THE APPRENTICE UNDER THE SHADOW. 33 



hardness of his lot ; for every one pitied and liked 

 the amiable, quiet, thoughtful, down-trodden apprentice, 

 "puir Jock," as they kindly called him in the village 

 vernacular. 



John's clothes were also of a mean description. Poor, 

 of course, when he came, they were allowed to become 

 worse without being renewed, though mended all over by 

 kind Mrs. Pirie, till they looked disreputable, even in that 

 plain-dressing age. Then his master exacted the heaviest 

 tale of bricks, forcing him to work late and early. Young as 

 he was, John's very smartness was an occasion of increasing 

 his burden for he soon became a very good hand and he 

 had to do greatly the work of a man. Pirie had then only 

 two looms in the shop, the one occupied by himself when 

 at home, and the other by the apprentice.. At any 

 pressure of work, as before an important market, the boy 

 had often to weaVe the greater part of the previous night. 

 On Saturdays, before the interruption of the Sunday, he had 

 generally to toil on till midnight, after which the Sabbath 

 must be kept holy. And there was not a single holiday in 

 the long year. 



So intolerable did his lot become, that even patient, 

 dispirited John ran away more than once, only, however, to 

 be brought back again by Pirie's unfeeling hand, under 

 cover of law ; for the power of masters over apprentices 

 then was absolute, and often degenerated, as in this case, 

 into pure tyranny. Pirie frightened him by brandishing 

 his indenture before his eyes, with all its penalties for 

 breaking it. Once John's father returned from his barracks 

 to his native village, to see his friends and visit his boy. 

 On learning from the neighbours and himself the treatment 



D 



