the ragged trousered philanthropists-第46章

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have　been　mistaken　in　imagining　that　he　had　intended　anything　wrong。

After　tea；　Slyme　put　on　his　best　clothes　to　go　to　his　usual　‘open…air'　meeting。　　As　a　rule　Easton　and　Ruth　went　out　marketing　together　every　Saturday　night；　but　this　evening　he　could　not　wait　for　her　because　he　had　promised　to　meet　Crass　at　seven　o'clock；　so　he　arranged　to　see　her　down　town　at　eight。



Chapter　23

The　‘Open…air'


During　the　last　few　weeks　ever　since　he　had　been　engaged　on　the　decoration　of　the　drawing…room；　Owen　had　been　so　absorbed　in　his　work　that　he　had　no　time　for　other　things。　　Of　course；　all　he　was　paid　for　was　the　time　he　actually　worked；　but　really　every　waking　moment　of　his　time　was　given　to　the　task。　　Now　that　it　was　finished　he　felt　something　like　one　aroused　from　a　dream　to　the　stern　realities　and　terrors　of　life。　　By　the　end　of　next　week；　the　inside　of　the　house　and　part　of　the　outside　would　be　finished；　and　as　far　as　he　knew　the　firm　had　nothing　else　to　do　at　present。　　Most　of　the　other　employers　in　the　town　were　in　the　same　plight；　and　it　would　be　of　no　use　to　apply　even　to　such　of　them　as　had　something　to　do；　for　they　were　not　likely　to　take　on　a　fresh　man　while　some　of　their　regular　hands　were　idle。

For　the　last　month　he　had　forgotten　that　he　was　ill；　he　had　forgotten　that　when　the　work　at　‘The　Cave'　was　finished　he　would　have　to　stand　off　with　the　rest　of　the　hands。　　In　brief；　he　had　forgotten　for　the　time　being　that；　like　the　majority　of　his　fellow　workmen；　he　was　on　the　brink　of　destitution；　and　that　a　few　weeks　of　unemployment　or　idleness　meant　starvation。　　As　far　as　illness　was　concerned；　he　was　even　worse　off　than　most　others；　for　the　greater　number　of　them　were　members　of　some　sick　benefit　club；　but　Owen's　ill…health　rendered　him　ineligible　for　membership　of　such　societies。

As　he　walked　homewards　after　being　paid；　feeling　unutterably　depressed　and　weary；　he　began　once　more　to　think　of　the　future；　and　the　more　he　thought　of　it　the　more　dreadful　it　appeared。　　Even　looking　at　it　in　the　best　possible　light　…　supposing　he　did　not　fall　too　ill　to　work；　or　lose　his　employment　from　some　other　cause　…　what　was　there　to　live　for？　　He　had　been　working　all　this　week。　　These　few　coins　that　he　held　in　his　hand　were　the　result；　and　he　laughed　bitterly　as　he　thought　of　all　they　had　to　try　to　do　with　this　money；　and　of　all　that　would　have　to　be　left　undone。

As　he　turned　the　corner　of　Kerk　Street　he　saw　Frankie　coming　to　meet　him；　and　the　boy　catching　sight　of　him　at　the　same　moment　began　running　and　leapt　into　his　arms　with　a　joyous　whoop。

‘Mother　told　me　to　tell　you　to　buy　something　for　dinner　before　you　come　home；　because　there's　nothing　in　the　house。'

‘Did　she　tell　you　what　I　was　to　get？'

She　did　tell　me　something；　but　I　forget　what　it　was。　　But　I　know　she　said　to　get　anything　you　like　if　you　couldn't　get　what　she　told　me　to　tell　you。'

‘Well；　we'll　go　and　see　what　we　can　find；'　said　Owen。

‘If　I　were　you；　I'd　get　a　tin　of　salmon　or　some　eggs　and　bacon；'　suggested　Frankie　as　he　skipped　along　holding　his　father's　hand。　　‘We　don't　want　anything　that's　a　lot　of　trouble　to　cook；　you　know；　because　Mum's　not　very　well　today。'

‘Is　she　up？'

She's　been　up　all　the　morning；　but　she's　lying　down　now。　　We've　done　all　the　work；　though。　　While　she　was　making　the　beds　I　started　washing　up　the　cups　and　saucers　without　telling　her；　but　when　she　came　in　and　saw　what　a　mess　I'd　made　on　the　floor；　she　had　to　stop　me　doing　it；　and　she　had　to　change　nearly　all　my　clothes　as　well；　because　I　was　almost　wet　through；　but　I　managed　the　wiping　up　all　right　when　she　did　the　washing；　and　I　swept　the　passage　and　put　all　my　things　tidy　and　made　the　cat's　bed。　　And　that　just　reminds　me：　will　you　please　give　me　my　penny　now？　　I　promised　the　cat　that　I'd　bring　him　back　some　meat。'

