the ragged trousered philanthropists-第82章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


was　becalmed　about　a　couple　of　yards　from　shore　and　while　trying　to　reach　it　with　a　stick　Frankie　fell　into　the　water；　and　when　Charley　tried　to　drag　him　out　he　fell　in　also。　　Elsie　put　the　baby　down　on　the　bank　and　seized　hold　of　Charley　and　while　she　was　trying　to　get　him　out；　the　baby　began　rolling　down；　and　would　probably　have　tumbled　in　as　well　if　a　man　who　happened　to　be　passing　by　had　not　rushed　up　in　time　to　prevent　it。　　Fortunately　the　water　at　that　place　was　only　about　two　feet　deep；　so　the　boys　were　not　much　the　worse　for　their　ducking。　　They　returned　home　wet　through；　smothered　with　mud；　and　feeling　very　important；　like　boys　who　had　distinguished　themselves。

After　this；　whenever　she　could　manage　to　spare　the　time；　Ruth　Easton　used　to　go　with　the　children　to　the　park。　　There　was　a　kind　of　summer…house　near　the　shore　of　the　lake；　only　a　few　feet　away　from　the　water's　edge；　surrounded　and　shaded　by　trees；　whose　branches　arched　over　the　path　and　drooped　down　to　the　surface　of　the　water。　　While　the　children　played　Ruth　used　to　sit　in　this　arbour　and　sew；　but　often　her　work　was　neglected　and　forgotten　as　she　gazed　pensively　at　the　water；　which　just　there　looked　very　still；　and　dark；　and　deep；　for　it　was　sheltered　from　the　wind　and　over…shadowed　by　the　trees　that　lined　the　banks　at　the　end　of　the　lake。



Sometimes；　if　it　happened　to　be　raining；　instead　of　going　out　the　children　used　to　have　some　games　in　the　house。　　On　one　such　occasion　Frankie　produced　the　flat　iron　and　went　through　the　exercise；　and　Charley　had　a　go　as　well。　　But　although　he　was　slightly　older　and　taller　than　Frankie　he　could　not　lift　the　iron　so　often　or　hold　it　out　so　long　as　the　other；　a　failure　that　Frankie　attributed　to　the　fact　that　Charley　had　too　much　tea　and　bread　and　butter　instead　of　porridge　and　milk　and　Parrish's　Food。　　Charley　was　so　upset　about　his　lack　of　strength　that　he　arranged　with　Frankie　to　come　home　with　him　the　next　day　after　school　to　see　his　mother　about　it。　　Mrs　Linden　had　a　flat　iron；　so　they　gave　a　demonstration　of　their　respective　powers　before　her。　　Mrs　Easton　being　also　present；　by　request；　because　Frankie　said　that　the　diet　in　question　was　suitable　for　babies　as　well　as　big　children。　　He　had　been　brought　up　on　it　ever　since　he　could　remember；　and　it　was　almost　as　cheap　as　bread　and　butter　and　tea。

The　result　of　the　exhibition　was　that　Mrs　Linden　promised　to　make　porridge　for　Charley　and　Elsie　whenever　she　could　spare　the　time；　and　Mrs　Easton　said　she　would　try　it　for　the　baby　also。



Chapter　43

The　Good　Old　Summer…time


All　through　the　summer　the　crowd　of　ragged…trousered　philanthropists　continued　to　toil　and　sweat　at　their　noble　and　unselfish　task　of　making　money　for　Mr　Rushton。

Painting　the　outsides　of　houses　and　shops；　washing　off　and　distempering　ceilings；　stripping　old　paper　off　walls；　painting　and　papering　rooms　and　staircases；　building　new　rooms　or　other　additions　to　old　houses　or　business　premises；　digging　up　old　drains；　repairing　leaky　roofs　and　broken　windows。

Their　zeal　and　enthusiasm　in　the　good　cause　was　unbounded。　　They　were　supposed　to　start　work　at　six　o'clock；　but　most　of　them　were　usually　to　be　found　waiting　outside　the　job　at　about　a　quarter　to　that　hour；　sitting　on　the　kerbstones　or　the　doorstep。

Their　operations　extended　all　over　the　town：　at　all　hours　of　the　day　they　were　to　be　seen　either　going　or　returning　from　‘jobs'；　carrying　ladders；　planks；　pots　of　paint；　pails　of　whitewash；　earthenware；　chimney　pots；　drainpipes；　lengths　of　guttering；　closet　pans；　grates；　bundles　of　wallpaper；　buckets　of　paste；　sacks　of　cement；　and　loads　of　bricks　and　mortar。　　Quite　a　common　spectacle　…　for　gods　and　men　…　was　a　procession　consisting　of　a　handcart　loaded　up　with　such　materials　being　pushed　or　dragged　through　the　public　streets　by　about　half　a　dozen　of　these　Imperialists　in　broken　boots　and　with　battered；　stained；　discoloured　bowler　hats；　or　caps　splashed　with　paint　and　whitewash；　their　stand…up　collars　dirty；　limp　and　crumpled；　and　their　rotten　second…hand　misfit　clothing　saturated　with　sweat　and　plastered　with　mortar。

