"Nay," said Higgins, "yo' may say what yo' like. The dead stand between yo' and every angry word o' mine. D'ye think I forget who's lying _there_, and how hoo loved yo'? And it's th' masters as has made us sin, if th' Union is a sin. Not this generation maybe, but their fathers. Their fathers ground our fathers to the very dust; ground us to powder! Parson! I reckon I've heerd my mother read out a text, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and th' chidren's teeth are set on edge.' Its so wi' them. In those days of sore oppression th' Unions began; it were a necessity. It's a necessity now, according to me. It's a withstanding of injustice, past, present, or to come. It may be like war; along wi' it come crimes; but I think it were a greater crime to let it alone. Our only chance is binding men together in one common interest; and if some are cowards and some are fools, they mun come along and join the great march, whose only strength is in numbers."

'Nay,' said Higgins, 'the dead stand between yo and every angry word o' mine. And it's th' masters as has made us sin, if th' Union is a sin. Not this generation maybe, but their fathers. Their fathers ground our fathers to the very dust! In those days of sore oppression th' Unions began; it were a necessity. It's a necessity now. It's a withstanding of injustice, past, present, or to come. It may be like war; crimes come along wi' it, but I think it were a greater crime to let it alone. Our only chance is binding men together in one common interest; and if some are cowards or fools, they must join the great march, whose only strength is in numbers.'
