the ragged trousered philanthropists-第92章

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f　which　they　managed　to　dispose　of　about　three　dozen。

Before　declaring　the　meeting　closed；　the　chairman　said　that　the　speaker　who　was　coming　next　week　resided　in　London：　he　was　not　a　millionaire；　but　a　workman；　the　same　as　nearly　all　those　who　were　there　present。　　They　were　not　going　to　pay　him　anything　for　coming；　but　they　intended　to　pay　his　railway　fare。　　Therefore　next　Sunday　after　the　meeting　there　would　be　a　collection；　and　anything　over　the　amount　of　the　fare　would　be　used　for　the　purchase　of　more　leaflets　such　as　those　they　were　now　giving　away。　　He　hoped　that　anyone　who　thought　that　any　of　the　money　went　into　the　pockets　of　those　who　held　the　meeting　would　come　and　join：　then　they　could　have　their　share。

The　meeting　now　terminated　and　the　Socialists　were　suffered　to　depart　in　peace。　　Some　of　them；　however；　lingered　amongst　the　crowd　after　the　main　body　had　departed；　and　for　a　long　time　after　the　meeting　was　over　little　groups　remained　on　the　field　excitedly　discussing　the　speeches　or　the　leaflets。

The　next　Sunday　evening　when　the　Socialists　came　they　found　the　field　at　the　Cross　Roads　in　the　possession　of　a　furious；　hostile　mob；　who　refused　to　allow　them　to　speak；　and　finally　they　had　to　go　away　without　having　held　a　meeting。　　They　came　again　the　next　Sunday；　and　on　this　occasion　they　had　a　speaker　with　a　very　loud　…　literally　a　stentorian　…　voice；　and　he　succeeded　in　delivering　an　address；　but　as　only　those　who　were　very　close　were　able　to　hear　him；　and　as　they　were　all　Socialists；　it　was　not　of　much　effect　upon　those　for　whom　it　was　intended。

They　came　again　the　next　Sunday　and　nearly　every　other　Sunday　during　the　summer：　sometimes　they　were　permitted　to　hold　their　meeting　in　comparative　peace　and　at　other　times　there　was　a　row。　　They　made　several　converts；　and　many　people　declared　themselves　in　favour　of　some　of　the　things　advocated；　but　they　were　never　able　to　form　a　branch　of　their　society　there；　because　nearly　all　those　who　were　convinced　were　afraid　to　publicly　declare　themselves　lest　they　should　lose　their　employment　or　customers。



Chapter　44

The　Beano


Now　and　then　a　transient　gleam　of　sunshine　penetrated　the　gloom　in　which　the　lives　of　the　philanthropists　were　passed。　　The　cheerless　monotony　was　sometimes　enlivened　with　a　little　innocent　merriment。　Every　now　and　then　there　was　a　funeral　which　took　Misery　and　Crass　away　for　the　whole　afternoon；　and　although　they　always　tried　to　keep　the　dates　secret；　the　men　generally　knew　when　they　were　gone。

Sometimes　the　people　in　whose　houses　they　were　working　regaled　them　with　tea；　bread　and　butter；　cake　or　other　light　refreshments；　and　occasionally　even　with　beer　…　very　different　stuff　from　the　petrifying　liquid　they　bought　at　the　Cricketers　for　twopence　a　pint。　　At　other　places；　where　the　people　of　the　house　were　not　so　generously　disposed；　the　servants　made　up　for　it；　and　entertained　them　in　a　similar　manner　without　the　knowledge　of　their　masters　and　mistresses。　　Even　when　the　mistresses　were　too　cunning　to　permit　of　this；　they　were　seldom　able　to　prevent　the　men　from　embracing　the　domestics；　who　for　their　part　were　quite　often　willing　to　be　embraced；　it　was　an　agreeable　episode　that　helped　to　vary　the　monotony　of　their　lives；　and　there　was　no　harm　done。

It　was　rather　hard　lines　on　the　philanthropists　sometimes　when　they　happened　to　be　working　in　inhabited　houses　of　the　better　sort。　　They　always　had　to　go　in　and　out　by　the　back　way；　generally　through　the　kitchen；　and　the　crackling　and　hissing　of　the　poultry　and　the　joints　of　meat　roasting　in　the　ovens；　and　the　odours　of　fruit　pies　and　tarts；　and　plum　puddings　and　sage　and　onions；　were　simply　maddening。　　In　the　back…yards　of　these　houses　there　were　usually　huge　stacks　of　empty　beer；　stout　and　wine　bottles；　and　others　that　had　contained　whisky；　brandy　or　champagne。