Even　the　assistants　in　the　grocers'　and　drapers'　shops　laughed　and　ridiculed　and　pointed　the　finger　of　scorn　at　them　as　they　passed。

The　superior　classes　…　those　who　do　nothing　…　regarded　them　as　a　sort　of　lower　animals。　　A　letter　appeared　in　the　Obscurer　one　week　from　one　of　these　well…dressed　loafers；　complaining　of　the　annoyance　caused　to　the　better…class　visitors　by　workmen　walking　on　the　pavement　as　they　passed　along　the　Grand　Parade　in　the　evening　on　their　way　home　from　work；　and　suggesting　that　they　should　walk　in　the　roadway。　　When　they　heard　of　the　letter　a　lot　of　the　workmen　adopted　the　suggestion　and　walked　in　the　road　so　as　to　avoid　contaminating　the　idlers。

This　letter　was　followed　by　others　of　a　somewhat　similar　kind；　and　one　or　two　written　in　a　patronizing　strain　in　defence　of　the　working　classes　by　persons　who　evidently　knew　nothing　about　them。　　There　was　also　a　letter　from　an　individual　who　signed　himself　‘Morpheus'　complaining　that　he　was　often　awakened　out　of　his　beauty　sleep　in　the　middle　of　the　night　by　the　clattering　noise　of　the　workmen's　boots　as　they　passed　his　house　on　their　way　to　work　in　the　morning。　　‘Morpheus'　wrote　that　not　only　did　they　make　a　dreadful　noise　with　their　horrible　iron…clad　boots；　but　they　were　in　the　habit　of　coughing　and　spitting　a　great　deal；　which　was　very　unpleasant　to　hear；　and　they　conversed　in　loud　tones。　　Sometimes　their　conversation　was　not　at　all　edifying；　for　it　consisted　largely　of　bad　language；　which　‘Morpheus'　assumed　to　be　attributable　to　the　fact　that　they　were　out　of　temper　because　they　had　to　rise　so　early。

As　a　rule　they　worked　till　half…past　five　in　the　evening；　and　by　the　time　they　reached　home　it　was　six　o'clock。　　When　they　had　taken　their　evening　meal　and　had　a　wash　it　was　nearly　eight：　about　nine　most　of　them　went　to　bed　so　as　to　be　able　to　get　up　about　half　past　four　the　next　morning　to　make　a　cup　of　tea　before　leaving　home　at　half　past　five　to　go　to　work　again。　　Frequently　it　happened　that　they　had　to　leave　home　earlier　than　this；　because　their　‘job'　was　more　than　half　an　hour's　walk　away。　　It　did　not　matter　how　far　away　the　‘job'　was　from　the　shop；　the　men　had　to　walk　to　and　fro　in　their　own　time；　for　Trades　Union　rules　were　a　dead　letter　in　Mugsborough。　　There　were　no　tram　fares　or　train　fares　or　walking　time　allowed　for　the　likes　of　them。

Ninety…nine　out　of　every　hundred　of　them　did　not　believe　in　such　things　as　those：　they　had　much　more　sense　than　to　join　Trades　Unions：　on　the　contrary；　they　believed　in　placing　themselves　entirely　at　the　mercy　of　their　good；　kind　Liberal　and　Tory　masters。

Very　frequently　it　happened；　when　only　a　few　men　were　working　together；　that　it　was　not　convenient　to　make　tea　for　breakfast　or　dinner；　and　then　some　of　them　brought　tea　with　them　ready　made　in　bottles　and　drank　it　cold；　but　most　of　them　went　to　the　nearest　pub　and　ate　their　food　there　with　a　glass　of　beer。　　Even　those　who　would　rather　have　had　tea　or　coffee　had　beer；　because　if　they　went　to　a　temperance　restaurant　or　coffee　tavern　it　generally　happened　that　they　were　not　treated　very　civilly　unless　they　bought　something　to　eat　as　well　as　to　drink；　and　the　tea　at　such　places　was　really　dearer　than　beer；　and　the　latter　was　certainly　quite　as　good　to　drink　as　the　stewed　tea　or　the　liquid　mud　that　was　sold　as　coffee　at　cheap　‘Workmen's'　Eating　Houses。

