the ragged trousered philanthropists-第48节

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！



Occasionally　a　girl　of　intelligence　and　spirit　would　insist　on　the　fulfilment　of　the　terms　of　her　indentures；　and　sometimes　the　parents　would　protest。　　If　this　were　persisted　in　those　girls　got　on　better：　but　even　these　were　turned　to　good　account　by　the　wily　Sweater；　who　induced　the　best　of　them　to　remain　after　their　time　was　up　by　paying　them　what　appeared　…　by　contrast　with　the　others　girls'　money　…　good　wages；　sometimes　even　seven　or　eight　shillings　a　week！　and　liberal　promises　of　future　advancement。　　These　girls　then　became　a　sort　of　reserve　who　could　be　called　up　to　crush　any　manifestation　of　discontent　on　the　part　of　the　leading　hands。

The　greater　number　of　the　girls；　however；　submitted　tamely　to　the　conditions　imposed　upon　them。　　They　were　too　young　to　realize　the　wrong　that　was　being　done　them。　　As　for　their　parents；　it　never　occurred　to　them　to　doubt　the　sincerity　of　so　good　a　man　as　Mr　Sweater；　who　was　always　prominent　in　every　good　and　charitable　work。

At　the　expiration　of　the　girl's　apprenticeship；　if　the　parents　complained　of　her　want　of　proficiency；　the　pious　Sweater　would　attribute　it　to　idleness　or　incapacity；　and　as　the　people　were　generally　poor　he　seldom　or　never　had　any　trouble　with　them。　　This　was　how　he　fulfilled　the　unctuous　promise　made　to　the　confiding　parents　at　the　time　the　girl　was　handed　over　to　his　tender　mercy　…　that　he　would　‘make　a　woman　of　her'。

This　method　of　obtaining　labour　by　false　pretences　and　without　payment；　which　enabled　him　to　produce　costly　articles　for　a　mere　fraction　of　the　price　for　which　they　were　eventually　sold；　was　adopted　in　other　departments　of　his　business。　　He　procured　shop　assistants　of　both　sexes　on　the　same　terms。　　A　youth　was　indentured；　usually　for　five　years；　to　be　‘Made　a　Man　of　and　‘Turned　out　fit　to　take　a　Position　in　any　House'。　　If　possible；　a　premium；　five；　ten；　or　twenty　pounds　…　according　to　their　circumstances　…　would　be　extracted　from　the　parents。　　For　the　first　three　years；　no　wages：　after　that；　perhaps　two　or　three　shillings　a　week。

At　the　end　of　the　five　years　the　work　of　‘Making　a　Man　of　him'　would　be　completed。　　Mr　Sweater　would　then　congratulate　him　and　assure　him　that　he　was　qualified　to　assume　a　‘position'　in　any　House　but　regret　that　there　was　no　longer　any　room　for　him　in　his。　　Business　was　so　bad。　　Still；　if　the　Man　wished　he　might　stay　on　until　he　secured　a　better　‘position'　and；　as　a　matter　of　generosity；　although　he　did　not　really　need　the　Man's　services；　he　would　pay　him　ten　shillings　per　week！

Provided　he　was　not　addicted　to　drinking；　smoking；　gambling　or　the　Stock　Exchange；　or　going　to　theatres；　the　young　man's　future　was　thus　assured。　　Even　if　he　were　unsuccessful　in　his　efforts　to　obtain　another　position　he　could　save　a　portion　of　his　salary　and　eventually　commence　business　on　his　own　account。

However；　the　branch　of　Mr　Sweater's　business　to　which　it　is　desired　to　especially　direct　the　reader's　attention　was　the　Homeworkers　Department。　　He　employed　a　large　number　of　women　making　ladies'　blouses；　fancy　aprons　and　children's　pinafores。　　Most　of　these　articles　were　disposed　of　wholesale　in　London　and　elsewhere；　but　some　were　retailed　at　‘Sweaters'　Emporium'　in　Mugsborough　and　at　the　firm's　other　retail　establishments　throughout　the　county。　　Many　of　the　women　workers　were　widows　with　children；　who　were　glad　to　obtain　any　employment　that　did　not　take　hem　away　from　their　homes　and　families。

The　blouses　were　paid　for　at　tie　rate　of　from　two　shillings　to　five　shillings　a　dozen；　the　women　having　to　provide　their　own　machine　and　cotton；　besides　calling　for　and　delivering　the　work。　　These　poor　women　were　able　to　clear　from　six　to　eight　shillings　a　week：　and　to　earn　even　that　they　had　to　work　almost　incessantly　for　fourteen　or　sixteen　hours　a　day。　　There　was　no　time　for　cooling　and　very　little　to　cook；　for　they　lived　principally　on　bread　and　margarine　and　tea。　　Their　homes　were　squalid；　their　children　half…starved　and　raggedly　clothed　in　grotesque　garments　hastily　fashioned　out　of　the　cast…off　clothes　of　charitable　neighbours。

But　it　was　not　in　vain　that　these　women　toiled　every　weary　day　until　exhaustion　compelled　them　to　case。　　It　was　not　in　vain　that　they　passed　their　cheerless　lives　bending　with　aching　shoulders　over　the　thankless　work　that　barely　brought　them　bread。　　It　was　not　in　vain　that　they　and　their　children　went　famished　and　in　rags；　for　after　all；　the　principal　object　of　their　labour　was　accomplished：　the　Good　Cause　was　advanced。　　Mr　Sweater　waxed　rich　and　increased　in　goods　and　respectability。

