the ragged trousered philanthropists-第68章

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　had　the　outside　of　two　small　cottages　to　paint　…　doors　and　windows　…　two　coats。　　All　four　of　them　worked　at　this　job　and　it　was　finished　in　two　days。　　And　so　they　went　on。

Some　weeks　Crass　earned　a　pound　or　eighteen　shillings；　sometimes　a　little　more；　generally　less　and　occasionally　nothing　at　all。

There　was　a　lot　of　jealousy　and　ill…feeling　amongst　them　about　the　work。　　Slyme　and　Crass　were　both　aggrieved　about　Sawkins　whenever　they　were　idle；　especially　if　the　latter　were　painting　or　whitewashing；　and　their　indignation　was　shared　by　all　the　others　who　were　‘off'。　　Harlow　swore　horribly　about　it；　and　they　all　agreed　that　it　was　disgraceful　that　a　bloody　labourer　should　be　employed　doing　what　ought　to　be　skilled　work　for　fivepence　an　hour；　while　properly　qualified　men　were　‘walking　about'。　　These　other　men　were　also　incensed　against　Slyme　and　Crass　because　the　latter　were　given　the　preference　whenever　there　was　a　little　job　to　do；　and　it　was　darkly　insinuated　that　in　order　to　secure　this　preference　these　two　were　working　for　sixpence　an　hour。　There　was　no　love　lost　between　Crass　and　Slyme　either：　Crass　was　furious　whenever　it　happened　that　Slyme　had　a　few　hours'　work　to　do　if　he　himself　were　idle；　and　if　ever　Crass　was　working　while　Slyme　was　‘standing　still'　the　latter　went　about　amongst　the　other　unemployed　men　saying　ugly　things　about　Crass；　whom　he　accused　of　being　a　‘crawler'。　　Owen　also　came　in　for　his　share　of　abuse　and　blame：　most　of　them　said　that　a　man　like　him　should　stick　out　for　higher　wages　whether　employed　on　special　work　or　not；　and　then　he　would　not　get　any　preference。　　But　all　the　same；　whatever　they　said　about　each　other　behind　each　other's　backs；　they　were　all　most　friendly　to　each　other　when　they　met　face　to　face。

Once　or　twice　Owen　did　some　work　…　such　as　graining　a　door　or　writing　a　sign　…　for　one　or　other　of　his　fellow　workmen　who　had　managed　to　secure　a　little　job　‘on　his　own'；　but　putting　it　all　together；　the　coffin…plates　and　other　work　at　Rushton's　and　all；　his　earnings　had　not　averaged　ten　shillings　a　week　for　the　last　six　weeks。　　Often　they　had　no　coal　and　sometimes　not　even　a　penny　to　put　into　the　gas　meter；　and　then；　having　nothing　left　good　enough　to　pawn；　he　sometimes　obtained　a　few　pence　by　selling　some　of　his　books　to　second…hand　book　dealers。　　However；　bad　as　their　condition　was；　Owen　knew　that　they　were　better　off　than　the　majority　of　the　others；　for　whenever　he　went　out　he　was　certain　to　meet　numbers　of　men　whom　he　had　worked　with　at　different　times；　who　said　…　some　of　them　…　that　they　had　been　idle　for　ten；　twelve；　fifteen　and　in　some　cases　for　twenty　weeks　without　having　earned　a　shilling。

Owen　used　to　wonder　how　they　managed　to　continue　to　exist。　　Most　of　them　were　wearing　other　people's　cast…off　clothes；　hats；　and　boots；　which　had　in　some　instances　been　given　to　their　wives　by　‘visiting　ladies'；　or　by　the　people　at　whose　houses　their　wives　went　to　work；　charing。　　As　for　food；　most　of　them　lived　on　such　credit　as　they　could　get；　and　on　the　scraps　of　broken　victuals　and　meat　that　their　wives　brought　home　from　the　places　they　worked　at。　　Some　of　them　had　grown…up　sons　and　daughters　who　still　lived　with　them　and　whose　earnings　kept　their　homes　together；　and　the　wives　of　some　of　them　eked　out　a　miserable　existence　by　letting　lodgings。

