📝 您未登录，登录后完成练习可保存成绩、查看最佳记录。
总字符
0
正确字符
0
错误字符
0
错误率
0.00%
耗时(秒)
0
速度 WPM
0
0 / 65
1"Those naughty boys," she sobbed, "have thrown the dirt all over me, and called me a little raga--raga--" "They called
2her a little 'blue' ragamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in looking very angry; "but I have given it to them; they
3won't insult my sister again. I have given them a thrashing they will remember; a set of cowardly, rascally 'orange'
4blackguards." Jerry kissed the child and said, "Run in to mother, my pet, and tell her I think you had better stay at
5home to-day and help her." Then turning gravely to Harry: "My boy, I hope you will always defend your sister, and give
6anybody who insults her a good thrashing--that is as it should be; but mind, I won't have any election blackguarding on
7my premises. There are as many 'blue' blackguards as there are 'orange', and as many white as there are purple, or any
8other color, and I won't have any of my family mixed up with it. Even women and children are ready to quarrel for the
9sake of a color, and not one in ten of them knows what it is about." "Why, father, I thought blue was for Liberty." "My
10boy, Liberty does not come from colors, they only show party, and all the liberty you can get out of them is, liberty to
11get drunk at other people's expense, liberty to ride to the poll in a dirty old cab, liberty to abuse any one that does
12not wear your color, and to shout yourself hoarse at what you only half-understand--that's your liberty!" "Oh, father,
13you are laughing." "No, Harry, I am serious, and I am ashamed to see how men go on who ought to know better. An election
14is a very serious thing; at least it ought to be, and every man ought to vote according to his conscience, and let his
15neighbor do the same." 43 A Friend in Need The election day came at last; there was no lack of work for Jerry and me.
16First came a stout puffy gentleman with a carpet bag; he wanted to go to the Bishopsgate station; then we were called by
17a party who wished to be taken to the Regent's Park; and next we were wanted in a side street where a timid, anxious old
18lady was waiting to be taken to the bank; there we had to stop to take her back again, and just as we had set her down a
19red-faced gentleman, with a handful of papers, came running up out of breath, and before Jerry could get down he had
20opened the door, popped himself in, and called out, "Bow Street Police Station, quick!" so off we went with him, and
21when after another turn or two we came back, there was no other cab on the stand. Jerry put on my nose-bag, for as he
22said, "We must eat when we can on such days as these; so munch away, Jack, and make the best of your time, old boy." I
23found I had a good feed of crushed oats wetted up with a little bran; this would be a treat any day, but very refreshing
24then. Jerry was so thoughtful and kind--what horse would not do his best for such a master? Then he took out one of
25Polly's meat pies, and standing near me, he began to eat it. The streets were very full, and the cabs, with the
26candidates' colors on them, were dashing about through the crowd as if life and limb were of no consequence; we saw two
27people knocked down that day, and one was a woman. The horses were having a bad time of it, poor things! but the voters
28inside thought nothing of that; many of them were half-drunk, hurrahing out of the cab windows if their own party came
29by. It was the first election I had seen, and I don't want to be in another, though I have heard things are better now.
30Jerry and I had not eaten many mouthfuls before a poor young woman, carrying a heavy child, came along the street. She
31was looking this way and that way, and seemed quite bewildered. Presently she made her way up to Jerry and asked if he
32could tell her the way to St. Thomas' Hospital, and how far it was to get there. She had come from the country that
33morning, she said, in a market cart; she did not know about the election, and was quite a stranger in London. She had
34got an order for the hospital for her little boy. The child was crying with a feeble, pining cry. "Poor little fellow!"
35she said, "he suffers a deal of pain; he is four years old and can't walk any more than a baby; but the doctor said if I
36could get him into the hospital he might get well; pray, sir, how far is it; and which way is it?" "Why, missis," said
37Jerry, "you can't get there walking through crowds like this! why, it is three miles away, and that child is heavy."
38"Yes, bless him, he is; but I am strong, thank God, and if I knew the way I think I should get on somehow; please tell
39me the way." "You can't do it," said Jerry, "you might be knocked down and the child be run over. Now look here, just
40get into this cab, and I'll drive you safe to the hospital. Don't you see the rain is coming on?" "No, sir, no; I can't
41do that, thank you, I have only just money enough to get back with. Please tell me the way." "Look you here, missis,"
42said Jerry, "I've got a wife and dear children at home, and I know a father's feelings; now get you into that cab, and
43I'll take you there for nothing. I'd be ashamed of myself to let a woman and a sick child run a risk like that." "Heaven
44bless you!" said the woman, and burst into tears. "There, there, cheer up, my dear, I'll soon take you there; come, let
45me put you inside." As Jerry went to open the door two men, with colors in their hats and buttonholes, ran up calling
46out, "Cab!" "Engaged," cried Jerry; but one of the men, pushing past the woman, sprang into the cab, followed by the
47other. Jerry looked as stern as a policeman. "This cab is already engaged, gentlemen, by that lady." "Lady!" said one of
48them; "oh! she can wait; our business is very important, besides we were in first, it is our right, and we shall stay
49in." A droll smile came over Jerry's face as he shut the door upon them. "All right, gentlemen, pray stay in as long as
50it suits you; I can wait while you rest yourselves." And turning his back upon them he walked up to the young woman, who
51was standing near me. "They'll soon be gone," he said, laughing; "don't trouble yourself, my dear." And they soon were
52gone, for when they understood Jerry's dodge they got out, calling him all sorts of bad names and blustering about his
53number and getting a summons. After this little stoppage we were soon on our way to the hospital, going as much as
54possible through by-streets. Jerry rung the great bell and helped the young woman out. "Thank you a thousand times," she
55said; "I could never have got here alone." "You're kindly welcome, and I hope the dear child will soon be better." He
56watched her go in at the door, and gently he said to himself, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of
57these." Then he patted my neck, which was always his way when anything pleased him. The rain was now coming down fast,
58and just as we were leaving the hospital the door opened again, and the porter called out, "Cab!" We stopped, and a lady
59came down the steps. Jerry seemed to know her at once; she put back her veil and said, "Barker! Jeremiah Barker, is it
60you? I am very glad to find you here; you are just the friend I want, for it is very difficult to get a cab in this part
61of London to-day." "I shall be proud to serve you, ma'am; I am right glad I happened to be here. Where may I take you
62to, ma'am?" "To the Paddington Station, and then if we are in good time, as I think we shall be, you shall tell me all
63about Mary and the children." We got to the station in good time, and being under shelter the lady stood a good while
64talking to Jerry. I found she had been Polly's mistress, and after many inquiries about her she said: "How do you find
65the cab work suit you in winter? I know Mary was rather anxious about you last year."
🎉 全部完成！共 65 行