“That would be hard lines, squire.”
“Not if you all take it like ‘Mr. Content’ at your new loom. For I tell you the even down truth, when I say—You, and your ways, and your likings, will all hev to be born over again! Most of you here are Methodists and you know what that means. The things you like best you’ll hev to give them up and learn to be glad and to fashion yoursens to ways and works, which just now you put under your feet and out of your consideration.”
“Your straight meaning, squire? We want to understand thee.”
“Well and good! I mean this—You hev allays been ‘slow and sure’; in the new times just here, you’ll hev to be ‘up and doing,’ for you will find it a big hurry-push to keep step with your new work-fellows, steam and machinery.”
“That is more than a man can do, squire.”
“No, it is not! A man can do anything he thinks it worth his while to do.”
“The London Times, sir, said yesterday that it would take all of another generation.”
“It will do nothing of the kind, Sam Yates. What-iver has thou to do with the newspapers? Newspapers! Don’t thee mind them! Their advice is meant to be read, not taken.”
“Labor, squire, hes its rights——”
“To be sure, labor also hes its duties. It isn’t much we hear about the latter.”