the ragged trousered philanthropists-第61章

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st　Christmas。　　We're　going　to　mix　it　now；　and　you　can　have　a　stir　too　if　you　like；　for　luck。'

Whilst　they　were　stirring　the　pudding；　Frankie　several　times　requested　the　others　to　feel　his　muscle：　he　said　he　felt　sure　that　he　would　soon　be　strong　enough　to　go　out　to　work；　and　he　explained　to　Bert　that　the　extraordinary　strength　he　possessed　was　to　be　attributed　to　the　fact　that　he　lived　almost　exclusively　on　porridge　and　milk。



For　the　rest　of　the　week；　Owen　continued　to　work　down　at　the　yard　with　Sawkins；　Crass；　and　Slynie；　painting　some　of　the　ladders；　steps　and　other　plant　belonging　to　the　firm。　　These　things　had　to　have　two　coats　of　paint　and　the　name　Rushton　&　Co。　written　on　them。　　As　soon　as　they　had　got　some　of　them　second…coated；　Owen　went　on　with　the　writing；　leaving　the　painting　for　the　others；　so　as　to　share　the　work　as　fairly　as　possible。　　Several　times　during　the　week　one　or　other　of　them　was　taken　away　to　do　some　other　work；　once　Crass　and　Slyme　had　to　go　and　wash　off　and　whiten　a　ceiling　somewhere；　and　several　times　Sawkins　was　sent　out　to　assist　the　plumbers。

Every　day　some　of　the　men　who　had　been　‘stood　off'　called　at　the　yard　to　ask　if　any　other　‘jobs'　had　‘come　in'。　　From　these　callers　they　heard　all　the　news。　　Old　Jack　Linden　had　not　succeeded　in　getting　anything　to　do　at　the　trade　since　he　was　discharged　from　Rushton's；　and　it　was　reported　that　he　was　trying　to　earn　a　little　money　by　hawking　bloaters　from　house　to　house。　　As　for　Philpot；　he　said　that　he　had　been　round　to　nearly　all　the　firms　in　the　town　and　none　of　them　had　any　work　to　speak　of。

Newman　…　the　man　whom　the　reader　will　remember　was　sacked　for　taking　too　much　pains　with　his　work　…　had　been　arrested　and　sentenced　to　a　month's　imprisonment　because　he　had　not　been　able　to　pay　his　poor　rates；　and　the　Board　of　Guardians　were　allowing　his　wife　three　shillings　a　week　to　maintain　herself　and　the　three　children。　　Philpot　had　been　to　see　them；　and　she　told　him　that　the　landlord　was　threatening　to　turn　them　into　the　street；　he　would　have　seized　their　furniture　and　sold　it　if　it　had　been　worth　the　expense　of　the　doing。

‘I　feel　ashamed　of　meself；'　Philpot　added　in　confidence　to　Owen；　‘when　I　think　of　all　the　money　I　chuck　away　on　beer。　　If　it　wasn't　for　that；　I　shouldn't　be　in　such　a　hole　meself　now；　and　I　might　be　able　to　lend　'em　a　'elpin'　'and。'

‘It　ain't　so　much　that　I　likes　the　beer；　you　know；'　he　continued；　‘it's　the　company。　　When　you　ain't　got　no　'ome；　in　a　manner　o'　speakin'；　like　me；　the　pub's　about　the　only　place　where　you　can　get　a　little　enjoyment。　　But　you　ain't　very　welcome　there　unless　you　spends　your　money。'

‘Is　the　three　shillings　all　they　have　to　live　on？'

‘I　think　she　goes　out　charin'　when　she　can　get　it；'　replied　Philpot；　‘but　I　don't　see　as　she　can　do　a　great　deal　o'　that　with　three　young　'uns　to　look　after；　and　from　what　I　hear　of　it　she's　only　just　got　over　a　illness　and　ain't　fit　to　do　much。'

‘My　God！'　said　Owen。

‘I'll　tell　you　what；'　said　Philpot。　　‘I've　been　thinking　we　might　get　up　a　bit　of　a　subscription　for　'em。　　There's　several　chaps　in　work　what　knows　Newman；　and　if　they　was　each　to　give　a　trifle　we　could　get　enough　to　pay　for　a　Christmas　dinner；　anyway。　　I've　brought　a　sheet　of　foolscap　with　me；　and　I　was　goin'　to　ask　you　to　write　out　the　heading　for　me。'

As　there　was　no　pen　available　at　the　workshop；　Philpot　waited　till　four　o'clock　and　then　accompanied　Owen　home；　where　the　heading　of　the　list　was　written。　　Owen　put　his　name　down　for　a　shilling　and　Philpot　his　for　a　similar　amount。

