the uncommercial traveller-第7章

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young　pauper　and　myself；　and　felt　much　the　better　for　it。　　Without

that　refreshment；　I　doubt　if　I　should　have　been　in　a　condition　for

'the　Refractories；'　towards　whom　my　quick　little　matron　…　for　whose

adaptation　to　her　office　I　had　by　this　time　conceived　a　genuine

respect　…　drew　me　next；　and　marshalled　me　the　way　that　I　was　going。



The　Refractories　were　picking　oakum；　in　a　small　room　giving　on　a

yard。　　They　sat　in　line　on　a　form；　with　their　backs　to　a　window；

before　them；　a　table；　and　their　work。　　The　oldest　Refractory　was；

say　twenty；　youngest　Refractory；　say　sixteen。　　I　have　never　yet

ascertained　in　the　course　of　my　uncommercial　travels；　why　a

Refractory　habit　should　affect　the　tonsils　and　uvula；　but；　I　have

always　observed　that　Refractories　of　both　sexes　and　every　grade；

between　a　Ragged　School　and　the　Old　Bailey；　have　one　voice；　in

which　the　tonsils　and　uvula　gain　a　diseased　ascendency。



'Five　pound　indeed！　　I　hain't　a　going　fur　to　pick　five　pound；'　said

the　Chief　of　the　Refractories；　keeping　time　to　herself　with　her

head　and　chin。　　'More　than　enough　to　pick　what　we　picks　now；　in

sich　a　place　as　this；　and　on　wot　we　gets　here！'



（This　was　in　acknowledgment　of　a　delicate　intimation　that　the

amount　of　work　was　likely　to　be　increased。　　It　certainly　was　not

heavy　then；　for　one　Refractory　had　already　done　her　day's　task　…　it

was　barely　two　o'clock　…　and　was　sitting　behind　it；　with　a　head

exactly　matching　it。）



'A　pretty　Ouse　this　is；　matron；　ain't　it？'　said　Refractory　Two；

'where　a　pleeseman's　called　in；　if　a　gal　says　a　word！'



'And　wen　you're　sent　to　prison　for　nothink　or　less！'　said　the

Chief；　tugging　at　her　oakum　as　if　it　were　the　matron's　hair。　　'But

any　place　is　better　than　this；　that's　one　thing；　and　be　thankful！'



A　laugh　of　Refractories　led　by　Oakum　Head　with　folded　arms　…　who

originated　nothing；　but　who　was　in　command　of　the　skirmishers

outside　the　conversation。



'If　any　place　is　better　than　this；'　said　my　brisk　guide；　in　the

calmest　manner；　'it　is　a　pity　you　left　a　good　place　when　you　had

one。'



'Ho；　no；　I　didn't；　matron；'　returned　the　Chief；　with　another　pull

at　her　oakum；　and　a　very　expressive　look　at　the　enemy's　forehead。

'Don't　say　that；　matron；　cos　it's　lies！'



Oakum　Head　brought　up　the　skirmishers　again；　skirmished；　and

retired。



'And　I　warn't　a　going；'　exclaimed　Refractory　Two；　'though　I　was　in

one　place　for　as　long　as　four　year　…　I　warn't　a　going　fur　to　stop

in　a　place　that　warn't　fit　for　me　…　there！　　And　where　the　family

warn't　'spectable　characters　…　there！　　And　where　I　fortunately　or

hunfort'nately；　found　that　the　people　warn't　what　they　pretended　to

make　theirselves　out　to　be　…　there！　　And　where　it　wasn't　their

faults；　by　chalks；　if　I　warn't　made　bad　and　ruinated　…　Hah！'



During　this　speech；　Oakum　Head　had　again　made　a　diversion　with　the

skirmishers；　and　had　again　withdrawn。



The　Uncommercial　Traveller　ventured　to　remark　that　he　supposed

Chief　Refractory　and　Number　One；　to　be　the　two　young　women　who　had

been　taken　before　the　magistrate？



'Yes！'　said　the　Chief；　'we　har！　and　the　wonder　is；　that　a　pleeseman

an't　'ad　in　now；　and　we　took　off　agen。　　You　can't　open　your　lips

here；　without　a　pleeseman。'



Number　Two　laughed　（very　uvularly）；　and　the　skirmishers　followed

suit。



'I'm　sure　I'd　be　thankful；'　protested　the　Chief；　looking　sideways

at　the　Uncommercial；　'if　I　could　be　got　into　a　place；　or　got

abroad。　　I'm　sick　and　tired　of　this　precious　Ouse；　I　am；　with

reason。'



