Mary's
father,« interposed Jem. »I don't believe he'd ever heard of it; he weren't a
man to keep still in such a matter, if he had.«
    »Besides,« said Job, »the reason he gave on his deathbed, so to speak, was
enough; 'specially to those who knew him.«
    »You mean his feelings regarding the treatment of the workmen by the
masters; you think he acted from motives of revenge, in consequence of the part
my son had taken in putting down the strike?«
    »Well, sir,« replied Job, »it's hard to say: John Barton was not a man to
take counsel with people; nor did he make many words about his doings. So I can
only judge from his way of thinking and talking in general, never having heard
him breathe a syllable concerning this matter in particular. You see he were
sadly put about to make great riches and great poverty square with Christ's
Gospel« - Job paused, in order to try and express what was clear enough in his
own mind, as to the effect produced on John Barton by the great and mocking
contrasts presented by the varieties of human condition. Before he could find
suitable words to explain his meaning, Mr. Carson spoke.
    »You mean he was an Owenite; all for equality and community of goods, and
that kind of absurdity.«
    »No, no! John Barton was no fool. No need to tell him that were all men
equal to-night, some would get the start by rising an hour earlier to-morrow.
Nor yet did he care for goods, nor wealth; no man less, so that he could get
daily bread for him and his; but what hurt him sore, and rankled in him as long
as I knew him (and, sir, it rankles in many a poor man's heart far more than the
want of any creature-comforts, and puts a sting into starvation itself), was
that those who wore finer clothes, and eat better food, and had more money in
their pockets, kept him at arm's length, and cared not whether his heart was
sorry or glad; whether he lived or died, - whether he was bound for heaven or
hell. It seemed hard to him that a heap of gold should part him and his brother
so far asunder. For he was a loving man before he grew mad with seeing such as
he was slighted, as if Christ Himself bad not been