20U
In the meantime the hour for dinner had struck, and we ac-cepted the invitation which had been extended to us by anacquaintance and parishioner of my friend. We betook ourselvesto one of the lodging-houses, which was occupied by a company ofabout 50 persons, all cotton operatives from the town where mycompanion lived. At the head of the table sat a sturdy, fresh-looking old man—a patriarch amongst his fellows. Next to himsat his worthy better-half, to whose care a large proportion of theyoung folks present was entrusted. The meal placed before usconsisted of tea, ham and eggs, and mutton with potatoes andgreen peas. In addition there was a. favourite temperance drink,whilst tcetotalism was not expected from the German.
Placed, as a guest, next to the old man, 1 tried at once to bringhim to old times, upon which lie commenced most readily, llisparents, he related, had been hand-weavers in the North of Lanca-shire ; he had grown up amidst the most bitter poverty. Hecould scarcely speak and walk before he had to turn the winding-wheel. Then, at 8 years of age, he had entered a spinning-mill,and first went into the carding-room, in which at that time a greatnumber of children were employed. Later on he was promotedto be a piecer ; since, however, fortune had not been sufficientlyfavourable to him to let him become a spinner—on account ofthe large number of piecers necessary at that time, 4 to 5 perspinner, only few succeeded in attaining this position—he changedto powerloom weaving.
In the “twenties,” in which his youth had fallen, not only hadhis family, but the whole population of his native place, led a lifefull of privation. The customary nourishment was oat-cakes andpotatoes. On the other hand meat was unknown, and lie had onlyseen the first piece of wheaten bread when he had wandered fromthe North of Lancashire to an environ of Manchester. The oldmen, when they had become incapable for work, had generallygone into the workhouse, for they had no savings to support them.But the youths of his time had been red-hot Chartists, he himselfone of the most eager. He remembered very well the greatpopular man, Fergus O’Connor. He also remembered well howthe police had dispersed tlieir meetings and had put many of theparticipators into prison. Even blood had now and again flowed,-ince armed encounters had not been seldom. But especially didthere remain, even at this time, in the recollection of the opera-