the ragged trousered philanthropists-第67章

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r　served　them　in　batches　of　ten　at　a　time。

On　Wednesday　the　secretary　called　at　the　house；　and　on　Friday　Jack　received　a　letter　from　him　to　the　effect　that　the　case　had　been　duly　considered　by　the　committee；　who　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　as　it　was　a　‘chronic'　case　they　were　unable　to　deal　with　it；　and　advised　him　to　apply　to　the　Board　of　Guardians。　　This　was　what　Linden　had　hitherto　shrunk　from　doing；　but　the　situation　was　desperate。　　They　owed　five　weeks'　rent；　and　to　crown　their　misfortune　his　eyesight　had　become　so　bad　that　even　if　there　had　been　any　prospect　of　obtaining　work　it　was　very　doubtful　if　he　could　have　managed　to　do　it。　　So　Linden；　feeling　utterly　crushed　and　degraded；　swallowed　all　that　remained　of　his　pride　and　went　like　a　beaten　dog　to　see　the　relieving　officer；　who　took　him　before　the　Board；　who　did　not　think　it　a　suitable　case　for　out…relief；　and　after　some　preliminaries　it　was　arranged　that　Linden　and　his　wife　were　to　go　into　the　workhouse；　and　Mary　was　to　be　allowed　three　shillings　a　week　to　help　her　to　support　herself　and　the　two　children。　As　for　Linden's　sons；　the　Guardians　intimated　their　Intention　of　compelling　them　to　contribute　towards　the　cost　of　their　parents'　maintenance。

Mary　accompanied　the　old　people　to　the　gates　of　their　future　dwelling…place；　and　when　she　returned　home　she　found　there　a　letter　addressed　to　J。　Linden。　　It　was　from　the　house　agent　and　contained　a　notice　to　leave　the　house　before　the　end　of　the　ensuing　week。　　Nothing　was　said　about　the　rent　that　was　due。　　Perhaps　Mr　Sweater　thought　that　as　he　had　already　received　nearly　six　hundred　pounds　in　rent　from　Linden　he　could　afford　to　be　generous　about　the　five　weeks　that　were　still　owing　…　or　perhaps　he　thought　there　was　no　possibility　of　getting　the　money。　　However　that　may　have　been；　there　was　no　reference　to　it　in　the　letter　…　it　was　simply　a　notice　to　clear　out；　addressed　to　Linden；　but　meant　for　Mary。

It　was　about　half　past　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　when　she　returned　home　and　found　this　letter　on　the　floor　in　the　front　passage。　She　was　faint　with　fatigue　and　hunger；　for　she　had　had　nothing　but　a　cup　of　tea　and　a　slice　of　bread　that　day；　and　her　fare　had　not　been　much　better　for　many　weeks　past。　　The　children　were　at　school；　and　the　house　…　now　almost　destitute　of　furniture　and　without　carpets　or　oilcloth　on　the　floors　…　was　deserted　and　cold　and　silent　as　a　tomb。　On　the　kitchen　table　were　a　few　cracked　cups　and　saucers；　a　broken　knife；　some　lead　teaspoons；　a　part　of　a　loaf；　a　small　basin　containing　some　dripping　and　a　brown　earthenware　teapot　with　a　broken　spout。　Near　the　table　were　two　broken　kitchen　chairs；　one　with　the　top　cross…piece　gone　from　the　back；　and　the　other　with　no　back　to　the　seat　at　all。　　The　bareness　of　the　walls　was　relieved　only　by　a　coloured　almanac　and　some　paper　pictures　which　the　children　had　tacked　upon　them；　and　by　the　side　of　the　fireplace　was　the　empty　wicker　chair　where　the　old　woman　used　to　sit。　　There　was　no　fire　in　the　grate；　and　the　cold　hearth　was　untidy　with　an　accumulation　of　ashes；　for　during　the　trouble　of　these　last　few　days　she　had　not　had　time　or　heart　to　do　any　housework。　　The　floor　was　unswept　and　littered　with　scraps　of　paper　and　dust：　in　one　corner　was　a　heap　of　twigs　and　small　branches　of　trees　that　Charley　had　found　somewhere　and　brought　home　for　the　fire。

The　same　disorder　prevailed　all　through　the　house：　all　the　doors　were　open；　and　from　where　she　stood　in　the　kitchen　she　could　see　the　bed　she　shared　with　Elsie；　with　its　heterogeneous　heap　of　coverings。　　The　sitting…room　contained　nothing　but　a　collection　of　odds　and　ends　of　rubbish　which　belonged　to　Charley　…　his　‘things'　as　he　called　them　…　bits　of　wood；　string　and　rope；　one　wheel　of　a　perambulator；　a　top；　an　iron　hoop　and　so　on。　　Through　the　other　door　was　visible　the　dilapidated　bedstead　that　had　been　used　by　the　old　people；　with　a　similar　lot　of　bedclothes　to　those　on　her　own　bed；　and　the　torn；　ragged　covering　of　the　mattress　through　the　side　of　which　the　flock　was　protruding　and　falling　in　particles　on　to　the　floor。

