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

  CHAPTER V.

  SETTING TO WORK.

  A week after Jack Simpson had gone to work in the "Vaughan" there was aknock one evening at the door of the schoolmaster of the StokebridgeNational School.

  "Please, Mr. Merton, can I speak to 'ee?"

  "What, is that you, Jack Simpson!" the schoolmaster said, holding thecandle so that its light fell upon the boy before him. "Yes, come in, myboy." The lad followed him into the parlour. "Sit down, Jack. Now whatis it? Nothing the matter at home, I hope?"

  "Noa, sir. I wanted to ask 'ee what books I orter read, so that I maygrow up a clever man?"

  "Bless me, Jack," Mr. Merton said, "why, I never expected this fromyou."

  "Noa, sir, but I ha' made up my mind to get on, and I means to workhard. I ha' been told, sir, that if I studies at books in all my sparetime, and saves my money, and works well, I may get up high some day;"and the boy looked wistfully up in the master's face for a confirmationof what had been told him.

  "That's quite right, Jack, whoever told you. Hard work, study, thrift,and intelligence will take any lad from the bottom of the tree to thetop. And you are quite in earnest, Jack?"

  "Quite, sir."

  The schoolmaster sat in silence for a little time.

  "Well, my boy, for a bit you must work at ordinary school-books, and geta fair general knowledge, and be careful to observe the way things areexpressed--the grammar, I mean; read aloud when you are alone, and tryin speaking to get rid of "thees" and "thous," and other mistakes ofspeech. I can lend you ordinary school-books, fit for you for the nextfour or five years, and will always explain any difficulties you maymeet with. The books you will want afterwards you can buy second-hand atWolverhampton or Birmingham. But there will be time to talk about thathereafter. What time have you to study? You have gone into the Vaughanpit, have you not?"

  "Yes, sir. I ha' time enough all day, for I ha' nowt to do but just toopen and shut a door when the tubs come along; but I ha' no light."

  "The time must seem very long in the dark all day."

  "It do seem long, sir; and it will be wuss when I want to read, and knowI am just wasting time. But I can read at home after work, when dad goesout. It's light now, and I could read out o' doors till nine o'clock.Mother would give me a candle now and again; and I should get on firstrate in the pit, but the Vaughan is a fiery vein, and they ha' nowt butDaveys."

  "Well, my boy, here are a few books, which will suit you for a time. Letme know how you are getting on; and when you have mastered the books,let me know. Remember you want to learn them thoroughly, and not justwell enough to rub through without getting the strap. But don't overdoit. You are a very small boy yet, and it is of as much importance foryour future life that you should grow strong in body as well as inbrain. So you must not give up play. If you were to do nothing but sitin the dark, and to study at all other times, you would soon become afool. So you must give time to play as well as to work. Remember, do notbe cast down with difficulties; they will pass by if you face them.There is an old saying, 'God helps those who help themselves.' And lookhere, Jack, I can tell you the best way to make the time pass quicklywhile you are in the dark. Set yourself sums to do in your head. Youwill find it difficult at first, but it will come easier with practice,and as you get on I will give you a book on 'mental arithmetic,' and youwill find that there is nothing more useful than being able to makecomplicated calculations in your head."

  The next six months passed quickly with Jack Simpson. He started earlywith his father for the pit, and the hours there, which at first hadseemed so long, slipped by rapidly as he multiplied, and added, andsubtracted, finding that he could daily master longer lines of figures.Of an afternoon he played with the other pit boys, and after that workedsteadily at his books till eleven o'clock, two hours after Bill Hadenand his wife had gone to bed. Once a week he went in the evening to Mr.Merton, who was astonished at the progress that the boy was making, andwillingly devoted an hour to explaining difficulties and helping him onwith his work.

  Satisfied now that the boy was in earnest, Mr. Merton a few daysafterwards took occasion, when Mr. Brook, the owner of the Vaughan mine,called in on school business, to tell him how one of the pit boys wasstriving to educate himself.

  "He is really in earnest, Merton; it is not a mere freak?"

  "No, Mr. Brook, the lad will stick to it, I'm sure. He goes by thenickname of Bull-dog, and I don't think he is badly named; he has boththe pluck and the tenacity of one."

  "Very well, Merton; I am glad you spoke to me about it. I wish a fewmore boys would try and educate themselves for viewers and undergroundmanagers; it is difficult indeed to get men who are anything but workingminers. I'll make a note of his name."

  A few days afterwards Mr. Brook, after going through the books, wentover the mine with the underground manager.

  "Do the waggons often get off the metals along this road, Evans?" heasked, stopping at one of the doors which regulate the ventilation.

  "Pretty often, sir; the rails are not very true, and the sleepers wantrenewing."

  "It would be as well if there were an extra light somewhere here; itwould be handy. This is Number Ten door, is it not?"

  "Yes sir."

  "Who is this? a new hand, is he not?" raising his lamp so as to have afull look at the lad, who was standing respectfully in the niche in therock cut for him.

  "Yes, sir; he is the son of a hand who was killed in the pit some tenyears ago--Simpson."

  "Ah! I remember," Mr. Brooks said. "Well, serve the boy a lamp out whenhe goes down of a day. You'll be careful with it, lad, and not let itfall?"

  "Oh yes, sir," Jack said, in a tone of delight; "and, please, sir, may Iread when I am not wanted?"

  "Certainly you may," his master said; "only you must not neglect yourwork;" and then Mr. Brook went on, leaving Jack so overjoyed that forthat afternoon at least his attempts at mental arithmetic were egregiousfailures.