Of　course；　none　of　those　women　were　COMPELLED　to　engage　in　that　glorious　cause。　　No　one　is　compelled　to　accept　any　particular　set　of　conditions　in　a　free　country　like　this。　　Mr　Trafaim　…　the　manager　of　Sweater's　Homework　Department　…　always　put　the　matter　before　them　in　the　plainest；　fairest　possible　way。　　There　was　the　work：　that　was　the　figure！　　And　those　who　didn't　like　it　could　leave　it。　　There　was　no　compulsion。

Sometimes　some　perverse　creature　belonging　to　that　numerous　class　who　are　too　lazy　to　work　DID　leave　it！　　But　as　the　manager　said；　there　were　plenty　of　others　who　were　only　too　glad　to　take　it。　　In　fact；　such　was　the　enthusiasm　amongst　these　women　…　especially　such　of　them　as　had　little　children　to　provide　for　…　and　such　was　their　zeal　for　the　Cause；　that　some　of　them　have　been　known　to　positively　beg　to　be　allowed　to　work！

By　these　and　similar　means　Adam　Sweater　had　contrived　to　lay　up　for　himself　a　large　amount　of　treasure　upon　earth；　besides　attaining　undoubted　respectability；　for　that　he　was　respectable　no　one　questioned。　　He　went　to　chapel　twice　every　Sunday；　his　obese　figure　arrayed　in　costly　apparel；　consisting　…　with　other　things　…　of　grey　trousers；　a　long　garment　called　a　frock…coat；　a　tall　silk　hat；　a　quantity　of　jewellery　and　a　morocco…bound　gilt…edged　Bible。　　He　was　an　official　of　some　sort　of　the　Shining　Light　Chapel。　　His　name　appeared　in　nearly　every　published　list　of　charitable　subscriptions。　　No　starving　wretch　had　ever　appealed　to　him　in　vain　for　a　penny　soup　ticket。

Small　wonder　that　when　this　good　and　public…spirited　man　offered　his　services　to　the　town　…　free　of　charge　…　the　intelligent　working　men　of　Mugsborough　accepted　his　offer　with　enthusiastic　applause。　　The　fact　that　he　had　made　money　in　business　was　a　proof　of　his　intellectual　capacity。　　His　much…advertised　benevolence　was　a　guarantee　that　his　abilities　would　be　used　to　further　not　his　own　private　interests；　but　the　interests　of　every　section　of　the　community；　especially　those　of　the　working　classes；　of　whom　the　majority　of　his　constituents　was　composed。

As　for　the　shopkeepers；　they　were　all　so　absorbed　in　their　own　business　…　so　busily　engaged　chasing　their　employees；　adding　up　their　accounts；　and　dressing　themselves　up　in　feeble　imitation　of　the　‘Haristocracy'　…　that　they　were　incapable　of　taking　a　really　intelligent　interest　in　anything　else。　　They　thought　of　the　Town　Council　as　a　kind　of　Paradise　reserved　exclusively　for　jerry…builders　and　successful　tradesmen。　　Possibly；　some　day；　if　they　succeeded　in　making　money；　they　might　become　town　councillors　themselves！　but　in　the　meantime　public　affairs　were　no　particular　concern　of　theirs。　　So　some　of　them　voted　for　Adam　Sweater　because　he　was　a　Liberal　and　some　of　them　voted　against　him　for　the　same　‘reason'。

Now　and　then；　when　details　of　some　unusually　scandalous　proceeding　of　the　Council's　leaked　out；　the　townspeople　…　roused　for　a　brief　space　from　their　customary　indifference　…　would　discuss　the　matter　in　a　casual；　half…indignant；　half…amused；　helpless　sort　of　way；　but　always　as　if　it　were　something　that　did　not　directly　concern　them。　　It　was　during　some　such　nine　days'　wonder　that　the　title　of　‘The　Forty　Thieves'　was　bestowed　on　the　members　of　the　Council　by　their　semi…imbecile　constituents；　who；　not　possessing　sufficient　intelligence　to　devise　means　of　punishing　the　culprits；　affected　to　regard　the　manoeuvres　of　the　Brigands　as　a　huge　joke。

There　was　only　one　member　of　the　Council　who　did　not　belong　to　the　Band　…　Councillor　Weakling；　a　retired　physician；　but　unfortunately　he　also　was　a　respectable　man。　　When　he　saw　something　going　forwards　that　he　did　not　think　was　right；　he　protested　and　voted　against　it　and　then　…　he　collapsed！　　There　was　nothing　of　the　low　agitator　about　HIM。　　As　for　the　Brigands；　they　laughed　at　his　protests　and　his　vote　did　not　matter。

With　this　one　exception；　the　other　members　of　the　band　were　very　similar　in　character　to　Sweater；　Rushton；　Didlum　and　Grinder。　　They　had　all　joined　the　Band　with　the　same　objects；　self…glorification　and　the　advancement　of　their　private　interests。　　These　were　the　real　reasons　why　they　besought　the　ratepayers　to　elect　them　to　the　Council；　but　of　course　none　of　them　ever　admitted　that　such　was　the　case。　　No！　When　these　noble…minded　altruists　offered　their　services　to　the　town　they　asked　the　people　to　believe　that　they　were　actuated　by　a　desire　to　give　their　time　and　abilities　for　the　purpose　of　furthering　the　interests　of　Others；　which　was　much　the　same　as　asking　them　to　believe　that　it　is　possible　for　the　leopard　to　change　his　spots。



Owing　to　the　extraordinary　apathy　of　the　other　inhabitants；　the　Brigands