the ragged trousered philanthropists-第119节

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o　drink；　but　because　…　being　usually　abstemious　…　it　did　not　take　very　much　to　make　them　drunk。

From　time　to　time　this　miserable　crew　tried　to　enliven　the　journey　by　singing；　but　as　most　of　them　only　knew　odd　choruses　it　did　not　come　to　much。　　As　for　the　few　who　did　happen　to　know　all　the　words　of　a　song；　they　either　had　no　voices　or　were　not　inclined　to　sing。　　The　most　successful　contribution　was　that　of　the　religious　maniac；　who　sang　several　hymns；　the　choruses　being　joined　in　by　everybody；　both　drunk　and　sober。

The　strains　of　these　hymns；　wafted　back　through　the　balmy　air　to　the　last　coach；　were　the　cause　of　much　hilarity　to　its　occupants　who　also　sang　the　choruses。　　As　they　had　all　been　brought　up　under　‘Christian'　influences　and　educated　in　‘Christian'　schools；　they　all　knew　the　words：　‘Work；　for　the　night　is　coming'；　‘Turn　poor　Sinner　and　escape　Eternal　Fire'；　‘Pull　for　the　Shore'　and　‘Where　is　my　Wandering　Boy？'

The　last　reminded　Harlow　of　a　song　he　knew　nearly　all　the　words　of；　‘Take　the　news　to　Mother'；　the　singing　of　which　was　much　appreciated　by　all　present　and　when　it　was　finished　they　sang　it　all　over　again；　Philpot　being　so　affected　that　he　actually　shed　tears；　and　Easton　confided　to　Owen　that　there　was　no　getting　away　from　the　fact　that　a　boy's　best　friend　is　his　mother。

In　this　last　carriage；　as　in　the　other　two；　there　were　several　men　who　were　more　or　less　intoxicated　and　for　the　same　reason　…　because　not　being　used　to　taking　much　liquor；　the　few　extra　glasses　they　had　drunk　had　got　into　their　heads。　　They　were　as　sober　a　lot　of　fellows　as　need　be　at　ordinary　times；　and　they　had　flocked　together　in　this　brake　because　they　were　all　of　about　the　same　character　…　not　tame；　contented　imbeciles　like　most　of　those　in　Misery's　carnage；　but　men　something　like　Harlow；　who；　although　dissatisfied　with　their　condition；　doggedly　continued　the　hopeless；　weary　struggle　against　their　fate。

They　were　not　teetotallers　and　they　never　went　to　either　church　or　chapel；　but　they　spent　little　in　drink　or　on　any　form　of　enjoyment　…　an　occasional　glass　of　beer　or　a　still　rarer　visit　to　a　music…hall　and　now　and　then　an　outing　more　or　less　similar　to　this　being　the　sum　total　of　their　pleasures。

These　four　brakes　might　fitly　be　regarded　as　so　many　travelling　lunatic　asylums；　the　inmates　of　each　exhibiting　different　degrees　and　forms　of　mental　disorder。

The　occupants　of　the　first　…　Rushton；　Didlum　and　Co。　…　might　be　classed　as　criminal　lunatics　who　injured　others　as　well　as　themselves。　In　a　properly　constituted　system　of　society　such　men　as　these　would　be　regarded　as　a　danger　to　the　community；　and　would　be　placed　under　such　restraint　as　would　effectually　prevent　them　from　harming　themselves　or　others。　　These　wretches　had　abandoned　every　thought　and　thing　that　tends　to　the　elevation　of　humanity。　　They　had　given　up　everything　that　makes　life　good　and　beautiful；　in　order　to　carry　on　a　mad　struggle　to　acquire　money　which　they　would　never　be　sufficiently　cultured　to　properly　enjoy。　　Deaf　and　blind　to　every　other　consideration；　to　this　end　they　had　degraded　their　intellects　by　concentrating　them　upon　the　minutest　details　of　expense　and　profit；　and　for　their　reward　they　raked　in　their　harvest　of　muck　and　lucre　along　with　the　hatred　and　curses　of　those　they　injured　in　the　process。　　They　knew　that　the　money　they　accumulated　was　foul　with　the　sweat　of　their　brother　men；　and　wet　with　the　tears　of　little　children；　but　they　were　deaf　and　blind　and　callous　to　the　consequences　of　their　greed。　　Devoid　of　every　ennobling　thought　or　aspiration；　they　grovelled　on　the　filthy　ground；　tearing　up　the　flowers　to　get　at　the　worms。

In　the　coach　presided　over　by　Crass；　Bill　Bates；　the　Semi…drunk　and　the　other　two　or　three　habitual　boozers　were　all　men　who　had　been　driven　mad　by　their　environment。　　At　one　time　most　of　them　had　been　fellows　like　Harlow；　working　early　and　late　whenever　they　got　the　chance；　only　to　see　their　earnings　swallowed　up　in　a　few　minutes　every　Saturday　by　the　landlord　and　all　the　other　host　of　harpies　and　profitmongers；　who　were　waiting　to　demand　it　as　soon　as　it　was　earned。　In　the　years　that　were　gone；　most　of　these　men　used　to　take　all　their　money　home　religiously　every　Saturday　and　give　it　to　the　‘old　girl'　for　the　house；　and　then；　lo　and　behold；　in　a　moment；　yea；　even　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　it　was　all　gone！　　Melted　away　like　snow　in　the　sun！　and　nothing　to　show　for　it　except　an　insufficiency　of　the　bare　necessaries　of　life！　　But　after　a　time　they　had　become　heartbroken　and　sick　and　tired　of　that　sort　of　thing。　　They　hankered　after　a　little　pleasure；　a　little　excitement；　a　little　fun；　and　they　found　that　it　was　possible　to　buy　something　like　those　in　quart　pots　at　the　pub。　They　knew　they　were　not　the　genuine　articles；　but　they　were　better　than　nothing　at　all；　and　so　they　gave　up　the　practice　of　giving　all　their　money　to　the　old　girl　to　give　to　the　landlord　and　the　other　harpies；　and　bought　beer　with　some　of　it　instead；　and　after　a　time　their　minds　became　so　disordered　from　drinking　so　much　of　this　beer；　that　they　cared　nothing　whether　the　rent　was　paid　or　not。　　They　cared　but　little　whether　the　old　girl　and　the　children　had　food　or　clothes。　They　said；　‘To　hell　with　everything　and　everyone；'　and　they　cared　for　nothing　so　long　as　they　could　get　plenty　of　beer。

