the ragged trousered philanthropists-第87节

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　already　alluded　to；　most　of　them　the　wives　of　wealthy　citizens　and　retired　tradesmen；　richly　dressed；　ignorant；　insolent；　overbearing　frumps；　who　…　after　filling　themselves　with　good　things　in　their　own　luxurious　homes　…　went　flouncing　into　the　poverty…stricken　dwellings　of　their　poor　‘sisters'　and　talked　to　them　of　‘religion'；　lectured　them　about　sobriety　and　thrift；　and　…　sometimes　…　gave　them　tickets　for　soup　or　orders　for　shillingsworths　of　groceries　or　coal。　　Some　of　these　overfed　females　…　the　wives　of　tradesmen；　for　instance　…　belonged　to　the　Organized　Benevolence　Society；　and　engaged　in　this　‘work'　for　the　purpose　of　becoming　acquainted　with　people　of　superior　social　position　…　one　of　the　members　was　a　colonel；　and　Sir　Graball　D'Encloseland　…　the　Member　of　Parliament　for　the　borough　…　also　belonged　to　the　Society　and　occasionally　attended　its　meetings。　　Others　took　up　district　visiting　as　a　hobby；　they　had　nothing　to　do；　and　being　densely　ignorant　and　of　inferior　mentality；　they　had　no　desire　or　capacity　for　any　intellectual　pursuit。　　So　they　took　up　this　work　for　the　pleasure　of　playing　the　grand　lady　and　the　superior　person　at　a　very　small　expense。　　Other　of　these　visiting　ladies　were　middle…aged；　unmarried　women　with　small　private　incomes　…　some　of　them　well…meaning；　compassionate；　gentle　creatures　who　did　this　work　because　they　sincerely　desired　to　help　others；　and　they　knew　of　no　better　way。　These　did　not　take　much　part　in　the　business　of　the　meetings；　they　paid　their　subscriptions　and　helped　to　distribute　the　cast…off　clothing　and　boots　to　those　who　needed　them；　and　occasionally　obtained　from　the　secretary　an　order　for　provisions　or　coal　or　bread　for　some　poverty…stricken　family；　but　the　poor；　toil…worn　women　whom　they　visited　welcomed　them　more　for　their　sisterly　sympathy　than　for　the　gifts　they　brought。　　Some　of　the　visiting　ladies　were　of　this　character　…　but　they　were　not　many。　　They　were　as　a　few　fragrant　flowers　amidst　a　dense　accumulation　of　noxious　weeds。　　They　were　examples　of　humility　and　kindness　shining　amidst　a　vile　and　loathsome　mass　of　hypocrisy；　arrogance；　and　cant。

When　the　Chairman　had　opened　the　meeting；　Mr　Rushton　moved　a　vote　of　condolence　with　the　relatives　of　the　late　secretary　whom　he　eulogized　in　the　most　extraordinary　terms。

‘The　poor　of　Mugsborough　had　lost　a　kind　and　sympathetic　friend'；　‘One　who　had　devoted　his　life　to　helping　the　needy'；　and　so　on　and　so　forth。　　（As　a　matter　of　fact；　most　of　the　time　of　the　defunct　had　been　passed　in　helping　himself；　but　Rushton　said　nothing　about　that。）

Mr　Didlum　seconded　the　vote　of　condolence　in　similar　terms；　and　it　was　carried　unanimously。　　Then　the　Chairman　said　that　the　next　business　was　to　elect　a　successor　to　the　departed　paragon；　and　immediately　no　fewer　than　nine　members　rose　to　propose　a　suitable　person　…　they　each　had　a　noble…minded　friend　or　relative　willing　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　good　of　the　poor。

The　nine　Benevolent　stood　looking　at　each　other　and　at　the　Chairman　with　sickly　smiles　upon　their　hypocritical　faces。　　It　was　a　dramatic　moment。　　No　one　spoke。　　It　was　necessary　to　be　careful。　　It　would　never　do　to　have　a　contest。　　The　Secretary　of　the　OBS　was　usually　regarded　as　a　sort　of　philanthropist　by　the　outside　public；　and　it　was　necessary　to　keep　this　fiction　alive。

