the ragged trousered philanthropists-第85节

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in　a　hurry；　it　had　to　be　delivered　the　next　morning；　so　he　stayed　up　by　himself　till　nearly　midnight　to　do　it。　　As　he　worked；　he　felt　a　strange　sensation　in　his　chest：　it　was　not　exactly　a　pain；　and　he　would　have　found　it　difficult　to　describe　it　in　words　…　it　was　just　a　sensation。　　He　did　not　attach　much　importance　to　it；　thinking　it　an　effect　of　the　cold　he　had　taken；　but　whatever　it　was　he　could　not　help　feeling　conscious　of　it　all　the　time。

Frankie　had　been　put　to　bed　that　evening　at　the　customary　hour；　but　did　not　seem　to　be　sleeping　as　well　as　usual。　　Owen　could　hear　him　twisting　and　turning　about　and　uttering　little　cries　in　his　sleep。

He　left　his　work　several　times　to　go　into　the　boy's　room　and　cover　him　with　the　bedclothes　which　his　restless　movements　had　disordered。　　As　the　time　wore　on；　the　child　became　more　tranquil；　and　about　eleven　o'clock；　when　Owen　went　in　to　look　at　him；　he　found　him　in　a　deep　sleep；　lying　on　his　side　with　his　head　thrown　back　on　the　pillow；　breathing　so　softly　through　his　slightly　parted　lips　that　the　sound　was　almost　imperceptible。　　The　fair　hair　that　clustered　round　his　forehead　was　damp　with　perspiration；　and　he　was　so　still　and　pale　and　silent　that　one　might　have　thought　he　was　sleeping　the　sleep　that　knows　no　awakening。

About　an　hour　later；　when　he　had　finished　writing　the　showcard；　Owen　went　out　into　the　scullery　to　wash　his　hands　before　going　to　bed：　and　whilst　he　was　drying　them　on　the　towel；　the　strange　sensation　he　had　been　conscious　of　all　the　evening　became　more　intense；　and　a　few　seconds　afterwards　he　was　terrified　to　find　his　mouth　suddenly　filled　with　blood。

For　what　seemed　an　eternity　he　fought　for　breath　against　the　suffocating　torrent；　and　when　at　length　it　stopped；　he　sank　trembling　into　a　chair　by　the　side　of　the　table；　holding　the　towel　to　his　mouth　and　scarcely　daring　to　breathe；　whilst　a　cold　sweat　streamed　from　every　pore　and　gathered　in　large　drops　upon　his　forehead。

Through　the　deathlike　silence　of　the　night　there　came　from　time　to　time　the　chimes　of　the　clock　of　a　distant　church；　but　he　continued　to　sit　there　motionless；　taking　no　heed　of　the　passing　hours；　and　possessed　with　an　awful　terror。

So　this　was　the　beginning　of　the　end！　　And　afterwards　the　other　two　would　be　left　by　themselves　at　the　mercy　of　the　world。　　In　a　few　years'　time　the　boy　would　be　like　Bert　White；　in　the　clutches　of　some　psalm…singing　devil　like　Hunter　or　Rushton；　who　would　use　him　as　if　he　were　a　beast　of　burden。　　He　imagined　he　could　see　him　now　as　he　would　be　then：　worked；　driven；　and　bullied；　carrying　loads；　dragging　carts；　and　running　here　and　there；　trying　his　best　to　satisfy　the　brutal　tyrants；　whose　only　thought　would　be　to　get　profit　out　of　him　for　themselves。　　If　he　lived；　it　would　be　to　grow　up　with　his　body　deformed　and　dwarfed　by　unnatural　labour　and　with　his　mind　stultified；　degraded　and　brutalized　by　ignorance　and　poverty。　　As　this　vision　of　the　child's　future　rose　before　him；　Owen　resolved　that　it　should　never　be！　　He　would　not　leave　them　alone　and　defenceless　in　the　midst　of　the　‘Christian'　wolves　who　were　waiting　to　rend　them　as　soon　as　he　was　gone。　　If　he　could　not　give　them　happiness；　he　could　at　least　put　them　out　of　the　reach　of　further　suffering。　　If　he　could　not　stay　with　them；　they　would　have　to　come　with　him。　　It　would　be　kinder　and　more　merciful。



Chapter　35

Facing　the　‘Problem'


Nearly　every　other　firm　in　the　town　was　in　much　the　same　plight　as　Rushton　&　Co。；　none　of　them　had　anything　to　speak　of　to　do；　and　the　workmen　no　longer　troubled　to　go　to　the　different　shops　asking　for　a　job。　　They　knew　it　was　of　no　use。　　Most　of　them　just　walked　about　aimlessly　or　stood　talking　in　groups　in　the　streets；　principally　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Wage　Slave　Market　near　the　fountain　on　the　Grand　Parade。　　They　congregated　here　in　such　numbers　that　one　or　two　residents　wrote　to　the　local　papers　complaining　of　the　‘nuisance'；　and　pointing　out　that　it　was　calculated　to　drive　the　‘better…class'　visitors　out　of　the　town。　　After　this　two　or　three　extra　policemen　were　put　on　duty　near　the　fountain　with　instructions　to　‘move　on'　any　groups　of　unemployed　that　formed。　　They　could　not　stop　them　from　coming　there；　but　they　prevented　them　standing　about。

The　processions　of　unemployed　continued　every　day；　and　the　money　they　begged　from　the　public　was　divided　equally　amongst　those　who　took　part。　　Sometimes　it　amounted　to　one　and　sixpence　each；　sometimes　it　was　a　little　more　and　sometimes　a　little　less。　　These　men　presented　a　terrible　spectacle　as　they　slunk　through　the　dreary　streets；　through　the　rain　or　the　snow；　with　the　slush　soaking　into　their　broken　boots；　and；　worse　still；　with　the　bitterly　cold　east　wind　penetrating　their　rotten　clothing　and　freezing　their　famished　bodies。

