the ragged trousered philanthropists-第81节

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ld　sell　them　again；　and　so　on。　　Once　or　twice　he　asked　Mary　if　she　did　not　want　to　sell　the　clock　…　the　one　that　her　late　husband　had　made　for　his　mother；　but　Mary　shrank　from　the　thought　of　selling　this；　until　at　last　there　was　nothing　else　left　that　Didlum　would　buy；　and　one　week；　when　Mary　was　too　ill　to　do　any　needlework　…　it　had　to　go。　He　gave　them　ten　shillings　for　it。

Mary　had　expected　the　old　woman　to　be　heartbroken　at　having　to　part　with　this　clock；　but　she　was　surprised　to　see　her　almost　indifferent。　The　truth　was；　that　lately　both　the　old　people　seemed　stunned；　and　incapable　of　taking　an　intelligent　interest　in　what　was　happening　around　them；　and　Mary　had　to　attend　to　everything。

From　time　to　time　nearly　all　their　other　possessions　…　things　of　inferior　value　that　Didlum　would　not　look　at；　she　carried　out　and　sold　at　small　second…hand　shops　in　back　streets　or　pledged　at　the　pawn…broker's。　　The　feather　pillows；　sheets；　and　blankets：　bits　of　carpet　or　oilcloth；　and　as　much　of　their　clothing　as　was　saleable　or　pawnable。　　They　felt　the　loss　of　the　bedclothes　more　than　anything　else；　for　although　all　the　clothes　they　wore　during　the　day；　and　all　the　old　clothes　and　dresses　in　the　house；　and　even　an　old　coloured　tablecloth；　were　put　on　the　beds　at　night；　they　did　not　compensate　for　the　blankets；　and　they　were　often　unable　to　sleep　on　account　of　the　intense　cold。

A　lady　district　visitor　who　called　occasionally　sometimes　gave　Mary　an　order　for　a　hundredweight　of　coal　or　a　shillingsworth　of　groceries；　or　a　ticket　for　a　quart　of　soup；　which　Elsie　fetched　in　the　evening　from　the　Soup　Kitchen。　　But　this　was　not　very　often；　because；　as　the　lady　said；　there　were　so　many　cases　similar　to　theirs　that　it　was　impossible　to　do　more　than　a　very　little　for　any　one　of　them。

Sometimes　Mary　became　so　weak　and　exhausted　through　overwork；　worry；　and　lack　of　proper　food　that　she　broke　down　altogether　for　the　time　being；　and　positively　could　not　do　any　work　at　all。　　Then　she　used　to　lie　down　on　the　bed　in　her　room　and　cry。

Whenever　she　became　like　this；　Elsie　and　Charley　used　to　do　the　housework　when　they　came　home　from　school；　and　make　tea　and　toast　for　her；　and　bring　it　to　the　bedside　on　a　chair　so　that　she　could　eat　lying　down。　　When　there　was　no　margarine　or　dripping　to　put　on　the　toast；　they　made　it　very　thin　and　crisp　and　pretended　it　was　biscuit。

The　children　rather　enjoyed　these　times；　the　quiet　and　leisure　was　so　different　from　other　days　when　their　mother　was　so　busy　she　had　no　time　to　speak　to　them。

They　would　sit　on　the　side　of　the　bed；　the　old　grandmother　in　her　chair　opposite　with　the　cat　beside　her　listening　to　the　conversation　and　purring　or　mewing　whenever　they　stroked　it　or　spoke　to　it。　　They　talked　principally　of　the　future。　　Elsie　said　she　was　going　to　be　a　teacher　and　earn　a　lot　of　money　to　bring　home　to　her　mother　to　buy　things　with。　　Charley　was　thinking　of　opening　a　grocer's　shop　and　having　a　horse　and　cart。　　When　one　has　a　grocer's　shop；　there　is　always　plenty　to　eat；　even　if　you　have　no　money；　you　can　take　as　much　as　you　like　out　of　your　shop　…　good　stuff；　too；　tins　of　salmon；　jam；　sardines；　eggs；　cakes；　biscuits　and　all　those　sorts　of　things　…　and　one　was　almost　certain　to　have　some　money　every　day；　because　it　wasn't　likely　that　a　whole　day　would　go　by　without　someone　or　other　coming　into　the　shop　to　buy　something。　　When　delivering　the　groceries　with　the　horse　and　cart；　he　would　give　rides　to　all　the　boys　he　knew；　and　in　the　summertime；　after　the　work　was　done　and　the　shop　shut　up；　Mother　and　Elsie　and　Granny　could　also　come　for　long　rides　into　the　country。

The　old　grandmother　…　who　had　latterly　become　quite　childish　…　used　to　sit　and　listen　to　all　this　talk　with　a　superior　air。　　Sometimes　she　argued　with　the　children　about　their　plans；　and　ridiculed　them。　　She　used　to　say　with　a　chuckle　that　she　had　heard　people　talk　like　that　before　…　lots　of　times　…　but　it　never　came　to　nothing　in　the　end。

One　week　about　the　middle　of　February；　when　they　were　in　very　sore　straits　indeed；　old　Jack　applied　to　the　secretary　of　the　Organized　Benevolence　Society　for　assistance。　　It　was　about　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　he　turned　the　corner　of　the　street　where　the　office　of　the　society　was　situated　and　saw　a　crowd　of　about　thirty　men　waiting　for　the　doors　to　be　opened　in　order　to　apply　for　soup　tickets。　Some　of　these　men　were　of　the　tramp　or　the　drunken　loafer　class；　some　were　old；　broken…down　workmen　like　himself；　and　others　were　labourers　wearing　corduroy　or　moleskin　trousers　with　straps　round　their　legs　under　their　knees。