So　would　be；　and　so　was；　Number　Two。　　So　would　be；　and　so　was；

Oakum　Head。　　So　would　be；　and　so　were；　Skirmishers。



The　Uncommercial　took　the　liberty　of　hinting　that　he　hardly　thought

it　probable　that　any　lady　or　gentleman　in　want　of　a　likely　young

domestic　of　retiring　manners；　would　be　tempted　into　the　engagement

of　either　of　the　two　leading　Refractories；　on　her　own　presentation

of　herself　as　per　sample。



'It　ain't　no　good　being　nothink　else　here；'　said　the　Chief。



The　Uncommercial　thought　it　might　be　worth　trying。



'Oh　no　it　ain't；'　said　the　Chief。



'Not　a　bit　of　good；'　said　Number　Two。



'And　I'm　sure　I'd　be　very　thankful　to　be　got　into　a　place；　or　got

abroad；'　said　the　Chief。



'And　so　should　I；'　said　Number　Two。　　'Truly　thankful；　I　should。'



Oakum　Head　then　rose；　and　announced　as　an　entirely　new　idea；　the

mention　of　which　profound　novelty　might　be　naturally　expected　to

startle　her　unprepared　hearers；　that　she　would　be　very　thankful　to

be　got　into　a　place；　or　got　abroad。　　And；　as　if　she　had　then　said；

'Chorus；　ladies！'　all　the　Skirmishers　struck　up　to　the　same

purpose。　　We　left　them；　thereupon；　and　began　a　long　walk　among　the

women　who　were　simply　old　and　infirm；　but　whenever；　in　the　course

of　this　same　walk；　I　looked　out　of　any　high　window　that　commanded

the　yard；　I　saw　Oakum　Head　and　all　the　other　Refractories　looking

out　at　their　low　window　for　me；　and　never　failing　to　catch　me；　the

moment　I　showed　my　head。



In　ten　minutes　I　had　ceased　to　believe　in　such　fables　of　a　golden

time　as　youth；　the　prime　of　life；　or　a　hale　old　age。　　In　ten

minutes；　all　the　lights　of　womankind　seemed　to　have　been　blown　out；

and　nothing　in　that　way　to　be　left　this　vault　to　brag　of；　but　the

flickering　and　expiring　snuffs。



And　what　was　very　curious；　was；　that　these　dim　old　women　had　one

company　notion　which　was　the　fashion　of　the　place。　　Every　old　woman

who　became　aware　of　a　visitor　and　was　not　in　bed　hobbled　over　a

form　into　her　accustomed　seat；　and　became　one　of　a　line　of　dim　old

women　confronting　another　line　of　dim　old　women　across　a　narrow

table。　　There　was　no　obligation　whatever　upon　them　to　range

themselves　in　this　way；　it　was　their　manner　of　'receiving。'　　As　a

rule；　they　made　no　attempt　to　talk　to　one　another；　or　to　look　at

the　visitor；　or　to　look　at　anything；　but　sat　silently　working　their

mouths；　like　a　sort　of　poor　old　Cows。　　In　some　of　these　wards；　it

was　good　to　see　a　few　green　plants；　in　others；　an　isolated

Refractory　acting　as　nurse；　who　did　well　enough　in　that　capacity；

when　separated　from　her　compeers；　every　one　of　these　wards；　day

room；　night　room；　or　both　combined；　was　scrupulously　clean　and

fresh。　　I　have　seen　as　many　such　places　as　most　travellers　in　my

line；　and　I　never　saw　one　such；　better　kept。



Among　the　bedridden　there　was　great　patience；　great　reliance　on　the

books　under　the　pillow；　great　faith　in　GOD。　　All　cared　for

sympathy；　but　none　much　cared　to　be　encouraged　with　hope　of

recovery；　on　the　whole；　I　should　say；　it　was　considered　rather　a

distinction　to　have　a　complication　of　disorders；　and　to　be　in　a

worse　way　than　the　rest。　　From　some　of　the　windows；　the　river　could

be　seen　with　all　its　life　and　movement；　the　day　was　bright；　but　I

came　upon　no　one　who　was　looking　out。



In　one　large　ward；　sitting　by　the　fire　in　arm…chairs　of

distinction；　like　the　President　and　Vice　of　the　good　company；　were

two　old　women；　upwards　of　ninety　years　of　age。　　The　younger　of　the

two；　just　turned　ninety；　was　deaf；　but　not　very；　and　could　easily

be　made　to　hear。　　In　her　early　time　she　had　nursed　a　child；　who　was

now　another　old　woman；　more　infirm　than　herself；　inhabiting　the

very　same　chamber。　　She　perfectly　understood　this　when　the　matron

told　it；　and；　with　sundry　nods　and　motions　of　her　forefinger；

pointed　out　the　woman　in　question。　　The　elder　of　this　pair；　ninety…

three；　seated　before　an　illustrated　newspaper　（but　not　reading　it）；

was　a　bright…eyed　old　soul；　really　not　deaf；　wonderfully　preserved；

and　amazingly　conversational。　　She　had　not　long　lost　her　husband；

and　had　been　in　that　place　little　more　than　a　year。　　At　Boston；　in

the　State　of　Massachusetts；　this　poor　creature　would　have　been

individually　addressed；　would　have　been　tended　in　her　own　room；　and

would　have　had　her　life　gently　assimilated　to　a　comfortable　life

out　of　doors。　　Would　that　be　much　to　do　in　England　for　a　woman　who

has　kept　hersel