in darkest england and the way out-第47章

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ast　End　life。　　And　at　the　same　time　that　I　heard　this　pure　and　passionate　invocation　to　love　God　and　be　true　to　man　I　heard　a　voice　on　the　outskirts；　and　it　said　this：　　〃You　　swine！　I'll　knock　the　vitals　out　of　yer。　　None　of　your　　impudence　to　me。　　your　　eyes；　what　do　you　mean　by　telling　me　that？　　You　know　what　you　ha'　done；　and　now　you　are　going　to　the　Salvation　Army。　I'll　let　them　know　you；　you　dirty　rascal。〃　　The　man　shifted　his　pipe。　〃What's　the　matter？〃　　〃Matter！〃　screamed　the　virago　hoarsely。〃　　　yer　life；　don't　you　know　what's　the　matter？　　I'll　matter　ye；　you　　hound。　　By　God！　I　will；　as　sure　as　I'm　alive。　　Matter！　you　know　what's　the　matter。〃　　And　so　she　went　on；　the　men　standing　silently　smoking　until　at　last　she　took　herself　off　her　mouth　full　of　oaths　and　cursing；　to　the　public…house。　　It　seemed　as　though　the　presence；　and　spirit；　and　words　of　the　Officer；　who　still　went　on　with　the　message　of　mercy；　had　some　strange　effect　upon　them；　which　made　these　poor　wretches　impervious　to　the　taunting；　bitter　sarcasms　of　this　brazen；　blatant　virago。

〃God　is　love。〃　　Was　it　not；　then；　the　accents　of　God's　voice　that　sounded　there　above　the　din　of　the　street　and　the　swearing　of　the　slums？　　Yea；　verily；　and　that　voice　ceases　not　and　will　not　cease；　so　long　as　the　Slum　Sisters　fight　under　the　banner　of　the　Salvation　Army。

To　form　an　idea　of　the　immense　amount　of　good；　temporal　and　spiritual；　which　the　Slum　Sister　is　doing；　you　need　to　follow　them　into　the　kennels　where　they　live；　preaching　the　Gospel　with　the　mop　and　the　scrubbing　brush；　and　driving　out　the　devil　with　soap　and　water。　In　one　of　our　Slum　posts；　where　the　Officer's　rooms　were　on　the　ground　floor；　about　fourteen　other　families　lived　in　the　same　house。　One　little　water…closet　in　the　back　yard　had　to　do　service　for　the　whole　place。　　As　for　the　dirt；　one　Officer　writes；　〃It　is　impossible　to　scrub　the　Homes；　some　of　them　are　in　such　a　filthy　condition。　When　they　have　a　fire　the　ashes　are　left　to　accumulate　for　days。　The　table　is　very　seldom；　if　ever；　properly　cleaned；　dirty　cups　and　saucers　lie　about　it；　together　with　bits　of　bread；　and　if　they　have　bloaters　the　bones　and　heads　are　left　on　the　table；　Sometimes　there　are　pieces　of　onions　mixed　up　with　the　rest。　　The　floors　are　in　a　very　much　worse　condition　than　the　street　pavements；　and　when　they　are　supposed　to　clean　them　they　do　it　with　about　a　pint　of　dirty　water。　　When　they　wash；　which　is　rarely；　for　washing　to　them　seems　an　unnecessary　work；　they　do　it　in　a　quart　or　two　of　water；　and　sometimes　boil　the　things　in　some　old　saucepan　in　which　they　cook　their　food。　　They　do　this　simply　because　they　have　no　larger　vessel　to　wash　in。　　The　vermin　fall　off　the　walls　and　ceiling　on　you　while　you　are　standing　in　the　rooms。　Some　of　the　walls　are　covered　with　marks　where　they　have　killed　them。　Many　people　in　the　summer　sit　on　the　door　steps　all　night；　the　reason　for　this　being；　that　their　rooms　are　so　close　from　the　heat　and　so　unendurable　from　the　vermin　that　they　prefer　staying　out　in　the　cool　night　air。　　But　as　they　cannot　stay　anywhere　long　without　drinking；　they　send　for　beer　from　the　neighbouring　publicalas！　never　far　away　and　pass　it　from　one　doorway　to　another；　the　result　being　singing；　shouting　and　fighting　up　till　three　and　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。〃

I　could　fill　volumes　with　stories　of　the　war　against　vermin；　which　is　part　of　this　campaign　in　the　slums；　but　the　subject　is　too　revolting　to　those　who　are　often　indifferent　to　the　agonies　their　fellow　creatures　suffer；　so　long　as　their　sensitive　ears　are　not　shocked　by　the　mention　of　so　painful　a　subject。　　Here；　for　instance；　is　a　sample　of　the　kind　of　region　in　which　the　Slum　Sisters　spend　themselves：

