the uncommercial traveller-第6章

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headerin'　down　here；　wen　there　an't　no　Bobby　nor　gen'ral　Cove；　fur

to　hear　the　splash。'



According　to　my　interpretation　of　these　words；　I　was　myself　a

General　Cove；　or　member　of　the　miscellaneous　public。　　In　which

modest　character　I　remarked：



'They　are　often　taken　out；　are　they；　and　restored？'



'I　dunno　about　restored；'　said　the　apparition；　who；　for　some　occult

reason；　very　much　objected　to　that　word；　'they're　carried　into　the

werkiss　and　put　into　a　'ot　bath；　and　brought　round。　　But　I　dunno

about　restored；'　said　the　apparition；　'blow　THAT！'　…　and　vanished。



As　it　had　shown　a　desire　to　become　offensive；　I　was　not　sorry　to

find　myself　alone；　especially　as　the　'werkiss'　it　had　indicated

with　a　twist　of　its　matted　head；　was　close　at　hand。　　So　I　left　Mr。

Baker's　terrible　trap　（baited　with　a　scum　that　was　like　the　soapy

rinsing　of　sooty　chimneys）；　and　made　bold　to　ring　at　the　workhouse

gate；　where　I　was　wholly　unexpected　and　quite　unknown。



A　very　bright　and　nimble　little　matron；　with　a　bunch　of　keys　in　her

hand；　responded　to　my　request　to　see　the　House。　　I　began　to　doubt

whether　the　police　magistrate　was　quite　right　in　his　facts；　when　I

noticed　her　quick；　active　little　figure　and　her　intelligent　eyes。



The　Traveller　（the　matron　intimated）　should　see　the　worst　first。

He　was　welcome　to　see　everything。　　Such　as　it　was；　there　it　all

was。



This　was　the　only　preparation　for　our　entering　'the　Foul　wards。'

