Hidden Fire (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVIII. RICHARD GETS A BLOW. As the Birmingham coach stopped in High Street, Bristol, Richard Morris alighted from it, and after disposing of his luggage he walked briskly on, and turning up a small street not far from Redcliffe Church, he proceeded to Mr. William Price's office, which was situated in that neighbourhood. Morris had been for a long time so earnestly engaged in his business of Chartist delegate in some of the Midland counties, that he had heard nothing of his friends at Bristol for some time. He felt he had been very negligent of them; but they knew him to be a careless fellow in the way of letter-writing, and so now he thought he would first make his peace with Mr. Price at the office before showing himself at Clifton. Chartism of late had not made the progress that its upholders hoped it would have done, and Morris was one among the disappointed, and so his impetuous nature was wearying of it. There had too been some very stringent measures adopted in respect of meetings, which made them hazardous. Not that Morris had any bodily fears on his own account--for he had much more courage physically than morally--but these Government precautions placed great difficulties in the way of the meetings of operatives; for present secresy was essential to them, as the employers were mostly against the movement altogether. thing when at the office, except perhaps write a few cheques for his own private bills; but still his firm opinion was, that if he did not sit there reading his newspaper for an hour or two daily, the firm would appear in the "Gazette" in no time. And so Morris felt rather depressed, and waited most anxiously for some impetus to further the cause; but on the subject of Chartism his will was as firm as...