The　week　before　old　Linden　went　into　the　workhouse　Owen　earned　nothing；　and　to　make　matters　worse　the　grocer　from　whom　they　usually　bought　their　things　suddenly　refused　to　let　them　have　any　more　credit。　Owen　went　to　see　him；　and　the　man　said　he　was　very　sorry；　but　he　could　not　let　them　have　anything　more　without　the　money；　he　did　not　mind　waiting　a　few　weeks　for　what　was　already　owing；　but　he　could　not　let　the　amount　get　any　higher；　his　books　were　full　of　bad　debts　already。　In　conclusion；　he　said　that　he　hoped　Owen　would　not　do　as　so　many　others　had　done　and　take　his　ready　money　elsewhere。　　People　came　and　got　credit　from　him　when　they　were　hard　up；　and　afterwards　spent　their　ready　money　at　the　Monopole　Company's　stores　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　because　their　goods　were　a　trifle　cheaper；　and　it　was　not　fair。　　Owen　admitted　that　it　was　not　fair；　but　reminded　him　that　they　always　bought　their　things　at　his　shop。　　The　grocer；　however；　was　inexorable；　he　repeated　several　times　that　his　books　were　full　of　bad　debts　and　his　own　creditors　were　pressing　him。　　During　their　conversation　the　shopkeeper's　eyes　wandered　continually　to　the　big　store　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　the　huge；　gilded　letters　of　the　name　‘Monopole　Stores'　seemed　to　have　an　irresistible　attraction　for　him。　　Once　he　interrupted　himself　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence　to　point　out　to　Owen　a　little　girl　who　was　just　coming　out　of　the　Stores　with　a　small　parcel　in　her　hand。

‘Her　father　owes　me　nearly　thirty　shillings；'　he　said；　‘but　they　spend　their　ready　money　there。'

The　front　of　the　grocer's　shop　badly　needed　repainting；　and　the　name　on　the　fascia；　‘A。　Smallman'；　was　so　faded　as　to　be　almost　indecipherable。　　It　had　been　Owen's　intention　to　offer　to　do　this　work　…　the　cost　to　go　against　his　account　…　but　the　man　appeared　to　be　so　harassed　that　Owen　refrained　from　making　the　suggestion。

They　still　had　credit　at　the　baker's；　but　they　did　not　take　much　bread：　when　one　has　had　scarcely　anything　else　but　bread　to　eat　for　nearly　a　month　one　finds　it　difficult　to　eat　at　all。　　That　same　day；　when　he　returned　home　after　his　interview　with　the　grocer；　they　had　a　loaf　of　beautiful　fresh　bread；　but　none　of　them　could　eat　it；　although　they　were　hungry：　it　seemed　to　stick　in　their　throats；　and　they　could　not　swallow　it　even　with　the　help　of　a　drink　of　tea。　　But　they　drank　the　tea；　which　was　the　one　thing　that　enabled　them　to　go　on　living。

The　next　week　Owen　earned　eight　shillings　altogether：　a　few　hours　he　put　in　assisting　Crass　to　wash　off　and　whiten　a　ceiling　and　paint　a　room；　and　there　was　one　coffin…plate。　　He　wrote　the　latter　at　home；　and　while　he　was　doing　it　he　heard　Frankie　…　who　was　out　in　the　scullery　with　Nora　…　say　to　her：

‘Mother；　how　many　more　days　to　you　think　we'll　have　to　have　only　dry　bread　and　tea？'

Owen's　heart　seemed　to　stop　as　he　heard　the　child's　question　and　listened　for　Nora's　answer；　but　the　question　was　not　to　be　answered　at　all　just　then；　for　at　that　moment　they　heard　someone　running　up　the　stairs　and　presently　the　door　was　unceremoniously　thrown　open　and　Charley　Linden　rushed　into　the　house；　out　of　breath；　hatless；　and　crying　piteously。　　His　clothes　were　old　and　ragged；　they　had　been　patched　at　the　knees　and　elbows；　but　the　patches　were　tearing　away　from　the　rotting　fabric　into　which　they　had　been　sewn。　　He　had　on　a　pair　of　black　stockings　full　of　holes　through　which　the　skin　was　showing。　　The　soles　of　his　boots　were　worn　through　at　one　side　right　to　the　uppers；　and　as　he　walked　the　sides　of　his　bare　heels　came　into　contact　with　the　floor；　the　front　part　of　the　sole　of　one　boot　was　separated　from　the　upper；　and　his　bare　toes；　red　with　cold　and　covered　with　mud；　protruded　through　the　gap。　　Some　sharp　substance　…　a　nail　or　a　piece　of　glass　or　flint　…　had　evidently　lacerated　his　right　foot；　for　blood　was　oozing　from　the　broken　heel　of　his　boot　on　to　the　floor。

They　were　unable　to　make　much　sense　of　the　confused　story　he　told　them　through　his　sobs　as　soon　as　he　was　able　to　speak。　　All　that　was　clear　was　that　there　was　something　very　serious　the　matter　at　home：　he　thought　his　mother　must　be　either　dying　or　dead；　because　she　did　not　speak　or　move　or　open　her　eyes；　and　‘please；　please；　please　will　you　come　home　with　me　and　see　her？'