Philpot　stayed　to　tea　and　accepted　an　invitation　to　spend　Christmas　Day　with　them；　and　to　come　to　Frankie's　party　on　the　Monday　after。

The　next　morning　Philpot　brought　the　list　to　the　yard　and　Crass　and　Slyme　put　their　names　down　for　a　shilling　each；　and　Sawkins　for　threepence；　it　being　arranged　that　the　money　was　to　be　paid　on　payday　…　Christmas　Eve。　　In　the　meantime；　Philpot　was　to　see　as　many　as　he　could　of　those　who　were　in　work；　at　other　firms　and　get　as　many　subscriptions　as　possible。

At　pay…time　on　Christmas　Eve　Philpot　turned　up　with　the　list　and　Owen　and　the　others　paid　him　the　amounts　they　had　put　their　names　down　for。　From　other　men　he　had　succeeded　in　obtaining　nine　and　sixpence；　mostly　in　sixpences　and　threepences。　　Some　of　this　money　he　had　already　received；　but　for　the　most　part　he　had　made　appointments　with　the　subscribers　to　call　at　their　homes　that　evening。　　It　was　decided　that　Owen　should　accompany　him　and　also　go　with　him　to　hand　over　the　money　to　Mrs　Newman。

It　took　them　nearly　three　hours　to　get　in　all　the　money；　for　the　places　they　had　to　go　to　were　in　different　localities；　and　in　one　or　two　cases　they　had　to　wait　because　their　man　had　not　yet　come　home；　and　sometimes　it　was　not　possible　to　get　away　without　wasting　a　little　time　in　talk。　　In　three　instances　those　who　had　put　their　names　down　for　threepence　increased　the　amount　to　sixpence　and　one　who　had　promised　sixpence　gave　a　shilling。　　There　were　two　items　of　threepence　each　which　they　did　not　get　at　all；　the　individuals　who　had　put　their　names　down　having　gone　upon　the　drunk。　　Another　cause　of　delay　was　that　they　met　or　called　on　several　other　men　who　had　not　yet　been　asked　for　a　subscription；　and　there　were　several　others　…　including　some　members　of　the　Painters　Society　whom　Owen　had　spoken　to　during　the　week　…　who　had　promised　him　to　give　a　subscription。　　In　the　end　they　succeeded　in　increasing　the　total　amount　to　nineteen　and　ninepence；　and　they　then　put　three…halfpence　each　to　make　it　up　to　a　pound。

The　Newmans　lived　in　a　small　house　the　rent　of　which　was　six　shillings　per　week　and　taxes。　　To　reach　the　house　one　had　to　go　down　a　dark　and　narrow　passage　between　two　shops；　the　house　being　in　a　kind　of　well；　surrounded　by　the　high　walls　of　the　back　parts　of　larger　buildings　…　chiefly　business　premises　and　offices。　　The　air　did　not　circulate　very　freely　in　this　place；　and　the　rays　of　the　sun　never　reached　it。　　In　the　summer　the　atmosphere　was　close　and　foul　with　the　various　odours　which　came　from　the　back…yards　of　the　adjoining　buildings；　and　in　the　winter　it　was　dark　and　damp　and　gloomy；　a　culture…ground　for　bacteria　and　microbes。　　The　majority　of　those　who　profess　to　be　desirous　of　preventing　and　curing　the　disease　called　consumption　must　be　either　hypocrites　or　fools；　for　they　ridicule　the　suggestion　that　it　is　necessary　first　to　cure　and　prevent　the　poverty　that　compels　badly　clothed　and　half…starved　human　beings　to　sleep　in　such　dens　as　this。

The　front　door　opened　into　the　living…room　or；　rather；　kitchen；　which　was　dimly　lighted　by　a　small　paraffin　lamp　on　the　table；　where　were　also　some　tea…cups　and　saucers；　each　of　a　different　pattern；　and　the　remains　of　a　loaf　of　bread。　　The　wallpaper　was　old　and　discoloured；　a　few　almanacs　and　unframed　prints　were　fixed　to　the　walls；　and　on　the　mantelshelf　were　some　cracked　and　worthless　vases　and　ornaments。　　At　one　time　they　had　possessed　a　clock　and　an　overmantel　and　some　framed　pictures；　but　they　had　all　been　sold　to　obtain　money　to　buy　food。　Nearly　everything　of　any　value　had　been　parted　with　for　the　same　reason　…　the　furniture；　the　pictures；　the　bedclothes；　the　carpet　and　the　oilcloth；　piece　by　piece；　nearly　everything　that　had　once　constituted　the　home　…　had　been　either　pawned　or　sold　to　buy　food　or　to　pay　rent　during　the　times　when　Newman　was　out　of　work　…　periods　that　had　recurred　during　the　last　few　years　with　constantly　increasing　frequency　and　duration。　　Now　there　was　nothing　left　but　these　few　old　broken　chairs　and　the　deal　table　which　no　one　would　buy；　and　upstairs；　the　wretched　bedsteads　and　mattresses　whereon　they　slept　at　night；　covering　themselves　with　worn…out　remnants　of　blankets　and　the　clothes　they　wore　during　the　day。