The　majority　of　the　skilled　workers　still　held　aloof　from　these　processions；　although　their　haggard　faces　bore　involuntary　testimony　to　their　sufferings。　　Although　privation　reigned　supreme　in　their　desolate　homes；　where　there　was　often　neither　food　nor　light　nor　fire；　they　were　too　‘proud'　to　parade　their　misery　before　each　other　or　the　world。　　They　secretly　sold　or　pawned　their　clothing　and　their　furniture　and　lived　in　semi…starvation　on　the　proceeds；　and　on　credit；　but　they　would　not　beg。　　Many　of　them　even　echoed　the　sentiments　of　those　who　had　written　to　the　papers；　and　with　a　strange　lack　of　class…sympathy　blamed　those　who　took　part　in　the　processions。　　They　said　it　was　that　sort　of　thing　that　drove　the　‘better　class'　away；　injured　the　town；　and　caused　all　the　poverty　and　unemployment。　However；　some　of　them　accepted　charity　in　other　ways；　district　visitors　distributed　tickets　for　coal　and　groceries。　　Not　that　that　sort　of　thing　made　much　difference；　there　was　usually　a　great　deal　of　fuss　and　advice；　many　quotations　of　Scripture；　and　very　little　groceries。　　And　even　what　there　was　generally　went　to　the　least…deserving　people；　because　the　only　way　to　obtain　any　of　this　sort　of　‘charity'　is　by　hypocritically　pretending　to　be　religious：　and　the　greater　the　hypocrite；　the　greater　the　quantity　of　coal　and　groceries。　　These　‘charitable'　people　went　into　the　wretched　homes　of　the　poor　and　…　in　effect　…　said：　‘Abandon　every　particle　of　self…　respect：　cringe　and　fawn：　come　to　church：　bow　down　and　grovel　to　us；　and　in　return　we'll　give　you　a　ticket　that　you　can　take　to　a　certain　shop　and　exchange　for　a　shillingsworth　of　groceries。　　And；　if　you're　very　servile　and　humble　we　may　give　you　another　one　next　week。'

They　never　gave　the　‘case'　the　money。　　The　ticket　system　serves　three　purposes。　　It　prevents　the　‘case'　abusing　the　‘charity'　by　spending　the　money　on　drink。　　It　advertises　the　benevolence　of　the　donors：　and　it　enables　the　grocer　…　who　is　usually　a　member　of　the　church　…　to　get　rid　of　any　stale　or　damaged　stock　he　may　have　on　hand。

When　these　visiting　ladies'　went　into　a　workman's　house　and　found　it　clean　and　decently　furnished；　and　the　children　clean　and　tidy；　they　came　to　the　conclusion　that　those　people　were　not　suitable　‘cases'　for　assistance。　　Perhaps　the　children　had　had　next　to　nothing　to　eat；　and　would　have　been　in　rags　if　the　mother　had　not　worked　like　a　slave　washing　and　mending　their　clothes。　　But　these　were　not　the　sort　of　cases　that　the　visiting　ladies　assisted；　they　only　gave　to　those　who　were　in　a　state　of　absolute　squalor　and　destitution；　and　then　only　on　condition　that　they　whined　and　grovelled。

In　addition　to　this　district　visitor　business；　the　well…to…do　inhabitants　and　the　local　authorities　attempted　…　or　rather；　pretended　…　to　grapple　with　the　poverty　‘problem'　in　many　other　ways；　and　the　columns　of　the　local　papers　were　filled　with　letters　from　all　sorts　of　cranks　who　suggested　various　remedies。　　One　individual；　whose　income　was　derived　from　brewery　shares；　attributed　the　prevailing　distress　to　the　drunken　and　improvident　habits　of　the　lower　orders。　Another　suggested　that　it　was　a　Divine　protest　against　the　growth　of　Ritualism　and　what　he　called　‘fleshly　religion'；　and　suggested　a　day　of　humiliation　and　prayer。　　A　great　number　of　well…fed　persons　thought　this　such　an　excellent　proposition　that　they　proceeded　to　put　it　into　practice。　　They　prayed；　whilst　the　unemployed　and　the　little　children　fasted。

If　one　had　not　been　oppressed　by　the　tragedy　of　Want　and　Misery；　one　might　have　laughed　at　the　farcical；　imbecile　measures　that　were　taken　to　relieve　it。　　Several　churches　held　what　they　called　‘Rummage'　or　‘jumble'　sales。　　They　sent　out　circulars　something　like　this：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JUMBLE　SALE　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　in　aid　of　the　Unemployed。

　　　　If　you　have　any　articles　of　any　description　which　are　of　no　　　　　further　use　to　you；　we　should　be　grateful　for　them；　and　if　you　　　　　will　kindly　fill　in　annexed　form　and　post　it　to　us；　we　will　send　　　　　and　collect　them。

On　the　day　of　the　sale　the　parish　room　was　transformed　into　a　kind　of　Marine　Stores；　filled　with　all　manner　of　rubbish；　with　the　parson　and　the　visiting　ladies　grinning　in　the　midst。　　The　things　were　sold　for　next　to　nothing　to　such　as　cared　to　buy　them；　and　the　local　rag…and…bone　man　reaped　a　fine　harvest。　　The　proceeds　of　these　sales　were　distributed　in　‘charity'　and　it　was　usually　a　ca