the uncommercial traveller-第96章

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coach…house　had　been　discovered　in　a　corner　down…stairs；　just　large

enough　to　hold　it。　　Coloured　prints；　in　all　stages　of　preparation

for　being　added　to　those　already　decorating　the　wards；　were

plentiful；　a　charming　wooden　phenomenon　of　a　bird；　with　an

impossible　top…knot；　who　ducked　his　head　when　you　set　a　counter

weight　going；　had　been　inaugurated　as　a　public　statue　that　very

morning；　and　trotting　about　among　the　beds；　on　familiar　terms　with

all　the　patients；　was　a　comical　mongrel　dog；　called　Poodles。　　This

comical　dog　（quite　a　tonic　in　himself）　was　found　characteristically

starving　at　the　door　of　the　institution；　and　was　taken　in　and　fed；

and　has　lived　here　ever　since。　　An　admirer　of　his　mental　endowments

has　presented　him　with　a　collar　bearing　the　legend；　'Judge　not

Poodles　by　external　appearances。'　　He　was　merrily　wagging　his　tail

on　a　boy's　pillow　when　he　made　this　modest　appeal　to　me。



When　this　hospital　was　first　opened；　in　January　of　the　present

year；　the　people　could　not　possibly　conceive　but　that　somebody　paid

for　the　services　rendered　there；　and　were　disposed　to　claim　them　as

a　right；　and　to　find　fault　if　out　of　temper。　　They　soon　came　to

understand　the　case　better；　and　have　much　increased　in　gratitude。

The　mothers　of　the　patients　avail　themselves　very　freely　of　the

visiting　rules；　the　fathers　often　on　Sundays。　　There　is　an

unreasonable　（but　still；　I　think；　touching　and　intelligible）

tendency　in　the　parents　to　take　a　child　away　to　its　wretched　home；

if　on　the　point　of　death。　　One　boy　who　had　been　thus　carried　off　on

a　rainy　night；　when　in　a　violent　state　of　inflammation；　and　who　had

been　afterwards　brought　back；　had　been　recovered　with　exceeding

difficulty；　but　he　was　a　jolly　boy；　with　a　specially　strong

interest　in　his　dinner；　when　I　saw　him。



Insufficient　food　and　unwholesome　living　are　the　main　causes　of

disease　among　these　small　patients。　　So　nourishment；　cleanliness；

and　ventilation　are　the　main　remedies。　　Discharged　patients　are

looked　after；　and　invited　to　come　and　dine　now　and　then；　so　are

certain　famishing　creatures　who　were　never　patients。　　Both　the　lady

and　the　gentleman　are　well　acquainted；　not　only　with　the　histories

of　the　patients　and　their　families；　but　with　the　characters　and

circumstances　of　great　numbers　of　their　neighbours　…　of　these　they

keep　a　register。　　It　is　their　common　experience；　that　people；

sinking　down　by　inches　into　deeper　and　deeper　poverty；　will　conceal

it；　even　from　them；　if　possible；　unto　the　very　last　extremity。



The　nurses　of　this　hospital　are　all　young；　…　ranging；　say；　from

nineteen　to　four　and　twenty。　　They　have　even　within　these　narrow

limits；　what　many　well…endowed　hospitals　would　not　give　them；　a

comfortable　room　of　their　own　in　which　to　take　their　meals。　　It　is

a　beautiful　truth；　that　interest　in　the　children　and　sympathy　with

their　sorrows　bind　these　young　women　to　their　places　far　more

strongly　than　any　other　consideration　could。　　The　best　skilled　of

the　nurses　came　originally　from　a　kindred　neighbourhood；　almost　as

poor；　and　she　knew　how　much　the　work　was　needed。　　She　is　a　fair

dressmaker。　　The　hospital　cannot　pay　her　as　many　pounds　in　the　year

as　there　are　months　in　it；　and　one　day　the　lady　regarded　it　as　a

duty　to　speak　to　her　about　her　improving　her　prospects　and

following　her　trade。　　'No；'　she　said：　　she　could　never　be　so　useful

or　so　happy　elsewhere　any　more；　she　must　stay　among　the　children。



And　she　stays。　　One　of　the　nurses；　as　I　passed　her；　was　washing　a

baby…boy。　　Liking　her　pleasant　face；　I　stopped　to　speak　to　her

charge；　…　a　common；　bullet…headed；　frowning　charge　enough；　laying

hold　of　his　own　nose　with　a　slippery　grasp；　and　staring　very

solemnly　out　of　a　blanket。　　The　melting　of　the　pleasant　face　into

delighted　smiles；　as　this　young　gentleman　gave　an　unexpected　kick；

and　laughed　at　me；　was　almost　worth　my　previous　pain。