In　answer　to　Philpot's　knock；　the　door　was　opened　by　a　little　girl　about　seven　years　old；　who　at　once　recognized　Philpot；　and　called　out　his　name　to　her　mother；　and　the　latter　came　also　to　the　door；　closely　followed　by　two　other　children；　a　little；　fragile…looking　girl　about　three；　and　a　boy　about　five　years　of　age；　who　held　on　to　her　skirt　and　peered　curiously　at　the　visitors。　　Mrs　Newman　was　about　thirty；　and　her　appearance　confirmed　the　statement　of　Philpot　that　she　had　only　just　recovered　from　an　illness；　she　was　very　white　and　thin　and　dejected…looking。　　When　Philpot　explained　the　object　of　their　visit　and　handed　her　the　money；　the　poor　woman　burst　into　tears；　and　the　two　smaller　children　…　thinking　that　this　piece　of　paper　betokened　some　fresh　calamity　…　began　to　cry　also。　　They　remembered　that　all　their　troubles　had　been　preceded　by　the　visits　of　men　who　brought　pieces　of　paper；　and　it　was　rather　difficult　to　reassure　them。

That　evening；　after　Frankie　was　asleep；　Owen　and　Nora　went　out　to　do　their　Christmas　marketing。　　They　had　not　much　money　to　spend；　for　Owen　had　brought　home　only　seventeen　shillings。　　He　had　worked　thirty…three　hours　…　that　came　to　nineteen　and　threepence　…　one　shilling　and　threehalfpence　had　gone　on　the　subscription　list；　and　he　had　given　the　rest　of　the　coppers　to　a　ragged　wreck　of　a　man　who　was　singing　a　hymn　in　the　street。　　The　other　shilling　had　been　deducted　from　his　wages　in　repayment　of　a　‘sub'　he　had　had　during　the　week。

There　was　a　great　deal　to　be　done　with　this　seventeen　shillings。　First　of　all　there　was　the　rent　…　seven　shillings　…　that　left　ten。　Then　there　was　the　week's　bread　bill　…　one　and　threepence。　　They　had　a　pint　of　milk　every　day；　chiefly　for　the　boy's　sake　…　that　came　to　one　and　two。　　Then　there　was　one　and　eight　for　a　hundredweight　of　coal　that　had　been　bought　on　credit。　　Fortunately；　there　were　no　groceries　to　buy；　for　the　things　they　had　obtained　with　their　Christmas　Club　money　would　be　more　than　sufficient　for　the　ensuing　week。

Frankie's　stockings　were　all　broken　and　beyond　mending；　so　it　was　positively　necessary　to　buy　him　another　pair　for　fivepence　three…farthings。　　These　stockings　were　not　much　good　…　a　pair　at　double　the　price　would　have　been　much　cheaper；　for　they　would　have　lasted　three　or　four　times　longer；　but　they　could　not　afford　to　buy　the　dearer　kind。　　It　was　just　the　same　with　the　coal：　if　they　had　been　able　to　afford　it；　they　could　have　bought　a　ton　of　the　same　class　of　coal　for　twenty…six　shillings；　but　buying　it　as　they　did；　by　the　hundredweight；　they　had　to　pay　at　the　rate　of　thirty…three　shillings　and　fourpence　a　ton。　　It　was　just　the　same　with　nearly　everything　else。　　This　is　how　the　working　classes　are　robbed。　　Although　their　incomes　are　the　lowest；　they　are　compelled　to　buy　the　most　expensive　articles　…　that　is；　the　lowest…priced　articles。　　Everybody　knows　that　good　clothes；　boots　or　furniture　are　really　the　cheapest　in　the　end；　although　they　cost　more　money　at　first；　but　the　working　classes　can　seldom　or　never　afford　to　buy　good　things；　they　have　to　buy　cheap　rubbish　which　is　dear　at　any　price。

Six　weeks　previously　Owen　bought　a　pair　of　second…hand　boots　for　three　shillings　and　they　were　now　literally　falling　to　pieces。　　Nora's　shoes　were　in　much　the　same　condition；　but；　as　she　said；　it　did　not　matter　so　much　about　hers　because　there　was　no　need　for　her　to　go　out　if　the　weather　were　not　fine。

In　addition　to　the　articles　already　mentioned；　they　had　to　spend　fourpence