4. A New Chapter
After being home a week I started work at the place I left on going to South Africa. Nothing of any importance happened until June. I was married on the 2nd of the month and this opened a chapter in my life that has always been a very controversial subject and, being one of the principals in the drama it is one that I have given a life time's study. It has cost me hours and hours of serious thought. But, after it all, I have remained of the same opinion as when I first lightly thought it over. So it cannot be that my youthful opinion was one that had been produced by the intoxication of love, as older people of the time tried to persuade me it was. To-day, after having lived twenty-nine years with my wife, reared a family of three girls and one boy, and been a widower for over six years, I can safely say, and from my heart, that this was the most beautiful part of my life, and I can only think with great regret that it is all over.
My wife had been brought up in the English Church, I in the Roman Catholic, so perhaps it may, in some peoples' minds, seem unfortunate that we met. Of course, the question of religion was discussed and settled long before we were even thinking of marriage. I have always considered myself a man and could never bring myself to think that a girl should be asked to make any sacrifice for a man. Certainly not in regard to her religion. A woman makes quite enough sacrifices without this. I married her in her own Church and to-day after, as I said, a life time study of the problem, feel that I did perfectly right. Moreover, if I had my life to go over again I would do the same again.
I can claim it to have been a very happy marriage and as far as religion went we never had a quarrel. I don't mean to say we were a Dunmow Flitch couple but the tiffs we had were of the usual order and soon made up and forgotten. I can say, and say honestly, her character was a most beautiful one. She was thrifty and domesticated to a much higher degree than is usual and proved herself to be a wife in the very broadest sense. I am afraid I fell far short of pulling an even weight on my chain. Still, I have very little to upbraid myself with.
The opinion I have come to in regard to the above is that it cannot be wrong for couples of different religions to marry so long as they can solemnly come to an understanding between themselves. Of course, it is certainly very wrong of anyone to interfere between them. If God has placed no barrier to stop young people falling in love with each other then surely anyone will say man has no right to erect a barrier to stop them from becoming man and wife. Love is the very fundamental on which Christianity is built.
Time is ever moving. In December of the year of my marriage my first born arrived, a girl, on the 22nd day of December.
I was working, as I said before, at the Southam Mines, Bigrigg, and I can recall an incident that would surprise some of the miners of to-day. I was working in company with two other men, J. Brady and J. Chapel and one labourer. This is what occurred. We had driven three and a half fathoms of ground, which yielded 35 royalty tons of ore, or net tons about 81 tons. We had 4 ft. of metal and 2 ft. of shale. It was rotten ground so had to be wooded with a set of wood every 2 ft. 6 ins. For this they sent us out the magnificent sum of 2/4d. per day, or £1. 6s. 0d. for a fortnight. I had only been married a few months and felt very keenly taking this amount of money home. However, I did so, laying it on the table, at the same time saying "It is not much, Annie, but all I have."
The only remark she made was "If it's all you have, Jack, you cannot give me more."
I left this place before the end of the week and went to work at Palla Flat, for a man named J.B. Kitchen. My first fortnight's pay from this place was £4. 4s. 0d. and I did not work so hard as I had done at the other place. I continued to work here only until Easter.