An　affecting　play　was　acted　in　Paris　years　ago；　called　'The

Children's　Doctor。'　　As　I　parted　from　my　children's　doctor；　now　in

question；　I　saw　in　his　easy　black　necktie；　in　his　loose　buttoned

black　frock…coat；　in　his　pensive　face；　in　the　flow　of　his　dark

hair；　in　his　eyelashes；　in　the　very　turn　of　his　moustache；　the

exact　realisation　of　the　Paris　artist's　ideal　as　it　was　presented

on　the　stage。　　But　no　romancer　that　I　know　of　has　had　the　boldness

to　prefigure　the　life　and　home　of　this　young　husband　and　young　wife

in　the　Children's　Hospital　in　the　east　of　London。



I　came　away　from　Ratcliff　by　the　Stepney　railway　station　to　the

terminus　at　Fenchurch　Street。　　Any　one　who　will　reverse　that　route

may　retrace　my　steps。







CHAPTER　XXXIII　…　A　LITTLE　DINNER　IN　AN　HOUR







It　fell　out　on　a　day　in　this　last　autumn；　that　I　had　to　go　down

from　London　to　a　place　of　seaside　resort；　on　an　hour's　business；

accompanied　by　my　esteemed　friend　Bullfinch。　　Let　the　place　of

seaside　resort　be；　for　the　nonce；　called　Namelesston。



I　had　been　loitering　about　Paris　in　very　hot　weather；　pleasantly

breakfasting　in　the　open　air　in　the　garden　of　the　Palais　Royal　or

the　Tuileries；　pleasantly　dining　in　the　open　air　in　the　Elysian

Fields；　pleasantly　taking　my　cigar　and　lemonade　in　the　open　air　on

the　Italian　Boulevard　towards　the　small　hours　after　midnight。

Bullfinch　…　an　excellent　man　of　business　…　has　summoned　me　back

across　the　Channel；　to　transact　this　said　hour's　business　at

Namelesston；　and　thus　it　fell　out　that　Bullfinch　and　I　were　in　a

railway　carriage　together　on　our　way　to　Namelesston；　each　with　his

return…ticket　in　his　waistcoat…pocket。



Says　Bullfinch；　'I　have　a　proposal　to　make。　　Let　us　dine　at　the

Temeraire。'



I　asked　Bullfinch；　did　he　recommend　the　Temeraire？　inasmuch　as　I

had　not　been　rated　on　the　books　of　the　Temeraire　for　many　years。



Bullfinch　declined　to　accept　the　responsibility　of　recommending　the

Temeraire；　but　on　the　whole　was　rather　sanguine　about　it。　　He

'seemed　to　remember；'　Bullfinch　said；　that　he　had　dined　well　there。

A　plain　dinner；　but　good。　　Certainly　not　like　a　Parisian　dinner

（here　Bullfinch　obviously　became　the　prey　of　want　of　confidence）；

but　of　its　kind　very　fair。



I　appeal　to　Bullfinch's　intimate　knowledge　of　my　wants　and　ways　to

decide　whether　I　was　usually　ready　to　be　pleased　with　any　dinner；

or　…　for　the　matter　of　that　…　with　anything　that　was　fair　of　its

kind　and　really　what　it　claimed　to　be。　　Bullfinch　doing　me　the

honour　to　respond　in　the　affirmative；　I　agreed　to　ship　myself　as　an

able　trencherman　on　board　the　Temeraire。



'Now；　our　plan　shall　be　this；'　says　Bullfinch；　with　his　forefinger

at　his　nose。　　'As　soon　as　we　get　to　Namelesston；　we'll　drive

straight　to　the　Temeraire；　and　order　a　little　dinner　in　an　hour。

And　as　we　shall　not　have　more　than　enough　time　in　which　to　dispose

of　it　comfortably；　what　do　you　say　to　giving　the　house　the　best

opportunities　of　serving　it　hot　and　quickly　by　dining　in　the

coffee…room？'



What　I　had　to　say　was；　Certainly。　　Bullfinch　（who　is　by　nature　of　a

hopeful　constitution）　then　began　to　babble　of　green　geese。　　But　I

checked　him　in　that　Falstaffian　vein；　urging　considerations　of　time

and　cookery。



In　due　sequence　of　events　we　drove　up　to　the　Temeraire；　and

alighted。　　A　youth　in　livery　received　us　on　the　door…step。　　'Looks

well；'　said　Bullfinch　confidentially。　　And　then　aloud；　'Coffee…

room！'



The　youth　in　livery　（now　perceived　to　be　mouldy）　conducted　us　to

the　desired　haven；　and　was　enjoined　by　Bullfinch　to　send　the　waiter

at　once；　as　we　wished　to　order　a　little　dinner　in　an　hour。　　Then

Bullfinch　and　I　waited　for　the　waiter；　until；　the　waiter　continuing

to　wait　in　some　unknown　and　invisible　sphere　of　action；　we　rang　for

the　waiter；　which　ring　produced　the　waiter；　who　announced　himself

as　not　the　waiter　who　ought　to　wait　upon　us；　and　who　didn't　wait　a

moment　longer。



So　Bullfinch　approached　the　coffee…room　door；　and　melodiously

pitching　his　voice　into　a　bar　where　two　young