“Oh, there’s Thomas!” burst from the lips of Betty and her mother.
“Oh, take him home, take him home, live or dead,” entreated Betty.
He was placed accordingly on a shutter, and carried by four men to his home. There they laid the body down on the couch, and left it alone with the mother and daughter. Alice wrung her hands in the bitterest distress.
“Oh, he’s dead, he’s dead; he’ll never speak to us any more.”
“Mother, hush!” said Betty, softly; “he’s not dead, I can see his lips move and his breast heave. Maybe the Lord’ll be merciful to us, and spare him. O Father in heaven,” she cried, throwing herself on her knees, “do hear us, and spare poor fayther, for Jesus’ sake.”
The sufferer uttered a deep groan.
“Ay, ay, Betty,” cried her mother, “the Lord be praised, there’s life in him yet. Run to old Jenny’s, and ask her to come and help us. Her master’s all right; she’ll be glad to give a helping hand to a neighbour in trouble.”
But there was no need to send for assistance, for in a minute after, the cottage was filled with women, eager to use both hands and tongues in the sufferer’s service. They carried him to his bed, and gently removed his clothes from him, though not without great difficulty, for he was fearfully burnt; and the act of taking off his clothing caused him great agony, as the skin came away with some of his inner garments. At last he was made as comfortable as was possible under the circumstances, till the doctor should come and dress his burns. Betty sat watching him, while her mother and the other women gathered round the fire below, with their pipes and their drink, trying to drown sorrow. She, poor girl, knew where to seek a better consolation; she sought, and found it. At last her mother’s step was again on the stairs; she came up unsteadily, and with flushed face approached the bed where her husband lay. She had a mug of spirits in her hand.
“I’ll give him a drop of this,” she said thickly; “it’ll put life into him in no time.”
“Oh, mother,” cried Betty, “you mustn’t do it; it’s wrong, you’ll be the death of him.”