There　were　some　who　were　…　as　they　thought　…　exceptionally　lucky：　the　firms　they　worked　for　were　busy　enough　to　let　them　work　two　hours'　overtime　every　night　…　till　half　past　seven　…　without　stopping　for　tea。　　Most　of　these　arrived　home　about　eight；　completely　flattened　out。　　Then　they　had　some　tea　and　a　wash　and　before　they　knew　where　they　were　it　was　about　half　past　nine。　　Then　they　went　to　sleep　again　till　half　past　four　or　five　the　next　morning。

They　were　usually　so　tired　when　they　got　home　at　night　that　they　never　had　any　inclination　for　study　or　any　kind　of　self…improvement；　even　if　they　had　had　the　time。　　They　had　plenty　of　time　to　study　during　the　winter：　and　their　favourite　subject　then　was；　how　to　preserve　themselves　from　starving　to　death。

This　overtime；　however；　was　the　exception；　for　although　in　former　years　it　had　been　the　almost　invariable　rule　to　work　till　half　past　seven　in　summer；　most　of　the　firms　now　made　a　practice　of　ceasing　work　at　five…thirty。　　The　revolution　which　had　taken　place　in　this　matter　was　a　favourite　topic　of　conversation　amongst　the　men；　who　spoke　regretfully　of　the　glorious　past；　when　things　were　busy；　and　they　used　to　work　fifteen；　sixteen　and　even　eighteen　hours　a　day。　　But　nowadays　there　were　nearly　as　many　chaps　out　of　work　in　the　summer　as　in　the　winter。　　They　used　to　discuss　the　causes　of　the　change。　　One　was；　of　course；　the　fact　that　there　was　not　so　much　building　going　on　as　formerly；　and　another　was　the　speeding　up　and　slave…driving；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　work　was　now　done；　or　rather　scamped。　　As　old　Philpot　said；　he　could　remember　the　time；　when　he　was　a　nipper；　when　such　a　‘job'　as　that　at　‘The　Cave'　would　have　lasted　at　least　six　months；　and　they　would　have　had　more　hands　on　it　too！　　But　it　would　have　been　done　properly；　not　messed　up　like　that　was：　all　the　woodwork　would　have　been　rubbed　down　with　pumice　stone　and　water：　all　the　knots　cut　out　and　the　holes　properly　filled　up；　and　the　work　properly　rubbed　down　with　glass…paper　between　every　coat。　　But　nowadays　the　only　place　you'd　see　a　bit　of　pumice　stone　was　in　a　glass　case　in　a　museum；　with　a　label　on　it。

　　　　　　　　　　　‘Pumice　Stone：　formerly　used　by　house…painters。'

Most　of　them　spoke　of　those　bygone　times　with　poignant　regret；　but　there　were　a　few　…　generally　fellows　who　had　been　contaminated　by　contact　with　Socialists　or　whose　characters　had　been　warped　and　degraded　by　the　perusal　of　Socialist　literature　…　who　said　that　they　did　not　desire　to　work　overtime　at　all　…　ten　hours　a　day　were　quite　enough　for　them　…　in　fact　they　would　rather　do　only　eight。　　What　they　wanted；　they　said；　was　not　more　work；　but　more　grub；　more　clothes；　more　leisure；　more　pleasure　and　better　homes。　　They　wanted　to　be　able　to　go　for　country　walks　or　bicycle　rides；　to　go　out　fishing　or　to　go　to　the　seaside　and　bathe　and　lie　on　the　beach　and　so　forth。　　But　these　were　only　a　very　few；　there　were　not　many　so　selfish　as　this。　　The　majority　desired　nothing　but　to　be　allowed　to　work；　and　as　for　their　children；　why；　‘what　was　good　enough　for　themselves　oughter　be　good　enough　for　the　kids'。

They　often　said　that　such　things　as　leisure；　culture；　pleasure　and　the　benefits　of　civilization　were　never　intended　for　‘the　likes　of　us'。

They　did　not　…　all　…　actually　say　this；　but　that　was　what　their　conduct　amounted　to；　for　they　not　only　refused　to　help　to　bring　about　a　better　state　of　things　for　their　children；　but　they　ridiculed　and　opposed　and　cursed　and　abused　those　who　were　trying　to　do　it　for　them。　The　foulest　words　that　came　out　of　their　mouths　were　directed　against　the　men　of　their　own　class　in　the　House　of　Commons　…　the　Labour　Members　…　and　especially　the　Socialists；　whom　they　spoke　of　as　fellows　who　were　too　bloody　lazy　to　work　for　a　living；　and　who　wanted　the　working　clas