〃In　an　apparently　respectable　street　near　Oxford　street；　the　Officers　where　visiting　one　day　when　they　saw　a　very　dark　staircase　leading　into　a　cellar；　and　thinking　it　possible　that　someone　might　be　there　they　attempted　to　go　down；　and　yet　the　staircase　was　so　dark　they　thought　it　impossible　for　anyone　to　be　there。　　However；　they　tried　again　and　groped　their　way　along　in　the　dark　for　some　time　until　at　last　they　found　the　door　and　entered　the　room。　　At　first　they　could　not　discern　anything　because　of　the　darkness。　　But　after　they　got　used　to　it　they　saw　a　filthy　room。　　There　was　no　fire　in　the　grate；　but　the　fire…place　was　heaped　up　with　ashes；　an　accumulation　of　several　weeks　at　least。　At　one　end　of　the　room　there　was　an　old　sack　of　rags　and　bones　partly　emptied　upon　the　floor；　from　which　there　came　a　most　unpleasant　odour。　At　the　other　end　lay　an　old　man　very　ill。　　The　apology　for　a　bed　on　which　he　lay　was　filthy　and　had　neither　sheets　nor　blankets。　His　covering　consisted　of　old　rags。　　His　poor　wife；　who　attended　on　him；　appeared　to　be　a　stranger　to　soap　and　water。　　These　Slum　Sisters　nursed　the　old　people；　and　on　one　occasion　undertook　to　do　their　washing；　and　they　brought　it　home　to　their　copper　for　this　purpose；　but　it　was　so　infested　with　vermin　that　they　did　not　know　how　to　wash　it。　　Their　landlady；　who　happened　to　see　them；　forbade　them　ever　to　bring　such　stuff　there　any　more。　　The　old　man；　when　well　enough；　worked　at　his　trade；　which　was　tailoring。　　They　had　two　shillings　and　sixpence　per　week　from　the　parish。〃

Here　is　a　report　from　the　headquarters　of　our　Slum　Brigade　as　to　the　work　which　the　Slum　Sisters　have　done。　　It　is　almost　four　years　since　the　Slum　Work　was　started　in　London。　　The　principal　work　done　by　our　first　Officers　was　that　of　visiting　the　sick；　cleansing　the　homes　of　the　Slummers；　and　of　feeding　the　hungry。　　The　following　are　a　few　of　the　cases　of　those　who　have　gained　temporally；　as　well　as　spiritually；　through　our　work：　

Mrs。　W。Of　Haggerston　Slum。　　Heavy　drinker；　wrecked　home；　husband　a　drunkard；　place　dirty　and　filthy；　terribly　poor。　　Saved　now　over　two　years；　home　A1。；　plenty　of　employment　at　cane…chair　bottoming；　husband　now　saved　also。

Mrs。　R。Drury　Lane　Slum。　　Husband　and　wife；　drunkards；　husband　very　lazy；　only　worked　when　starved　in　to　it。　　We　found　them　both　out　of　work；　home　furnitureless；　in　debt。　　She　got　saved；　and　our　lasses　prayed　for　him　to　get　work。　　He　did　so；　and　went　to　it。　　He　fell　out　again　a　few　weeks　after；　and　beat　his　wife。　　She　sought　employment　at　charing　and　office　cleaning；　got　it；　and　has　been　regularly　at　work　since。　　He　too　got　work。　　He　is　now　a　teetotaler。　　The　home　is　very　comfortable　now；　and　they　are　putting　money　in　the　bank。

A。M。　in　the　Dials。　　Was　a　great　drunkard；　thriftless；　did　not　go　to　the　trouble　of　seeking　work。　　Was　in　a　Slum　meeting；　heard　the　Captain　speak　on　〃Seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God！〃　called　out　and　said；　〃Do　you　mean　that　if　I　ask　God　for　work；　He　will　give　it　me？〃　Of　course　she　said；　〃Yes。〃　　He　was　converted　that　night；　found　work；　and　is　now　employed　in　the　Gas　Works；　Old　Kent　Road。

Jimmy　is　a　soldier　in　the　Boro'　Slum！　　Was　starving　when　he　got　converted　through　being　out　of　work。　　Through　joining　the　Army；　he　was　turned　out　of　his　home。　　He　found　work；　and　now　owns　a　coffee…stall　in　Billingsgate　Market；　and　is　doing　well。

Sergeant　R。Of　Marylebone　Slum。　　Used　to　drink；　lived　in　a　wretched　place　in　the　famous　Charles　Street；　had　work　at　two　places；　at　one　of　which　he　got　5s。　a　week　and　the　other　10s。；　when　he　got　saved；　this　was　starvation　wages；　on　which　to　keep　himself；　his　wife；　and　four　children。　　At　the　10s。　a　week　work　he　had　to　deliver　drink　for　a　spirit　merchant；　feeling　condemned　over　it；　he　gave　it　up；　and　was　out　of　work　for　weeks。　　The　brokers　were　put　in；　but　the　Lord　rescued　him　just　in　time。　　The　5s。　a　week　employer　took　him　afterwards　at　18s。；　and　he　is　now　earning　22s。；　and　has　left　the　ground…floor　slum　tenement　for　a　better　house。

H。Nine　Elms　Slum。　　Was　saved　on　Easter　Monday；　out　of　work　several　weeks　before；　is　a　labourer；　seems　very　earnest；　in　terrible　distress。　We　allow　his　wife　2s。　6d。　a　week　for　cleaning　the　hall　（to　help　them）。　In　addition　to　that；　she　gets　another　2s。　6d。　for　nursing；　and　on　that　husband；　wife；　and　a　couple　of　children　pay　the　rent　of　2s。　a　week　and　drag　out　an　existence。　　I　have　tried　to　get　work　for　this　man；　but　have　failed。

T。Of　Rotherhithe　Slum。　　Was　a　great　drunkard；　is　a　carpenter；　saved　about　nine　months　ago；