What Is A Strike

'Hoo's rather down i' th' mouth in regard to spirits, but hoo's
better in health. Hoo doesn't like this strike. Hoo's a deal too
much set on peace and quietness at any price.' 'This is th' third strike I've seen,' said she, sighing, as if
that was answer and explanation enough.

'Well, third time pays for all. See if we don't dang th' masters
this time. See if they don't come, and beg us to come back at our
own price. That's all. We've missed it afore time, I grant yo';
but this time we'n laid our plans desperate deep.' 'Why do you strike?' asked Margaret. 'Striking is leaving off
work till you get your own rate of wages, is it not? You must not
wonder at my ignorance; where I come from I never heard of a
strike.' 'I wish I were there,' said Bessy, wearily. 'But it's not for me
to get sick and tired o' strikes. This is the last I'll see.
Before it's ended I shall be in the Great City--the Holy
Jerusalem.' 'Hoo's so full of th' life to come, hoo cannot think of th'
present. Now I, yo' see, am bound to do the best I can here. I
think a bird i' th' hand is worth two i' th' bush. So them's the
different views we take on th' strike question.' 'But,' said Margaret, 'if the people struck, as you call it,
where I come from, as they are mostly all field labourers, the
seed would not be sown, the hay got in, the corn reaped.' 'Well?' said he. He had resumed his pipe, and put his 'well' in
the form of an interrogation.