Owen　complied　with　the　boy's　request；　and　while　the　latter　went　to　the　butcher's　for　the　meat；　Owen　went　into　the　grocer's　to　get　something　for　dinner；　it　being　arranged　that　they　were　to　meet　again　at　the　corner　of　the　street。　　Owen　was　at　the　appointed　place　first　and　after　waiting　some　time　and　seeing　no　sign　of　the　boy　he　decided　to　go　towards　the　butcher's　to　meet　him。　　When　he　came　in　sight　of　the　shop　he　saw　the　boy　standing　outside　in　earnest　conversation　with　the　butcher；　a　jolly…looking　stoutly　built　man；　with　a　very　red　face。　Owen　perceived　at　once　that　the　child　was　trying　to　explain　something；　because　Frankie　had　a　habit　of　holding　his　head　sideways　and　supplementing　his　speech　by　spreading　out　his　fingers　and　making　quaint　gestures　with　his　hands　whenever　he　found　it　difficult　to　make　himself　understood。　　The　boy　was　doing　this　now；　waving　one　hand　about　with　the　fingers　and　thumb　extended　wide；　and　with　the　other　flourishing　a　paper　parcel　which　evidently　contained　the　pieces　of　meat　。　Presently　the　man　laughed　heartily　and　after　shaking　hands　with　Frankie　went　into　the　shop　to　attend　to　a　customer；　and　Frankie　rejoined　his　father。

‘That　butcher's　a　very　decent　sort　of　chap；　you　know；　Dad；'　he　said。　‘He　wouldn't　take　a　penny　for　the　meat。'

‘Is　that　what　you　were　talking　to　him　about？'

No；　we　were　talking　about　Socialism。　　You　see；　this　is　the　second　time　he　wouldn't　take　the　money；　and　the　first　time　he　did　it　I　thought　he　must　be　a　Socialist；　but　I　didn't　ask　him　then。　　But　when　he　did　it　again　this　time　I　asked　him　if　he　was。　　So　he　said；　No。　　He　said　he　wasn't　quite　mad　yet。　　So　I　said；　〃If　you　think　that　Socialists　are　all　mad；　you're　very　much　mistaken；　because　I'm　a　Socialist　myself；　and　I'm　quite　sure　I'M　not　mad。〃　　So　he　said　he　knew　I　was　all　right；　but　he　didn't　understand　anything　about　Socialism　himself　…　only　that　it　meant　sharing　out　all　the　money　so　that　everyone　could　have　the　same。　　So　then　I　told　him　that's　not　Socialism　at　all！　　And　when　I　explained　it　to　him　properly　and　advised　him　to　be　one；　he　said　he'd　think　about　it。　　So　I　said　if　he'd　only　do　that　he'd　be　sure　to　change　over　to　our　side；　and　then　he　laughed　and　promised　to　let　me　know　next　time　he　sees　me；　and　I　promised　to　lend　him　some　literature。　You　won't　mind；　will　you；　Dad？'

‘Of　course　not；　when　we　get　home　we'll　have　a　look　through　what　we've　got　and　you　can　take　him　some　of　them。'

‘I　know！'　cried　Frankie　eagerly。　　‘The　two　very　best　of　all。　　Happy　Britain　and　England　for　the　English。'

He　knew　that　these　were　‘two　of　the　best'　because　he　had　often　heard　his　father　and　mother　say　so；　and　he　had　noticed　that　whenever　a　Socialist　friend　came　to　visit　them；　he　was　also　of　the　same　opinion。



As　a　rule　on　Saturday　evenings　they　all　three　went　out　together　to　do　the　marketing；　but　on　this　occasion；　in　consequence　of　Nora　being　unwell；　Owen　and　Frankie　went　by　themselves。　　The　frequent　recurrence　of　his　wife's　illness　served　to　increase　Owen's　pessimism　with　regard　to　the　future；　and　the　fact　that　he　was　unable　to　procure　for　her　the　comforts　she　needed　was　not　calculated　to　dispel　the　depression　that　filled　his　mind　as　he　reflected　that　there　was　no　hope　of　better　times。

