Yes," Bill Cummings said, "and we'll send round challenges to the otherpits to play football and rounders. I vote we call ourselves the'Bull-dogs,' and Jack shall be our captain."

  The proposition was carried with unanimity, and the "Bull-dogs" became abody from that time. Harry was appointed treasurer, and the firstweek's subscriptions were paid forthwith, and an hour later a room washired.

  "Hullo!" Fred Wood said, as they poured in and took possession; "weforgot furniture. We must have a table and some benches."

  "It is the captain's duty to provide furniture," Jack said. "I will geta big table and some benches on Monday, and then we'll draw up rules andget 'em framed and hung over the fireplace, then we shall be all inorder."

  Nothing could have been more happy than this plan of starting a club; itgave all the members a lively interest in the matter, and united them bya bond whi
ch would keep the lazy and careless from hanging back, and itwas quite with a sense of excitement that they met on the Mondayevening.

  Jack had got a large table and some benches. Inkstands, slates, paper,and pencils were on the table, and four candles were burning. He tookthe place of honour at the head of the table, and the others, muchpleased with the appearance of the room, took their seats round thetable.

  "In the first place," Jack said, striking the table with his fist tocall for order, "I have to report to you that I ha' seen theschoolmaister, and he says that he will willingly give two hours twonights a week to teaching the 'Bull-dogs.'"

  This announcement was received with great applause, for the lads hadall become deeply interested in the matter.

  "He says Tuesdays and Fridays will suit him, from seven till nine; and Ihave, in your name, accepted with very many thanks his offer; for, lads,it be no light thing that a man who has been all day teaching, shouldgive up two evenings a week to help us on, and that wi'out charge orpayment."

  "That's so, Jack!" Fred Wood said. "I voate we pass a vote o' thanks toMr. Dodgson."

  There was a chorus of approval.

  "Someone ha' got to second that proposal," Jack said; "we must do thingsin the proper form."

  "I second it," John Jordan said.

  "Very well," Jack said, "are you all agreed?" "All." "Very well, then,I'll write that out neatly in this book I ha' bought to keep the recordso' the club, and I'll send a copy to Mr. Dodgson; I'm sure he will bepleased. I had best act as secretary as well as captain at present, tillone o' you gets on wi' his writing and can take it off my hands. Now wemust draw out our rules. First, we must put down that the following arethe original members of the Bull-dog Club. Then, that the objects of theclub are to improve ourselves, and to make decent men o' ourselves.Next, to stick together in a body and to play all sorts o' games againstany other set. All that's been agreed, ain't it?"

  There were cries of "Ay, ay," and Jack wrote down the items on the sheeto' paper before him.

  "Now about new members. Do we mean to keep it to ourselves, or to let inother chaps?"

  "Keep it to ourselves," shouted several.

  "Well, I dunno," Harry Shepherd said; "if this is going to do us as muchgood as we hopes, and think it is, would it be right to keep the chapso' the place out? O' course we wouldn't go beyond Stokebridge, but wemight keep it to that."

  The point was hotly debated, the majority being in favour of confiningthe club to its present members; some saying that if it were opened theoriginal members would be swamped by numbers, and that their bond ofunion would be broken.

  When all had spoken Jack Simpson said:

  "I think we might go between both opinions. If we were to limit the clubto twenty-four members, this room would just about hold 'em. We wouldonly elect one each week, so as to have time to make a good choice. Anymember who broke the rules or made himself unpleasant would be expelled,and so we should see in a while all the young chaps o' t' villagewanting to join, and it would get to be looked upon as a feather in achap's cap to belong to it."

  This proposal was agreed to unanimously.

  "Now the next rule I propose," Jack said, "is that this room is to beused from seven to nine for work. No talking to be allowed. Arter nine,books to be put away and pipes to be lit by them as smoke, and to talktill ten. I ha' been talking to the woman o' the house, and she willsupply cups o' coffee or tea at a penny a piece between nine and ten."

  This rule was agreed to without a dissentient voice.

  "Now," Jack said, "I doan't know as you'll all like the next rule I ha'to propose, but I do think it is a needful one. That is that no swearingor bad language be used in this room. A fine of a penny being inflictedfor each time the rule be broken."

  There was a dead silence.

  "You see," Jack said, "you will all be fined a few times at first, butthis money will go to the club fund, and will help up to get fires i'winter. You'll soon break yourselves of it, it be only a trick. I did.Mr. Merton told me that it was a bad habit and horrible to decentpeople. I said I could never break myself o't. He said if I fined myselfa penny every time I did it, and put it in the poor box o' Sunday, Ishould soon get out o' t'way. Well, the first day cost me thirteenpence, the next fourpence, and afterwards it was only a penny now andthen. First and last it didn't cost me half a crown, and you never hearme swear or use bad language now. Come, Bull-dogs, this will be thefirst step toward improving yourselves, and when you find how easy it beto do wi'out it here, you will soon do wi'out it outside."

  The rule was finally agreed to, but during the first week it carried agood deal of heart-burning in the club. One of the members leftaltogether, but the rest soon found that the fines, which had been soalarming for the first day or two, dwindled down.

  It cost the Bull-dogs collectively over three pounds to cure themselvesof using bad language, and the fines kept them in firing, paper, pens,and ink all the winter.

  On the evening after the opening of the club-room the whole partyaccompanied by Jack went to the night-school. They looked rathershamefaced as they tramped in, but Jack introduced them one by one tothe master, who with a few cordial words put them at their ease. For thefirst night he contented himself by finding out how much each knew, howmuch he remembered of what he had formerly heard. For the last half hourhe gave them a short lecture on geography, drawing a map on theblack-board, taking a traveller from place to place, and telling themwhat he saw there. Then he set them each a task to be learned and a fewsums to be done by the following Friday, and they returned to theclub-room greatly pleased with the first night's lessons.

  It was not always so light, but the lads were in earnest and reallyworked hard. Jack visited the room on the off nights, explainedquestions they did not understand, and after nine o'clock generally readaloud for half an hour while they smoked; that is to say, he read shortsentences and then one or other read them after him, Jack correctingmistakes in dialect and pronunciation.

  Mr. Merton had indeed been a friend to Jack Simpson, but there wasanother friend to whom, according to his promise, Jack reported hisdoings, not telling everything, perhaps, for Jack was not very apt totalk or write about himself; but once a year he sent a letter in replyto a long and wise one which he received from his friend the artist,according to their agreement, for Jack had not "given up."

  Before the end of a month Mr. Dodgson wrote to Mr. Merton, saying that,thanks to Jack, the night-school was a great success, that the lads allbehaved extremely well, and were making really surprising efforts toimprove themselves. He augured great things for the village from themovement.