the uncommercial traveller-第94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！



they　were　grateful　to　be　talked　to　about　their　miserable　affairs；

and　sympathy　was　plainly　a　comfort　to　them；　but　they　neither　asked

for　money　in　any　case；　nor　showed　the　least　trace　of　surprise　or

disappointment　or　resentment　at　my　giving　none。



The　woman's　married　daughter　had　by　this　time　come　down　from　her

room　on　the　floor　above；　to　join　in　the　conversation。　　She　herself

had　been　to　the　lead…mills　very　early　that　morning　to　be　'took　on；'

but　had　not　succeeded。　　She　had　four　children；　and　her　husband；

also　a　water…side　labourer；　and　then　out　seeking　work；　seemed　in　no

better　case　as　to　finding　it　than　her　father。　　She　was　English；　and

by　nature；　of　a　buxom　figure　and　cheerful。　　Both　in　her　poor　dress

and　in　her　mother's　there　was　an　effort　to　keep　up　some　appearance

of　neatness。　　She　knew　all　about　the　sufferings　of　the　unfortunate

invalid；　and　all　about　the　lead…poisoning；　and　how　the　symptoms

came　on；　and　how　they　grew；　…　having　often　seen　them。　　The　very

smell　when　you　stood　inside　the　door　of　the　works　was　enough　to

knock　you　down；　she　said：　　yet　she　was　going　back　again　to　get

'took　on。'　　What　could　she　do？　　Better　be　ulcerated　and　paralysed

for　eighteen…pence　a　day；　while　it　lasted；　than　see　the　children

starve。



A　dark　and　squalid　cupboard　in　this　room；　touching　the　back　door

and　all　manner　of　offence；　had　been　for　some　time　the　sleeping…

place　of　the　sick　young　woman。　　But　the　nights　being　now　wintry；

and　the　blankets　and　coverlets　'gone　to　the　leaving　shop；'　she　lay

all　night　where　she　lay　all　day；　and　was　lying　then。　　The　woman　of

the　room；　her　husband；　this　most　miserable　patient；　and　two　others；

lay　on　the　one　brown　heap　together　for　warmth。



'God　bless　you；　sir；　and　thank　you！'　were　the　parting　words　from

these　people；　…　gratefully　spoken　too；　…　with　which　I　left　this

place。



Some　streets　away；　I　tapped　at　another　parlour…door　on　another

ground…floor。　　Looking　in；　I　found　a　man；　his　wife；　and　four

children；　sitting　at　a　washing…stool　by　way　of　table；　at　their

dinner　of　bread　and　infused　tea…leaves。　　There　was　a　very　scanty

cinderous　fire　in　the　grate　by　which　they　sat；　and　there　was　a　tent

bedstead　in　the　room　with　a　bed　upon　it　and　a　coverlet。　　The　man

did　not　rise　when　I　went　in；　nor　during　my　stay；　but　civilly

inclined　his　head　on　my　pulling　off　my　hat；　and；　in　answer　to　my

inquiry　whether　I　might　ask　him　a　question　or　two；　said；

'Certainly。'　　There　being　a　window　at　each　end　of　this　room；　back

and　front；　it　might　have　been　ventilated；　but　it　was　shut　up　tight；

to　keep　the　cold　out；　and　was　very　sickening。



The　wife；　an　intelligent；　quick　woman；　rose　and　stood　at　her

husband's　elbow；　and　he　glanced　up　at　her　as　if　for　help。　　It　soon

appeared　that　he　was　rather　deaf。　　He　was　a　slow；　simple　fellow　of

about　thirty。



'What　was　he　by　trade？'



'Gentleman　asks　what　are　you　by　trade；　John？'



'I　am　a　boilermaker；'　looking　about　him　with　an　exceedingly

perplexed　air；　as　if　for　a　boiler　that　had　unaccountably　vanished。



'He　ain't　a　mechanic；　you　understand；　sir；'　the　wife　put　in：　　'he's

only　a　labourer。'



'Are　you　in　work？'



He　looked　up　at　his　wife　again。　　'Gentleman　says　are　you　in　work；

John？'



'In　work！'　cried　this　forlorn　boilermaker；　staring　aghast　at　his

wife；　and　then　working　his　vision's　way　very　slowly　round　to　me：

'Lord；　no！'



'Ah；　he　ain't　indeed！'　said　the　poor　woman；　shaking　her　head；　as

she　looked　at　the　four　children　in　succession；　and　then　at　him。



'Work！'　said　the　boilermaker；　still　seeking　that　evaporated　boiler；

first　in　my　countenance；　then　in　the　air；　and　then　in　the　features

of　his　second　son　at　his　knee：　　'I　wish　I　WAS　in　work！　　I　haven't

had　more　than　a　day's　work　to　do　this　three　weeks。'



'How　have　you　lived？'



A　faint　gleam　of　admiration　lighted　up　the　face　of　the　would…be

boilermaker；　as　he　stretched　out　the　short　sleeve　of　his　thread…

bare　canvas　jacket；　and　replied；　pointing　her　out；　'On　the　work　of

the　wife。'