They　were　in　an　old　building　squeezed　away　in　a　corner　of　a　paved

yard；　quite　detached　from　the　more　modern　and　spacious　main　body　of

the　workhouse。　　They　were　in　a　building　most　monstrously　behind　the

time　…　a　mere　series　of　garrets　or　lofts；　with　every　inconvenient

and　objectionable　circumstance　in　their　construction；　and　only

accessible　by　steep　and　narrow　staircases；　infamously　ill…adapted

for　the　passage　up…stairs　of　the　sick　or　down…stairs　of　the　dead。



A…bed　in　these　miserable　rooms；　here　on　bedsteads；　there　（for　a

change；　as　I　understood　it）　on　the　floor；　were　women　in　every　stage

of　distress　and　disease。　　None　but　those　who　have　attentively

observed　such　scenes；　can　conceive　the　extraordinary　variety　of

expression　still　latent　under　the　general　monotony　and　uniformity

of　colour；　attitude；　and　condition。　　The　form　a　little　coiled　up

and　turned　away；　as　though　it　had　turned　its　back　on　this　world　for

ever；　the　uninterested　face　at　once　lead…coloured　and　yellow；

looking　passively　upward　from　the　pillow；　the　haggard　mouth　a

little　dropped；　the　hand　outside　the　coverlet；　so　dull　and

indifferent；　so　light；　and　yet　so　heavy；　these　were　on　every

pallet；　but　when　I　stopped　beside　a　bed；　and　said　ever　so　slight　a

word　to　the　figure　lying　there；　the　ghost　of　the　old　character　came

into　the　face；　and　made　the　Foul　ward　as　various　as　the　fair　world。

No　one　appeared　to　care　to　live；　but　no　one　complained；　all　who

could　speak；　said　that　as　much　was　done　for　them　as　could　be　done

there；　that　the　attendance　was　kind　and　patient；　that　their

suffering　was　very　heavy；　but　they　had　nothing　to　ask　for。　　The

wretched　rooms　were　as　clean　and　sweet　as　it　is　possible　for　such

rooms　to　be；　they　would　become　a　pest…house　in　a　single　week；　if

they　were　ill…kept。



I　accompanied　the　brisk　matron　up　another　barbarous　staircase；　into

a　better　kind　of　loft　devoted　to　the　idiotic　and　imbecile。　　There

was　at　least　Light　in　it；　whereas　the　windows　in　the　former　wards

had　been　like　sides　of　school…boys'　bird…cages。　　There　was　a　strong

grating　over　the　fire　here；　and；　holding　a　kind　of　state　on　either

side　of　the　hearth；　separated　by　the　breadth　of　this　grating；　were

two　old　ladies　in　a　condition　of　feeble　dignity；　which　was　surely

the　very　last　and　lowest　reduction　of　self…complacency　to　be　found

in　this　wonderful　humanity　of　ours。　　They　were　evidently　jealous　of

each　other；　and　passed　their　whole　time　（as　some　people　do；　whose

fires　are　not　grated）　in　mentally　disparaging　each　other；　and

contemptuously　watching　their　neighbours。　　One　of　these　parodies　on

provincial　gentlewomen　was　extremely　talkative；　and　expressed　a

strong　desire　to　attend　the　service　on　Sundays；　from　which　she

represented　herself　to　have　derived　the　greatest　interest　and

consolation　when　allowed　that　privilege。　　She　gossiped　so　well；　and

looked　altogether　so　cheery　and　harmless；　that　I　began　to　think

this　a　case　for　the　Eastern　magistrate；　until　I　found　that　on　the

last　occasion　of　her　attending　chapel　she　had　secreted　a　small

stick；　and　had　caused　some　confusion　in　the　responses　by　suddenly

producing　it　and　belabouring　the　congregation。



So；　these　two　old　ladies；　separated　by　the　breadth　of　the　grating　…

otherwise　they　would　fly　at　one　another's　caps　…　sat　all　day　long；

suspecting　one　another；　and　contemplating　a　world　of　fits。　　For

everybody　else　in　the　room　had　fits；　except　the　wards…woman；　an

elderly；　able…bodied　pauperess；　with　a　large　upper　lip；　and　an　air

of　repressing　and　saving　her　strength；　as　she　stood　with　her　hands

folded　before　her；　and　her　eyes　slowly　rolling；　biding　her　time　for

catching　or　holding　somebody。　　This　civil　personage　（in　whom　I

regretted　to　identify　a　reduced　member　of　my　honourable　friend　Mrs。

Gamp's　family）　said；　'They　has　'em　continiwal；　sir。　　They　drops

without　no　more　notice　than　if　they　was　coach…horses　dropped　from

the　moon；　sir。　　And　when　one　drops；　another　drops；　and　sometimes

there'll　be　as　many　as　four　or　five　on　'em　at　once；　dear　me；　a

rolling　and　a　tearin'；　bless　you！　…　this　young　woman；　now；　has　'em

dreadful　bad。'



She　turned　up　this　young　woman's　face　with　her　hand　as　she　said　it。

This　young　woman　was　seated　on　the　floor；　pondering　in　the

foreground　of　the　afflicted。　　There　was　nothing　repellent　either　in

her　face　or　head。　　Many；　apparently　worse；　varieties　of　epilepsy

and　hysteria　were　about　her；　but　she　was　said　to　be　the　worst　here。

When　I　had　spoken　to　her　a　little；　she　still　sat　with　her　face

turned　up；　pondering；　and　a　gleam　of　the　mid…day　sun　shone　in　upon

her。



…　Whether　this　young　woman；　and　the　rest　of　these　so　sorely

troubled；　as　they　sit　or　lie　pondering　in　their　confused　dull　way；

ever　get　mental　glimpses　among　the　motes　in　the　sunlight；　of

healthy　people　and　healthy　things？　　Whether　this　young　woman；

brooding　like　this　in　the　summer　season；　ever　thinks　that　somewhere

there　are　trees　and　flowers；　even　mountains　and　the　great　sea？

Whether；　not　to　go　so　far；　this　young　woman　ever　has　any　dim

revelation　of　that　young　woman　…　that　young　woman　who　is　not　here

and　never　will　come　here；　who　is　courted；　and　caressed；　and　loved；

and　has　a　husband；　and　bears　children；　and　lives　in　a　home；　and　who

never　knows　what　it　is　to　have　this　lashing　and　tearing　coming　upon

her？　　And　whether　this　young　woman；　God　help　her；　gives　herself　up

then　and　drops　like　a　coach…horse　from　the　moon？



I　hardly　knew　whether　the　voices　of　infant　children；　penetrating

into　so　hopeless　a　place；　made　a　sound　that　was　pleasant　or　painful

to　me。　　It　was　something　to　be　reminded　that　the　weary　world　was

not　all　aweary；　and　was　ever　renewing　itself；　but；　this　young　woman

was　a　child　not　long　ago；　and　a　child　not　long　hence　might　be　such

as　she。　　Howbeit；　the　active　step　and　eye　of　the　vigilant　matron

conducted　me　past　the　two　provincial　gentlewomen　（whose　dignity　was

ruffled　by　the　children）；　and　into　the　adjacent　nursery。



There　were　many　babies　here；　and　more　than　one　handsome　young

mother。　　There　were　ugly　young　mothers　also；　and　sullen　young

mothers；　and　callous　young　mothers。　　But；　the　babies　had　not

appropriated　to　themselves　any　bad　expression　yet；　and　might　have

been；　for　anything　that　appeared　to　the　contrary　in　their　soft

faces；　Princes　Imperial；　and　Princesses　Royal。　　I　had　the　pleasure

of　giving　a　poetical　commission　to　the　baker's　man　to　make　a　cake

with　all　despatch　and　toss　it　into　the　oven　for　one　red…headed

young　pauper　and　myself；　and　felt　much　the　better　for　i