As　she　stood　there　with　the　letter　in　her　hand　…　faint　and　weary　in　the　midst　of　all　this　desolation；　it　seemed　to　her　as　if　the　whole　world　were　falling　to　pieces　and　crumbling　away　all　around　her。



Chapter　34

The　Beginning　of　the　End


During　the　months　of　January　and　February；　Owen；　Crass；　Slyme　and　Sawkins　continued　to　work　at　irregular　intervals　for　Rushton　&　Co。；　although　…　even　when　there　was　anything　to　do　…　they　now　put　in　only　six　hours　a　day；　commencing　in　the　morning　and　leaving　off　at　four；　with　an　hour's　interval　for　dinner　between　twelve　and　one。　　They　finished　the　‘plant'　and　painted　the　front　of　Rushton's　shop。　　When　all　this　was　completed；　as　no　other　work　came　in；　they　all　had　to　‘stand　off'　with　the　exception　of　Sawkins；　who　was　kept　on　because　he　was　cheap　and　able　to　do　all　sorts　of　odd　jobs；　such　as　unstopping　drains；　repairing　leaky　roofs；　rough　painting　or　lime…washing；　and　he　was　also　useful　as　a　labourer　for　the　plumbers；　of　whom　there　were　now　three　employed　at　Rushton's；　the　severe　weather　which　had　come　in　with　January　having　made　a　lot　of　work　in　that　trade。　　With　the　exception　of　this　one　branch；　practically　all　work　was　at　a　standstill。

During　this　time　Rushton　&　Co。　had　had　several　‘boxing…up'　jobs　to　do；　and　Crass　always　did　the　polishing　of　the　coffins　on　these　occasions；　besides　assisting　to　take　the　‘box'　home　when　finished　and　to　‘lift　in'　the　corpse；　and　afterwards　he　always　acted　as　one　of　the　bearers　at　the　funerals。　　For　an　ordinary　class　funeral　he　usually　put　in　about　three　hours　for　the　polishing；　that　came　to　one　and　nine。　Taking　home　the　coffin　and　lifting　in　the　corpse；　one　shilling　…　usually　there　were　two　men　to　do　this　besides　Hunter；　who　always　accompanied　them　to　superintend　the　work　…　attending　the　funeral　and　acting　as　bearer；　four　shillings：　so　that　altogether　Crass　made　six　shillings　and　ninepence　out　of　each　funeral；　and　sometimes　a　little　more。　　For　instance；　when　there　was　an　unusually　good…class　corpse　they　had　a　double　coffin　and　then　of　course　there　were　two　‘lifts　in'；　for　the　shell　was　taken　home　first　and　the　outer　coffin　perhaps　a　day　or　two　later：　this　made　another　shilling。　　No　matter　how　expensive　the　funeral　was；　the　bearers　never　got　any　more　money。　　Sometimes　the　carpenter　and　Crass　were　able　to　charge　an　hour　or　two　more　on　the　making　and　polishing　of　a　coffin　for　a　good　job；　but　that　was　all。　Sometimes；　when　there　was　a　very　cheap　job；　they　were　paid　only　three　shillings　for　attending　as　bearers；　but　this　was　not　often：　as　a　rule　they　got　the　same　amount　whether　it　was　a　cheap　funeral　or　an　expensive　one。　　Slyme　earned　only　five　shillings　out　of　each　funeral；　and　Owen　only　one　and　six　…　for　writing　the　coffin　plate。

Sometimes　there　were　three　or　four　funerals　in　a　week；　and　then　Crass　did　very　well　indeed。　　He　still　had　the　two　young　men　lodgers　at　his　house；　and　although　one　of　them　was　out　of　work　he　was　still　able　to　pay　his　way　because　he　had　some　money　in　the　bank。

One　of　the　funeral　jobs　led　to　a　terrible　row　between　Crass　and　Sawkins。　　The　corpse　was　that　of　a　well…to…do　woman　who　had　been　ill　for　a　long　time　with　cancer　of　the　stomach；　and　after　the　funeral　Rushton　&　Co。　had　to　clean　and　repaint　and　paper　the　room　she　had　occupied　during　her　illness。　　Although　cancer　is　not　supposed　to　be　an　infectious　disease；　they　had　orders　to　take　all　the　bedding　away　and　have　it　burnt。　　Sawkins　was　instructed　to　take　a　truck　to　the　house　and　get　the　bedding　and　take　it　to　the　town　Refuse　Destructor　to　be　destroyed。　　There　were　two　feather　beds；　a　bolster　and　two　pillows：　they　were　such　good　things　that　Sawkins　secretly　resolved　that　instead　of　taking　them　to　the　Destructor　he　would　take　them　to　a　second…hand　dealer　and　sell　them。

