Deep Waters, the Entire Collection

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William Wymark Jacobs. Deep Waters, the Entire Collection

SHAREHOLDERS

PAYING OFF

MADE TO MEASURE

SAM’S GHOST

BEDRIDDEN

THE CONVERT

HUSBANDRY

FAMILY CARES

THE WINTER OFFENSIVE

THE SUBSTITUTE

STRIKING HARD

DIRTY WORK

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My biggest fault, said the night-watchman, gloomily, has been good nature. I’ve spent the best part of my life trying to do my fellow-creeturs a good turn. And what do I get for it? If all the people I’ve helped was to come ‘ere now there wouldn’t be standing room for them on this wharf. ‘Arf of them would be pushed overboard—and a good place for ‘em, too.

I’ve been like it all my life. I was good-natured enough to go to sea as a boy because a skipper took a fancy to me and wanted my ‘elp, and when I got older I was good-natured enough to get married. All my life I’ve given ‘elp and advice free, and only a day or two ago one of ‘em wot I ‘ad given it to came round here with her ‘usband and ‘er two brothers and ‘er mother and two or three people from the same street, to see her give me “wot for.”

.....

“Oh!” ses I. “‘Ow?”

“I lost my own property,” he ses, “but you lost George’s, and ‘ow a man like you, that’s so much sharper and cleverer than other people, could be had so easy, I can’t think. Why, a child of five would ha’ known better.”

.....