While　Nora　was　getting　ready　to　go　with　the　boy；　Owen　made　him　sit　on　a　chair；　and　having　removed　the　boot　from　the　foot　that　was　bleeding；　washed　the　cut　with　some　warm　water　and　bandaged　it　with　a　piece　of　clean　rag；　and　then　they　tried　to　persuade　him　to　stay　there　with　Frankie　while　Nora　went　to　see　his　mother；　but　the　boy　would　not　hear　of　it。　　So　Frankie　went　with　them　instead。　　Owen　could　not　go　because　he　had　to　finish　the　coffin…plate；　which　was　only　just　commenced。

It　will　be　remembered　that　we　left　Mary　Linden　alone　in　the　house　after　she　returned　from　seeing　the　old　people　away。　　When　the　children　came　home　from　school；　about　half　an　hour　afterwards；　they　found　her　sitting　in　one　of　the　chairs　with　her　head　resting　on　her　arms　on　the　table；　unconscious。　　They　were　terrified；　because　they　could　not　awaken　her　and　began　to　cry；　but　presently　Charley　thought　of　Frankie's　mother　and；　telling　his　sister　to　stay　there　while　he　was　gone；　he　started　off　at　a　run　for　Owen's　house；　leaving　the　front　door　wide　open　after　him。

When　Nora　and　the　two　boys　reached　the　house　they　found　there　two　other　women　neighbours；　who　had　heard　Elsie　crying　and　had　come　to　see　what　was　wrong。　　Mary　had　recovered　from　her　faint　and　was　lying　down　on　the　bed。　Nora　stayed　with　her　for　some　time　after　the　other　women　went　away。　　She　lit　the　fire　and　gave　the　children　their　tea　…　there　was　still　some　coal　and　food　left　of　what　had　been　bought　with　the　three　shillings　obtained　from　the　Board　of　Guardians　…　and　afterwards　she　tidied　the　house。

Mary　said　that　she　did　not　know　exactly　what　she　would　have　to　do　in　the　future。　　If　she　could　get　a　room　somewhere　for　two　or　three　shillings　a　week；　her　allowance　from　the　Guardians　would　pay　the　rent；　and　she　would　be　able　to　earn　enough　for　herself　and　the　children　to　live　on。

This　was　the　substance　of　the　story　that　Nora　told　Owen　when　she　returned　home。　　He　had　finished　writing　the　coffin…plate；　and　as　it　was　now　nearly　dry　he　put　on　his　coat　and　took　it　down　to　the　carpenter's　shop　at　the　yard。

On　his　way　back　he　met　Easton；　who　had　been　hanging　about　in　the　vain　hope　of　seeing　Hunter　and　finding　out　if　there　was　any　chance　of　a　job。　　As　they　walked　along　together；　Easton　confided　to　Owen　that　he　had　earned　scarcely　anything　since　he　had　been　stood　off　at　Rushton's；　and　what　he　had　earned　had　gone；　as　usual；　to　pay　the　rent。　　Slyme　had　left　them　some　time　ago。　　Ruth　did　not　seem　able　to　get　on　with　him；　she　had　been　in　a　funny　sort　of　temper　altogether；　but　since　he　had　gone　she　had　had　a　little　work　at　a　boarding…house　on　the　Grand　Parade。　　But　things　had　been　going　from　bad　to　worse。　They　had　not　been　able　to　keep　up　the　payments　for　the　furniture　they　had　hired；　so　the　things　had　been　seized　and　carted　off。　　They　had　even　stripped　the　oilcloth　from　the　floor。　　Easton　remarked　he　was　sorry　he　had　not　tacked　the　bloody　stuff　down　in　such　a　manner　that　they　would　not　have　been　able　to　take　it　up　without　destroying　it。　　He　had　been　to　see　Didlum；　who　said　he　didn't　want　to　be　hard　on　them；　and　that　he　would　keep　the　things　together　for　three　months；　and　if　Easton　had　paid　up　arrears　by　that　time　he　could　have　them　back　again；　but　there　was；　in　Easton's　opinion；　very　little　chance　of　that。

Owen　listened　with　contempt　and　anger。　　Here　was　a　man　who　grumbled　at　the　present　state　of　things；　yet　took　no　trouble　to　think　for　himself　and　try　to　alter　them；　and　who　at　the　first　chance　would　vote　for　the　perpetuation　of　the　System　which　produced　his　misery。

‘Have　you　heard　that　old　Jack　Linden　and　his　wife　went　to　the　workhouse　today；'　he　said。

‘No；'　replied　Easton；　indifferently。　　‘It's　only　wh