The　smells　of　the　delicious　viands　that　were　being　prepared　in　the　kitchen　often　penetrated　into　the　dismantled　rooms　that　the　philanthropists　were　renovating；　sometimes　just　as　they　were　eating　their　own　wretched　fare　out　of　their　dinner　basket；　and　washing　it　down　with　draughts　of　the　cold　tea　or　the　petrifying　liquid　they　sometimes　brought　with　them　in　bottles。

Sometimes；　as　has　been　said；　the　people　of　the　house　used　to　send　up　some　tea　and　bread　and　butter　or　cakes　or　other　refreshments　to　the　workmen；　but　whenever　Hunter　got　to　know　of　it　being　done　he　used　to　speak　to　the　people　about　it　and　request　that　it　be　discontinued；　as　it　caused　the　men　to　waste　their　time。

But　the　event　of　the　year　was　the　Beano；　which　took　place　on　the　last　Saturday　in　August；　after　they　had　been　paying　in　for　about　four　months。　　The　cost　of　the　outing　was　to　be　five　shillings　a　head；　so　this　was　the　amount　each　man　had　to　pay　in；　but　it　was　expected　that　the　total　cost　…　the　hire　of　the　brakes　and　the　cost　of　the　dinner　…　would　come　out　at　a　trifle　less　than　the　amount　stated；　and　in　that　case　the　surplus　would　be　shared　out　after　the　dinner。　　The　amount　of　the　share…out　would　be　greater　or　less　according　to　other　circumstances；　for　it　generally　happened　that　apart　from　the　subscriptions　of　the　men；　the　Beano　fund　was　swelled　by　charitable　donations　from　several　quarters；　as　will　be　seen　later　on。

When　the　eventful　day　arrived；　the　hands；　instead　of　working　till　one；　were　paid　at　twelve　o'clock　and　rushed　off　home　to　have　a　wash　and　change。

The　brakes　were　to　start　from　the　‘Cricketers'　at　one；　but　it　was　arranged；　for　the　convenience　of　those　who　lived　at　Windley；　that　they　were　to　be　picked　up　at　the　Cross　Roads　at　one…thirty。

There　were　four　brakes　altogether　…　three　large　ones　for　the　men　and　one　small　one　for　the　accommodation　of　Mr　Rushton　and　a　few　of　his　personal　friends；　Didlum；　Grinder；　Mr　Toonarf；　an　architect　and　Mr　Lettum；　a　house　and　estate　Agent。　　One　of　the　drivers　was　accompanied　by　a　friend　who　carried　a　long　coachman's　horn。　　This　gentleman　was　not　paid　to　come；　but；　being　out　of　work；　be　thought　that　the　men　would　be　sure　to　stand　him　a　few　drinks　and　that　they　would　probably　make　a　collection　for　him　in　return　for　his　services。

Most　of　the　chaps　were　smoking　twopenny　cigars；　and　had　one　or　two　drinks　with　each　other　to　try　to　cheer　themselves　up　before　they　started；　but　all　the　same　it　was　a　melancholy　procession　that　wended　its　way　up　the　hill　to　Windley。　　To　judge　from　the　mournful　expression　on　the　long　face　of　Misery；　who　sat　on　the　box　beside　the　driver　of　the　first　large　brake；　and　the　downcast　appearance　of　the　majority　of　the　men；　one　might　have　thought　that　it　was　a　funeral　rather　than　a　pleasure　party；　or　that　they　were　a　contingent　of　lost　souls　being　conducted　to　the　banks　of　the　Styx。　　The　man　who　from　time　to　time　sounded　the　coachman's　horn　might　have　passed　as　the　angel　sounding　the　last　trump；　and　the　fumes　of　the　cigars　were　typical　of　the　smoke　of　their　torment；　which　ascendeth　up　for　ever　and　ever。