I　forget　where　boilermaking　had　gone　to；　or　where　he　supposed　it

had　gone　to；　but　he　added　some　resigned　information　on　that　head；

coupled　with　an　expression　of　his　belief　that　it　was　never　coming

back。



The　cheery　helpfulness　of　the　wife　was　very　remarkable。　　She　did

slop…work；　made　pea…jackets。　　She　produced　the　pea…jacket　then　in

hand；　and　spread　it　out　upon　the　bed；　…　the　only　piece　of　furniture

in　the　room　on　which　to　spread　it。　　She　showed　how　much　of　it　she

made；　and　how　much　was　afterwards　finished　off　by　the　machine。

According　to　her　calculation　at　the　moment；　deducting　what　her

trimming　cost　her；　she　got　for　making　a　pea…jacket　tenpence　half…

penny；　and　she　could　make　one　in　something　less　than　two　days。



But；　you　see；　it　come　to　her　through　two　hands；　and　of　course　it

didn't　come　through　the　second　hand　for　nothing。　　Why　did　it　come

through　the　second　hand　at　all？　　Why；　this　way。　　The　second　hand

took　the　risk　of　the　given…out　work；　you　see。　　If　she　had　money

enough　to　pay　the　security　deposit；　…　call　it　two　pound；　…　she

could　get　the　work　from　the　first　hand；　and　so　the　second　would　not

have　to　be　deducted　for。　　But；　having　no　money　at　all；　the　second

hand　come　in　and　took　its　profit；　and　so　the　whole　worked　down　to

tenpence　half…penny。　　Having　explained　all　this　with　great

intelligence；　even　with　some　little　pride；　and　without　a　whine　or

murmur；　she　folded　her　work　again；　sat　down　by　her　husband's　side

at　the　washing…stool；　and　resumed　her　dinner　of　dry　bread。　　Mean　as

the　meal　was；　on　the　bare　board；　with　its　old　gallipots　for　cups；

and　what　not　other　sordid　makeshifts；　shabby　as　the　woman　was　in

dress；　and　toning　done　towards　the　Bosjesman　colour；　with　want　of

nutriment　and　washing；　…　there　was　positively　a　dignity　in　her；　as

the　family　anchor　just　holding　the　poor　ship…wrecked　boilermaker's

bark。　　When　I　left　the　room；　the　boiler…maker's　eyes　were　slowly

turned　towards　her；　as　if　his　last　hope　of　ever　again　seeing　that

vanished　boiler　lay　in　her　direction。



These　people　had　never　applied　for　parish　relief　but　once；　and　that

was　when　the　husband　met　with　a　disabling　accident　at　his　work。



Not　many　doors　from　here；　I　went　into　a　room　on　the　first　floor。

The　woman　apologised　for　its　being　in　'an　untidy　mess。'　　The　day

was　Saturday；　and　she　was　boiling　the　children's　clothes　in　a

saucepan　on　the　hearth。　　There　was　nothing　else　into　which　she

could　have　put　them。　　There　was　no　crockery；　or　tinware；　or　tub；　or

bucket。　　There　was　an　old　gallipot　or　two；　and　there　was　a　broken

bottle　or　so；　and　there　were　some　broken　boxes　for　seats。　　The　last

small　scraping　of　coals　left　was　raked　together　in　a　corner　of　the

floor。　　There　were　some　rags　in　an　open　cupboard；　also　on　the

floor。　　In　a　corner　of　the　room　was　a　crazy　old　French　bed…stead；

with　a　man　lying　on　his　back　upon　it　in　a　ragged　pilot　jacket；　and

rough　oil…skin　fantail　hat。　　The　room　was　perfectly　black。　　It　was

difficult　to　believe；　at　first；　that　it　was　not　purposely　coloured

black；　the　walls　were　so　begrimed。



As　I　stood　opposite　the　woman　boiling　the　children's　clothes；　…　she

had　not　even　a　piece　of　soap　to　wash　them　with；　…　and　apologising

for　her　occupation；　I　could　take　in　all　these　things　without

appearing　to　notice　them；　and　could　even　correct　my　inventory。　　I

had　missed；　at　the　first　glance；　some　half　a　pound　of　bread　in　the

otherwise　empty　safe；　an　old　red　ragged　crinoline　hanging　on　the

handle　of　the　door　by　which　I　had　entered；　and　certain　fragments　of

rusty　iron　scattered　on　the　floor；　which　looked　like　broken　tools

and　a　piece　of　stove…pipe。　　A　child　stood　looking　on。　　On　the　box

nearest　to　the　fire　sat　two　younger　children；　one　a　delicate　and

pretty　little　creature；　whom　the　other　sometimes　kissed。



This　woman；　like　the　last；　was　wofully　shabby；　and　was　degenerating

to　the　Bosjesman　complexion。　　But　her　figure；　and　the　ghost　of　a

certain　vivacity　about　her；　an