The　occupants　of　Nimrod's　coach　have　already　been　described　and　most　of　them　may　correctly　be　classed　as　being　similar　to　cretin　idiots　of　the　third　degree　…　very　cunning　and　selfish；　and　able　to　read　and　write；　but　with　very　little　understanding　of　what　they　read　except　on　the　most　common　topics。

As　for　those　who　rode　with　Harlow　in　the　last　coach；　most　of　them；　as　has　been　already　intimated；　were　men　of　similar　character　to　himself。　The　greater　number　of　them　fairly　good　workmen　and　…　unlike　the　boozers　in　Crass's　coach　…　not　yet　quite　heartbroken；　but　still　continuing　the　hopeless　struggle　against　poverty。　　These　differed　from　Nimrod's　lot　inasmuch　as　they　were　not　content。　　They　were　always　complaining　of　their　wretched　circumstances；　and　found　a　certain　kind　of　pleasure　in　listening　to　the　tirades　of　the　Socialists　against　the　existing　social　conditions；　and　professing　their　concurrence　with　many　of　the　sentiments　expressed；　and　a　desire　to　bring　about　a　better　state　of　affairs。

Most　of　them　appeared　to　be　quite　sane；　being　able　to　converse　intelligently　on　any　ordinary　subject　without　discovering　any　symptoms　of　mental　disorder；　and　it　was　not　until　the　topic　of　Parliamentary　elections　was　mentioned　that　evidence　of　their　insanity　was　forthcoming。　　It　then　almost　invariably　appeared　that　they　were　subject　to　the　most　extraordinary　hallucinations　and　extravagant　delusions；　the　commonest　being　that　the　best　thing　that　the　working　people　could　do　to　bring　about　an　improvement　in　their　condition；　was　to　continue　to　elect　their　Liberal　and　Tory　employers　to　make　laws　for　and　to　rule　over　them！　　At　such　times；　if　anyone　ventured　to　point　out　to　them　that　that　was　what　they　had　been　doing　all　their　lives；　and　referred　them　to　the　manifold　evidences　that　met　them　wherever　they　turned　their　eyes　of　its　folly　and　futility；　they　were　generally　immediately　seized　with　a　paroxysm　of　the　most　furious　mania；　and　were　with　difficulty　prevented　from　savagely　assaulting　those　who　differed　from　them。

They　were　usually　found　in　a　similar　condition　of　maniacal　excitement　for　some　time　preceding　and　during　a　Parliamentary　election；　but　afterwards　they　usually　manifested　that　modification　of　insanity　which　is　called　melancholia。　　In　fact　they　alternated　between　these　two　forms　of　the　disease。　　During　elections；　the　highest　state　of　exalted　mania；　and　at　ordinary　times　…　presumably　as　a　result　of　reading　about　the　proceedings　in　Parliament　of　the　persons　whom　they　had　elected　…　in　a　state　of　melancholic　depression；　in　their　case　an　instance　of　hope　deferred　making　the　heart　sick。

This　condition　occasionally　proved　to　be　the　stage　of　transition　into　yet　another　modification　of　the　disease　…　that　known　as　dipsomania；　the　phase　exhibited　by　Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk。

Yet　another　form　of　insanity　was　that　shown　by　the　Socialists。　　Like　most　of　their　fellow　passengers　in　the　last　coach；　the　majority　of　these　individuals　appeared　to　be　of　perfectly　sound　mind。　　Upon　entering　into　conversation　with　them　one　found　that　they　reasoned　correctly　and　even　brilliantly。　　They　had　divided　their　favourite　subject　into　three　parts。　　First；　an　exact　definition　of　the　condition　known　as　Poverty。　　Secondly；　a　knowledge　of　the　causes　of　Poverty；　and　thirdly；　a　rational　plan　for　the　cure　of　Poverty。　　Those　who　were　opposed　to　them　always　failed　to　refute　their　arguments；　and　feared；　and　nearly　always　refused；　to　meet　them　in　fair　fight　…　in　open　debate　…　preferring　to　use　the　cowardly　and　despicable　weapons　of　slander　and　misrepresentation。　　The　fact　that　these　Socialists　never　encountered　their　opponents　except　to　defeat　them；　was　a　powerful　testimony　to　the　accuracy　of　their　reasonings　and　the　correctness　of　their　conclusions　…　and　yet　they　were　undoubtedly　mad。　One　might　converse　with　them　for　an　indefinite　time　on　the　three　divisions　of　their　subject　without　eliciting　any　proofs　of　in