A　brief　halt　was　made　at　the　Cross　Roads　to　pick　up　several　of　the　men；　including　Philpot；　Harlow；　Easton；　Ned　Dawson；　Sawkins；　Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk。　　The　two　last…named　were　now　working　for　Smeariton　and　Leavit；　but　as　they　had　been　paying　in　from　the　first；　they　had　elected　to　go　to　the　Beano　rather　than　have　their　money　back。　The　Semi…drunk　and　one　or　two　other　habitual　boozers　were　very　shabby　and　down　at　heel；　but　the　majority　of　the　men　were　decently　dressed。　Some　had　taken　their　Sunday　clothes　out　of　pawn　especially　for　the　occasion。　　Others　were　arrayed　in　new　suits　which　they　were　going　to　pay　for　at　the　rate　of　a　shilling　a　week。　　Some　had　bought　themselves　second…hand　suits；　one　or　two　were　wearing　their　working　clothes　brushed　and　cleaned　up；　and　some　were　wearing　Sunday　clothes　that　had　not　been　taken　out　of　pawn　for　the　simple　reason　that　the　pawnbrokers　would　not　take　them　in。　　These　garments　were　in　what　might　be　called　a　transition　stage　…　old…fashioned　and　shiny　with　wear；　but　yet　too　good　to　take　for　working　in；　even　if　their　owners　had　been　in　a　position　to　buy　some　others　to　take　their　place　for　best。　　Crass；　Slyme　and　one　or　two　of　the　single　men；　however；　were　howling　swells；　sporting　stand…up　collars　and　bowler　hats　of　the　latest　type；　in　contradistinction　to　some　of　the　others；　who　were　wearing　hats　of　antique　patterns；　and　collars　of　various　shapes　with　jagged　edges。　　Harlow　had　on　an　old　straw　hat　that　his　wife　had　cleaned　up　with　oxalic　acid；　and　Easton　had　carefully　dyed　the　faded　binding　of　his　black　bowler　with　ink。　Their　boots　were　the　worst　part　of　their　attire：　without　counting　Rushton　and　his　friends；　there　were　thirty…seven　men　altogether；　including　Nimrod；　and　there　were　not　half　a　dozen　pairs　of　really　good　boots　amongst　the　whole　crowd。

When　all　were　seated　a　fresh　start　was　made。　　The　small　brake；　with　Rushton；　Didlum；　Grinder　and　two　or　three　other　members　of　the　Band；　led　the　way。　　Next　came　the　largest　brake　with　Misery　on　the　box。　Beside　the　driver　of　the　third　brake　was　Payne；　the　foreman　carpenter。　Crass　occupied　a　similar　position　of　honour　on　the　fourth　brake；　on　the　back　step　of　which　was　perched　the　man　with　the　coachman's　horn。

Crass　…　who　had　engaged　the　brakes　…　had　arranged　with　the　drivers　that　the　cortege　should　pass　through　the　street　where　he　and　Easton　lived；　and　as　they　went　by　Mrs　Crass　was　standing　at　the　door　with　the　two　young　men　lodgers；　who　waved　their　handkerchiefs　and　shouted　greetings。　　A　little　further　on　Mrs　Linden　and　Easton's　wife　were　standing　at　the　door　to　see　them　go　by。　　In　fact；　the　notes　of　the　coachman's　horn　alarmed　most　of　the　inhabitants；　who　crowded　to　their　windows　and　doors　to　gaze　upon　the　dismal　procession　as　it　passed。

The　mean　streets　of　Windley　were　soon　left　far　behind　and　they　found　themselves　journeying　along　a　sunlit；　winding　road；　bordered　with　hedges　of　hawthorn；　holly　and　briar；　past　rich；　brown　fields　of　standing　corn；　shimmering　with　gleams　of　gold；　past　apple…orchards　where　bending　boughs　were　heavily　loaded　with　mellow　fruits　exhaling　fragrant　odours；　through　the　cool　shades　of　lofty　avenues　of　venerable　oaks；　whose　overarched　and　interlacing　branches　formed　a　roof　of　green；　gilt　and　illuminated　with　quivering　spots　and　shafts　of　sunlight　that　filtered　through　the　trembling　leaves；　over　old　mossy　stone　bridges；　spanning　limpid　streams　that　duplicated　the　blue　sky　and　the　fleecy　clouds；　and　then　again；　stretching　away　to　the　horizon　on　every　side　over　more　fields；　some　rich　with　harvest；　others　filled　with　drowsing　cattle　or　with　flocks　of　timid　sheep　that　scampered　away　at　the　sound　of　the　passing　carriages。　　Several　times　they　saw　merry　little　companies　of　rabbits　frisking　gaily　in　and　out　of　the　hedges　or　in　the　fields　beside　the　sheep　and　cattle。　　At　intervals；　away　in　the　distance；　nestling　in　the　hollows　or　amid　sheltering　trees；　groups　of　farm　buildings　and　stacks　of　hay；　and　further　on；　the　square　ivy…clad　tower　of　an　ancient　church；　or　perhaps　a　solitary　windmill　with　its　revolving　sails　alternately　flashing　and　darkening　in　the　rays　of　the　sun。　　Past　thatched　wayside　cottages　whose　inhabitants　came　out　to　wave　their　hands　in　friendly　greeting。　　Past　groups　of　sunburnt；　golden…haired　children　who　climbed　on　fences　and　five…barred　gates；　and　waved　their　hats　and　cheered；　or　ran　b