For　one　or　two　minutes　an　awkward　silence　reigned。　　Then；　one　after　another　they　all　reluctantly　resumed　their　seats　with　the　exception　of　Mr　Amos　Grinder；　who　said　he　wished　to　propose　his　nephew；　Mr　Sawney　Grinder；　a　young　man　of　a　most　benevolent　disposition　who　was　desirous　of　immolating　himself　upon　the　altar　of　charity　for　the　benefit　of　the　poor　…　or　words　to　that　effect。

Mr　Didlum　seconded；　and　there　being　no　other　nomination　…　for　they　all　knew　that　it　would　give　the　game　away　to　have　a　contest　…　the　Chairman　put　Mr　Grinder's　proposal　to　the　meeting　and　declared　it　carried　unanimously。

Another　considerable　item　in　the　expenditure　of　the　society　was　the　rent　of　the　offices　…　a　house　in　a　back　street。　　The　landlord　of　this　place　was　another　very　deserving　case。

There　were　numerous　other　expenses：　stationery　and　stamps；　printing；　and　so　on；　and　what　was　left　of　the　money　was　used　for　the　purpose　for　which　it　had　been　given　…　a　reasonable　amount　being　kept　in　hand　for　future　expenses。　　All　the　details　were　of　course　duly　set　forth　in　the　Report　and　Balance　Sheet　at　the　annual　meetings。　　No　copy　of　this　document　was　ever　handed　to　the　reporters　for　publication；　it　was　read　to　the　meeting　by　the　Secretary；　the　representatives　of　the　Press　took　notes；　and　in　the　reports　of　the　meeting　that　subsequently　appeared　in　the　local　papers　the　thing　was　so　mixed　up　and　garbled　together　that　the　few　people　who　read　it　could　not　make　head　or　tail　of　it。　　The　only　thing　that　was　clear　was　that　the　society　had　been　doing　a　great　deal　of　good　to　someone　or　other；　and　that　more　money　was　urgently　needed　to　carry　on　the　work。　　It　usually　appeared　something　like　this：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HELPING　THE　NEEDY　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mugsborough　Organized　Benevolence　Society　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Annual　Meeting　at　the　Town　Hall

　　　　　　　　　　　A　Splendid　record　of　Miscellaneous　and　Valuable　Work。

　　　　The　annual　meeting　of　the　above　Society　was　held　yesterday　at　the　　　　　Town　Hall。　　The　Mayor；　Alderman　Sweater；　presided；　and　amongst　　　　　those　present　were　Sir　Graball　D'Encloseland；　Lady　D'Encloseland；　　　　　Lady　Slumrent。　　Rev。　Mr　Bosher；　Mr　Cheeseman；　Mrs　Bilder；　Mrs　　　　　Grosare；　Mrs　Daree；　Mrs　Butcher；　Mrs　Taylor；　Mrs　Baker；　Mrs　　　　　Starvem；　Mrs　Slodging；　Mrs　M。　B。　Sile；　Mrs　Knobrane；　Mrs　M。　T。　　　　　Head；　Mr　Rushton；　Mr　Didlum；　Mr　Grinder　and　（here　followed　about　a　　　　　quarter　of　a　column　of　names　of　other　charitable　persons；　all　　　　　subscribers　to　the　Society）。

　　　　The　Secretary　read　the　annual　report　which　contained　the　following　　　　　amongst　other　interesting　items：


