Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 16 John Manley's Talk The rest of our journey was very easy,
And after sunset we reached the house of my master's friend.
We were taken into a clean,
Snug stable.
There was a kind coachman who made us very comfortable,
And who seemed to think a good deal of James when he heard all about the fire.
There's one thing quite clear,
Young man,
He said,
Your horses know who they can trust.
It's one of the hardest things in the world to get horses out of a stable when there's either a fire or a flood.
I don't know why they won't come out,
But they never will,
Not one in twenty.
We stopped two or three days at this place and then returned home.
All went well on the journey,
We were glad to be in our own stable again,
And John was equally glad to see us.
Before he and James left us for the night,
James said,
I wonder who's coming in my place?
Little Joe Green at the lodge,
Said John.
Little Joe Green?
Why,
He's a child.
He's fourteen and a half,
Said John,
But he's such a little chap.
Yes,
He's small,
But he's quick and he's willing and kind-hearted too,
And then he wishes very much to come and his father said he would like it as well.
I know the master would like to give him the chance.
There's so little for boys to do in this parts,
And his father speaks ever so highly of him.
The master said,
If I thought he wasn't good enough,
He'd look out for a bigger boy.
I said I was quite agreeable to try him out for six weeks.
Six weeks,
Said James.
Why,
It'll be six months before he can be of much use.
It'll make you a great deal of work,
John.
Well,
Said John with a laugh,
Work and I are very good friends,
Aren't we?
I never was afraid of hard work,
Not now,
Not ever.
You're a very good man,
John,
Said James.
I wish I may ever be like you.
I don't often speak of myself,
Said John,
But as you're going away from us,
Out into the big wide world to shift for yourself,
I'll just tell you how I look upon these things.
I was as old as Joseph when my father and mother died of the fever.
They died within ten days of each other and left me and my crippled sister Nelly all alone in the world.
We had no relations that we could look to for help,
And I was but a farmer's boy,
Not daring enough to keep myself,
Let alone both of us.
My sister must have gone to the workhouse,
But for our mistress,
Nelly calls her our angel and she's got a good right to do so.
The mistress went and hired a room for her with old widow Mallet.
She gave her knitting and needlework lessons when she was able to do it,
And when she was ill,
She sent her dinners and many nice comfortable things and was like a mother to her.
Then the master,
He took me into the stable under old Norman,
The coachman that was then.
I had my food at the house and my bed in the loft and a suit of clothes and three shillings a week so that I could help Nelly.
Then there was Norman.
He might have turned around and said at his age you couldn't be trouble with a raw boy from the plow tail,
But Norman was like a father to me and took no end of pains to help me and teach me the ways of a stable hand.
When the old man died some years later,
I stepped into his place,
And now of course I have top wages and I can lay by for a rainy or sunny day as it might happen.
And meanwhile Nelly is as happy as a bird.
So you see James,
I'm not the man that should turn up his nose at a little boy and vex a good kind master.
No,
I shall miss you very much James,
But we'll pull through and there's nothing like doing a kindness when it's put your way.
I'm glad I can do it.
Then,
Said James,
You don't hold me that saying everybody look after himself and take care of number one.
No indeed,
Said John,
Where should I and Nelly have been if master and mistress and old Norman had only take care of number one?
Why,
She'd be in the workhouse and I would be hoeing turnips.
Where would Black Beauty and Ginger have been if you'd only thought of number one?
Roasted to death.
No Jim,
This is a selfish,
Heathenist saying,
Whoever uses it,
And any man who thinks he's nothing to do but take care of number one,
It's a pity,
But what he'd have been drowned like a puppy or a kitten before he got his eyes open.
That's what I think.
John gave a very decided jerk of his head and James laughed at this,
But there was a thickness in his voice when he said,
You've been my best friend except my mother.
I hope you won't forget me.
No lad,
Said John,
And if I can ever do you a good turn,
I hope you won't forget me.
The next day,
Joe came into the stables to learn all he could before James left.
He learned to sweep the stable,
Bring in the straw and hay,
And clean the harness.
He also helped to wash the carriage.
As he was quite too short to do anything in the way of grooming Ginger and me,
James taught him upon merry legs,
For he was to have full charge of him under John.
He was a nice,
Bright little fellow and always came whistling to his work.
Merry legs was a good deal put out at being mauled out,
As he said,
By a boy who knew nothing.
But towards the end of the second week,
He told me confidentially he thought the boy would turn out well.
At last the day came when James had to leave us.
Cheerful as he always was,
He looked quite downhearted that morning.
You see,
He said to John,
I'm leaving a great deal behind,
My mother and Betsy.
And you and a good master and mistress.
And then there's the horses and old merry legs.
At the new place there'll not be a soul that I shall know.
If it were not that I'd get a higher place and be able to help my mother better,
I don't think I should have made up my mind to do it.
It's a real pinch,
John.
Aye,
James lad,
So it is.
But I should not think much of you if you could leave your home for the first time and not feel it.
Cheer up.
You'll make friends there.
And if you get on well,
I'm sure it will be a fine thing for your mother.
She'll be proud enough you got into such a good place as that.
After these kind words,
James seemed to cheer up a little.
But everyone was sorry to lose him.
As for merry legs,
He pined after James for several days and went quite off his appetite.
So John took him out several mornings with a leading rein when he exercised me and trotting and galloping by my side,
It got up the little fellow's spirits again.
And it wasn't long before he was all right.
As for Joe's father,
He'd often come in and give a little help as he understood the work.
And Joe took a great deal of pains to learn.
John was quite encouraged about him.
And over time,
All of us horses got to think finely of Joe.
For he always gave us some very nice oats and patted us kindly,
Spoke softly to us.
Our stalls were large and airy,
And he always kept them clean.
Never slacking at a bit of hard work.
He seemed to get an idea of how we felt.
And when he cleaned us,
He knew where we like to be stroked and brushed.
And very soon,
We got to feel as if we were in safe hands with this new stable boy.