Linden　waited　at　a　distance　until　all　these　were　gone　before　he　went　in。　　The　secretary　received　him　sympathetically　and　gave　him　a　big　form　to　fill　up；　but　as　Linden's　eyes　were　so　bad　and　his　hand　so　unsteady　the　secretary　very　obligingly　wrote　in　the　answers　himself；　and　informed　him　that　he　would　inquire　into　the　case　and　lay　his　application　before　the　committee　at　the　next　meeting；　which　was　to　be　held　on　the　following　Thursday　…　it　was　then　Monday。

Linden　explained　to　him　that　they　were　actually　starving。　　He　had　been　out　of　work　for　sixteen　weeks；　and　during　all　that　time　they　had　lived　for　the　most　part　on　the　earnings　of　his　daughter…in…law；　but　she　had　not　done　anything　for　nearly　a　fortnight　now；　because　the　firm　she　worked　for　had　not　had　any　work　for　her　to　do。　　There　was　no　food　in　the　house　and　the　children　were　crying　for　something　to　eat。　　All　last　week　they　had　been　going　to　school　hungry；　for　they　had　had　nothing　but　dry　bread　and　tea　every　day：　but　this　week　…　as　far　as　he　could　see　…　they　would　not　get　even　that。　　After　some　further　talk　the　secretary　gave　him　two　soup　tickets　and　an　order　for　a　loaf　of　bread；　and　repeated　his　promise　to　inquire　into　the　case　and　bring　it　before　the　committee。

As　Jack　was　returning　home　he　passed　the　Soup　Kitchen；　where　he　saw　the　same　lot　of　men　who　had　been　to　the　office　of　the　Organized　Benevolence　Society　for　the　soup　tickets。　　They　were　waiting　in　a　long　line　to　be　admitted。　　The　premises　being　so　small；　the　proprietor　served　them　in　batches　of　ten　at　a　time。

On　Wednesday　the　secretary　called　at　the　house；　and　on　Friday　Jack　received　a　letter　from　him　to　the　effect　that　the　case　had　been　duly　considered　by　the　committee；　who　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　as　it　was　a　‘chronic'　case　they　were　unable　to　deal　with　it；　and　advised　him　to　apply　to　the　Board　of　Guardians。　　This　was　what　Linden　had　hitherto　shrunk　from　doing；　but　the　situation　was　desperate。　　They　owed　five　weeks'　rent；　and　to　crown　their　misfortune　his　eyesight　had　become　so　bad　that　even　if　there　had　been　any　prospect　of　obtaining　work　it　was　very　doubtful　if　he　could　have　managed　to　do　it。　　So　Linden；　feeling　utterly　crushed　and　degraded；　swallowed　all　that　remained　of　his　pride　and　went　like　a　beaten　dog　to　see　the　relieving　officer；　who　took　him　before　the　Board；　who　did　not　think　it　a　suitable　case　for　out…relief；　and　after　some　preliminaries　it　was　arranged　that　Linden　and　his　wife　were　to　go　into　the　workhouse；　and　Mary　was　to　be　allowed　three　shillings　a　week　to　help　her　to　support　herself　and　the　two　children。　As　for　Linden's　sons；　the　Guardians　intimated　their　Intention　of　compelling　them　to　contribute　towards　the　cost　of　their　parents'　maintenance。

Mary　accompanied　the　old　people　to　the　gates　of　their　future　dwelling…place；　and　when　she　returned　home　she　found　there　a　letter　addressed　to　J。　Linden。　　It　was　from　the　house　agent　and　contained　a　notice　to　leave　the　house　before　the　end　of　the　ensuing　week。　　Nothing　was　said　about　the　rent　that　was　due。　　Perhaps　Mr　Sweater　thought　that　as　he　had　already　received　nearly　six　hundred　pounds　in　rent　from　Linden　he　could　afford　to　be　generous　about　the　five　weeks　that　were　still　owing　…　or　perhaps　he　thought　there　was　no　possibility　of　getting　the　money。　　However　that　may　have　been；　there　was　no　reference　to　it　in　the　letter　…　it　was　simply　a　notice　to　clear　out；　addressed　to　Linden；　but　meant　for　Mary。

It　was　about　half　past　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　when　she　returned　home　and　found　this　letter　on　the　floor　in　the　front　passage。　She　was　faint　with　fatigue　and　hunger；　for　she　had　had　nothing　but　a　cup　of　tea　and　a　slice　of　bread　that　day；　and　her　fare　had　not　been　much　better　for　many　weeks　past。　　The　children　were　at　school；　and　the　house　…　now　almost　destitute　of　furniture　and　without　carpets　or　oilcloth　on　the　floors　…　was　deserted　and　cold　and　silent　as　a　tomb。　On　the　kitchen　table　were　a　few　cracked　cups　and　saucers；　a　broken　knife；　some　lead　teaspoons；　a　part　of　a　loaf；　a　small　basin　containing　some　dripping　and　a　brown　earthenware　teapot　with　a　broken　spout。　Near　the　table　were　two　broken　kitchen　chairs；　one　with　the　top　cross…piece　gone　from　the　back；　and　the　other　with　no　back　to　the　seat　at　all。　　The　bareness　of　the　walls　was　relieved　only　by　a　coloured　almanac　and　some　paper　pictures　which　the　children　had　tacked　upon　them；　and　by　the　side　of　the　fireplace　was　the　empty　wicker　chair　where　the　old　woman　used　to　sit。　　There　was　no　fire　in　the　grate；　and　the　cold　hearth　was　untidy　with　an　accumulation　of　ashes；　for　during　the　trouble　of　these　last　few　days　she　had　not　had　time　or　heart　to　do