In　the　majority　of　cases；　for　a　workman　there　is　no　hope　of　advancement。　　After　he　has　learnt　his　trade　and　become　a　‘journeyman'　all　progress　ceases。　　He　is　at　the　goal。　　After　he　has　been　working　ten　or　twenty　years　he　commands　no　more　than　he　did　at　first　…　a　bare　living　wage　…　sufficient　money　to　purchase　fuel　to　keep　the　human　machine　working。　　As　he　grows　older　he　will　have　to　be　content　with　even　less；　and　all　the　time　he　holds　his　employment　at　the　caprice　and　by　the　favour　of　his　masters；　who　regard　him　merely　as　a　piece　of　mechanism　that　enables　them　to　accumulate　money　…　a　thing　which　they　are　justified　in　casting　aside　as　soon　as　it　becomes　unprofitable。　And　the　workman　must　not　only　be　an　efficient　money…producing　machine；　but　he　must　also　be　the　servile　subject　of　his　masters。　　If　he　is　not　abjectly　civil　and　humble；　if　he　will　not　submit　tamely　to　insult；　indignity；　and　every　form　of　contemptuous　treatment　that　occasion　makes　possible；　he　can　be　dismissed；　and　replaced　in　a　moment　by　one　of　the　crowd　of　unemployed　who　are　always　waiting　for　his　job。　　This　is　the　status　of　the　majority　of　the　‘Heirs　of　all　the　ages'　under　the　present　system。

As　he　walked　through　the　crowded　streets　holding　Frankie　by　the　hand；　Owen　thought　that　to　voluntarily　continue　to　live　such　a　life　as　this　betokened　a　degraded　mind。　　To　allow　one's　child　to　grow　up　to　suffer　it　in　turn　was　an　act　of　callous；　criminal　cruelty。

In　this　matter　he　held　different　opinions　from　most　of　his　fellow　workmen。　　The　greater　number　of　them　were　quite　willing　and　content　that　their　children　should　be　made　into　beasts　of　burden　for　the　benefit　of　other　people。　　As　he　looked　down　upon　the　little；　frail　figure　trotting　along　by　his　side；　Owen　thought　for　the　thousandth　time　that　it　would　be　far　better　for　the　child　to　die　now：　he　would　never　be　fit　to　be　a　soldier　in　the　ferocious　Christian　Battle　of　Life。

Then　he　remembered　Nora。　　Although　she　was　always　brave；　and　never　complained；　he　knew　that　her　life　was　one　of　almost　incessant　physical　suffering；　and　as　for　himself　he　was　tired　and　sick　of　it　all。　　He　had　been　working　like　a　slave　all　his　life　and　there　was　nothing　to　show　for　it　…　there　never　would　be　anything　to　show　for　it。　　He　thought　of　the　man　who　had　killed　his　wife　and　children。　　The　jury　had　returned　the　usual　verdict；　‘Temporary　Insanity'。　　It　never　seemed　to　occur　to　these　people　that　the　truth　was　that　to　continue　to　suffer　hopelessly　like　this　was　evidence　of　permanent　insanity。

But　supposing　that　bodily　death　was　not　the　end。　　Suppose　there　was　some　kind　of　a　God？　　If　there　were；　it　wasn't　unreasonable　to　think　that　the　Being　who　was　capable　of　creating　such　a　world　as　this　and　who　seemed　so　callously　indifferent　to　the　unhappiness　of　His　creatures；　would　also　be　capable　of　devising　and　creating　the　other　Hell　that　most　people　believed　in。

Although　it　was　December　the　evening　was　mild　and　clear。　　The　full　moon　deluged　the　town　with　silvery　light；　and　the　cloudless　sky　was　jewelled　with　myriads　of　glittering　stars。

Looking　out　into　the　unfathomable　infinity　of　space；　Owen　wondered　what　manner　of　Being　or　Power　it　was　that　had　originated　and　sustained　all　this？　　Considered　as　an　explanation　of　the　existence　of　the　universe；　the　orthodox　Christian　religion　was　too　absurd　to　merit　a　second　thought。　　But　then；　every　other　conceivable　hypothesis　was　also　…　ultimately　…　unsatisfactory　and　even　ridiculous。　　To　believe　that　the　universe　as　it　is　now　has　existed　from　all　eternity　without　any　Cause　is　surely　ridiculous。　　But　to　say　that　it　was　created　by　a　Being　who　existed　without　a　Cause　from　all　eternity　is　equally　ridiculous。　　In　fact；　it　was　only　postponing　the　difficulty　one　stage。　　Evolution　was　not　more　satisfactory；　because　although　it　was　undoubtedly　true　as　far　as　it　went；　it　only　went　part　of　the　way；　leaving　the　great　question　still　unanswered　by　assuming　the　existence　…　in　the　beginning　…　of　the　elements　of　matter；　without　a　cause！　　The　question　remained　unanswered　because　it　was　unanswerable。　　Regarding　this　problem　man　was　but　…

　　　　　　　　‘An　infant　crying　in　the　night；　　　　　　　　　An　infant　crying　for　the　light　　　　　　　　　And　with　no　language　but　a　cry。'

All　the　same；　it　di