　　　　During　the　year；　1；972　applications　for　assistance　have　been　　　　　received；　and　of　this　number　1；302　have　been　assisted　as　follows：　　　　　Bread　or　grocery　orders；　273。　　Coal　or　coke　orders；　57。　　　　　Nourishment　579。　　（Applause。）　　Pairs　of　boots　granted；　29。　　　　　Clothing；　105。　　Crutch　granted　to　poor　man；　1。　　Nurses　provided；　　　　　2。　　　Hospital　tickets；　26。　　　Sent　to　Consumption　Sanatorium；　1。　　　　　Twenty…nine　persons；　whose　cases　being　chronic；　were　referred　to　　　　　the　Poor　Law　Guardians。　　Work　found　for　19　persons。　　（Cheers。）　　　　　Pedlar's　licences；　4。　　Dispensary　tickets；　24。　　Bedding　redeemed；　　　　　1。　Loans　granted　to　people　to　enable　them　to　pay　their　rent；　8。　　　　　（Loud　cheers。）　　Dental　tickets；　2。　　Railway　fares　for　men　who　were　　　　　going　away　from　the　town　to　employment　elsewhere；　12。　　（Great　　　　　cheering。）　　Loans　granted；　5。　　Advertisements　for　employment；　4　…　　　　　and　so　on。

There　was　about　another　quarter　of　a　column　of　these　details；　the　reading　of　which　was　punctuated　with　applause　and　concluded　with：　‘Leaving　670　cases　which　for　various　reasons　the　Society　was　unable　to　assist'。　　The　report　then　went　on　to　explain　that　the　work　of　inquiring　into　the　genuineness　of　the　applications　entailed　a　lot　of　labour　on　the　part　of　the　Secretary；　some　cases　taking　several　days。　No　fewer　than　649　letters　had　been　sent　out　from　the　office；　and　97　postcards。　　（Applause。）　　Very　few　cash　gifts　were　granted；　as　it　was　most　necessary　to　guard　against　the　Charity　being　abused。　　（Hear；　hear。）

Then　followed　a　most　remarkable　paragraph　headed　‘The　Balance　Sheet'；　which　…　as　it　was　put　…　‘included　the　following'。　　‘The　following'　was　a　jumbled　list　of　items　of　expenditure；　subscriptions；　donations；　legacies；　and　collections；　winding　up　with　‘the　general　summary　showed　a　balance　in　hand　of　？78。4。6'。　　（They　always　kept　a　good　balance　in　hand　because　of　the　Secretary's　salary　and　the　rent　of　the　offices。）

After　this　very　explicit　financial　statement　came　the　most　important　part　of　the　report：　‘Thanks　are　expressed　to　Sir　Graball　D'Encloseland　for　a　donation　of　2　guineas。　　Mrs　Grosare；　1　guinea。　　Mrs　Starvem；　Hospital　tickets。　　Lady　Slumrent；　letter　of　admission　to　Convalescent　Home。　　Mrs　Knobrane；　1　guinea。　　Mrs　M。B。　Sile；　1　guinea。　　Mrs　M。T。　Head；　1　guinea。　　Mrs　Sledging；　gifts　of　clothing　…　and　so　on　for　another　quarter　of　a　column；　the　whole　concluding　with　a　vote　of　thanks　to　the　Secretary　and　an　urgent　appeal　to　the　charitable　public　for　more　funds　to　enable　the　Society　to　continue　its　noble　work。

Meantime；　in　spite　of　this　and　kindred　organizations　the　conditions　of　the　under…paid　poverty　stricken　and　unemployed　workers　remained　the　same。　Although　the　people　who　got　the　grocery　and　coal　orders；　the　‘Nourishment'；　and　the　cast…off　clothes　and　boots；　were　very　glad　to　have　them；　yet　these　things　did　far　more　harm　than　good。　　They　humiliated；　degraded　and　pauperized　those　who　received　them；　and　the　existence　of　the　societies　prevented　the　problem　being　grappled　with　in　a　sane　and　practical　manner。　　The　people　lacked　the　necessaries　of　life：　the　necessaries　of　life　are　produced　by　Work：　these　people　were　willing　to　work；　but　were　prevented　from　doing　so　by　the　idiotic　system　of　society　which　these　‘charitable'　people　are　determined　to　do　their　best　to　perpetuate。

If　the　people　who　expect　to　be　praised