As　he　was　coming　away　from　the　house　with　the　things　he　met　Hunter；　who　told　him　that　he　wanted　him　for　some　other　work；　so　he　was　to　take　the　truck　to　the　yard　and　leave　it　there　for　the　present；　he　could　take　the　bedding　to　the　Destructor　later　on　in　the　day。　　Sawkins　did　as　Hunter　ordered；　and　in　the　meantime　Crass；　who　happened　to　be　working　at　the　yard　painting　some　venetian　blinds；　saw　the　things　on　the　truck；　and；　hearing　what　was　to　be　done　with　them；　he　also　thought　it　was　a　pity　that　such　good　things　should　be　destroyed：　so　when　Sawkins　came　in　the　afternoon　to　take　them　away　Crass　told　him　he　need　not　trouble；　‘I'm　goin'　to　'ave　that　lot；　he　said；　‘they're　too　good　to　chuck　away；　there's　nothing　wrong　with　'em。'

This　did　not　suit　Sawkins　at　all。　　He　said　he　had　been　told　to　take　them　to　the　Destructor；　and　he　was　going　to　do　so。　　He　was　dragging　the　cart　out　of　the　yard　when　Crass　rushed　up　and　lifted　the　bundle　off　and　carried　it　into　the　paint…shop。　　Sawkins　ran　after　him　and　they　began　to　curse　and　swear　at　each　other；　Crass　accusing　Sawkins　of　intending　to　take　the　things　to　the　marine　stores　and　sell　them。　Sawkins　seized　hold　of　the　bundle　with　the　object　of　replacing　it　on　the　cart；　but　Crass　got　hold　of　it　as　well　and　they　had　a　tussle　for　it　…　a　kind　of　tug　of　war　…　reeling　and　struggling　all　over　the　shop。　cursing　and　swearing　horribly　all　the　time。　　Finally；　Sawkins　…　being　the　better　man　of　the　two　…　succeeded　in　wrenching　the　bundle　away　and　put　it　on　the　cart　again；　and　then　Crass　hurriedly　put　on　his　coat　and　said　he　was　going　to　the　office　to　ask　Mr　Rushton　if　he　might　have　the　things。　　Upon　hearing　this；　Sawkins　became　so　infuriated　that　he　lifted　the　bundle　off　the　cart　and；　throwing　it　upon　the　muddy　ground；　right　into　a　pool　of　dirty　water；　trampled　it　underfoot；　and　then；　taking　out　his　clasp　knife；　began　savagely　hacking　and　ripping　the　ticking　so　that　the　feathers　all　came　falling　out。　　In　a　few　minutes　he　had　damaged　the　things　beyond　hope　of　repair；　while　Crass　stood　by；　white　and　trembling；　watching　the　proceedings　but　lacking　the　courage　to　interfere。

‘Now　go　to　the　office　and　ask　Rushton　for　'em；　if　you　like！'　shouted　Sawkins。　　‘You　can　'ave　'em　now；　if　you　want　'em。'

Crass　made　no　answer　and；　after　a　moment's　hesitation；　went　back　to　his　work；　and　Sawkins　piled　the　things　on　the　cart　once　more　and　took　them　away　to　the　Destructor。　　He　would　not　be　able　to　sell　them　now；　but　at　any　rate　he　had　stopped　that　dirty　swine　Crass　from　getting　them。

When　Crass　went　back　to　the　paint…shop　he　found　there　one　of　the　pillows　which　had　fallen　out　of　the　bundle　during　the　struggle。　　He　took　it　home　with　him　that　evening　and　slept　upon　it。　　It　was　a　fine　pillow；　much　fuller　and　softer　and　more　cosy　than　the　one　he　had　been　accustomed　to。

A　few　days　afterwards　when　he　was　working　at　the　room　where　the　woman　died；　they　gave　him　some　other　things　that　had　belonged　to　her　to　do　away　with；　and　amongst　them　was　a　kind　of　wrap　of　grey　knitted　wool。　Crass　kept　this　for　himself：　it　was　just　the　thing　to　wrap　round　one's　neck　when　going　to　work　on　a　cold　morning；　and　he　used　it　for　that　purpose　all　through　the　winter。　　In　addition　to　the　funerals；　there　was　a　little　other　work：　sometimes　a　room　or　two　to　be　painted　and　papered　and　ceilings　whitened；　and　once　they　had　the　outside　of　two　small　cottages　to　paint　…　doors　and　windows　…　two　coats。　　All　four　of　them　w