the ragged trousered philanthropists-第96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！



This　kind　of　thing　usually　continued　all　through　the　spring　and　summer。　　In　good　years　the　men　of　all　trades；　carpenters；　bricklayers；　plasterers；　painters　and　so　on；　were　able　to　keep　almost　regularly　at　work；　except　in　wet　weather。

The　difference　between　a　good　and　bad　spring　and　summer　is　that　in　good　years　it　is　sometimes　possible　to　make　a　little　overtime；　and　the　periods　of　unemployment　are　shorter　and　less　frequent　than　in　bad　years。　　It　is　rare　even　in　good　years　for　one　of　the　casual　hands　to　be　employed　by　one　firm　for　more　than　one；　two　or　three　months　without　a　break。　　It　is　usual　for　them　to　put　in　a　month　with　one　firm；　then　a　fortnight　with　another；　then　perhaps　six　weeks　somewhere　else；　and　often　between　there　are　two　or　three　days　or　even　weeks　of　enforced　idleness。　　This　sort　of　thing　goes　on　all　through　spring；　summer　and　autumn。



Chapter　41

The　Easter　Offering。　　The　Beano　Meeting


By　the　beginning　of　April；　Rushton　&　Co。　were　again　working　nine　hours　a　day；　from　seven　in　the　morning　till　five…thirty　at　night；　and　after　Easter　they　started　working　full　time　from　6　A。M。　till　5。30　P。M。；　eleven　and　a　half　hours　…　or；　rather；　ten　hours；　for　they　had　to　lose　half　an　hour　at　breakfast　and　an　hour　at　dinner。

Just　before　Easter　several　of　the　men　asked　Hunter　if　they　might　be　allowed　to　work　on　Good　Friday　and　Easter　Monday；　as；　they　said；　they　had　had　enough　holidays　during　the　winter；　they　had　no　money　to　spare　for　holiday…making；　and　they　did　not　wish　to　lose　two　days'　pay　when　there　was　work　to　be　done。　　Hunter　told　them　that　there　was　not　sufficient　work　in　to　justify　him　in　doing　as　they　requested：　things　were　getting　very　slack　again；　and　Mr　Rushton　had　decided　to　cease　work　from　Thursday　night　till　Tuesday　morning。　　They　were　thus　prevented　from　working　on　Good　Friday；　but　it　is　true　that　not　more　than　one　working　man　in　fifty　went　to　any　religious　service　on　that　day　or　on　any　other　day　during　the　Easter　festival。　　On　the　contrary；　this　festival　was　the　occasion　of　much　cursing　and　blaspheming　on　the　part　of　those　whose　penniless；　poverty…stricken　condition　it　helped　to　aggravate　by　enforcing　unprofitable　idleness　which　they　lacked　the　means　to　enjoy。

During　these　holidays　some　of　the　men　did　little　jobs　on　their　own　account　and　others　put　in　the　whole　time　…　including　Good　Friday　and　Easter　Sunday　…　gardening；　digging　and　planting　their　plots　of　allotment　ground。

When　Owen　arrived　home　one　evening　during　the　week　before　Easter；　Frankie　gave　him　an　envelope　which　he　had　brought　home　from　school。　It　contained　a　printed　leaflet：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHURCH　OF　THE　WHITED　SEPULCHRE；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MUGSBOROUGH

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Easter　19

Dear　Sir　（or　Madam）；

In　accordance　with　the　usual　custom　we　invite　you　to　join　with　us　in　presenting　the　Vicar；　the　Rev。　Habbakuk　Bosher；　with　an　Easter　Offering；　as　a　token　of　affection　and　regard。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours　faithfully；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A。　Cheeseman　｝　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　W。　Taylor　　　　｝　　Churchwardens

Mr　Bosher's　income　from　various　sources　connected　with　the　church　was　over　six　hundred　pounds　a　year；　or　about　twelve　pounds　per　week；　but　as　that　sum　was　evidently　insufficient；　his　admirers　had　adopted　this　device　for　supplementing　it。　　Frankie　said　all　the　boys　had　one　of　these　letters　and　were　going　to　ask　their　fathers　for　some　money　to　give　towards　the　Easter　offering。　　Most　of　them　expected　to　get　twopence。

As　the　boy　had　evidently　set　his　heart　on　doing　the　same　as　the　other　children；　Owen　gave　him　the　twopence；　and　they　afterwards　learned　that　the　Easter　Offering　for　that　year　was　one　hundred　and　twenty…seven　pounds；　which　was　made　up　of　the　amounts　collected　from　the　parishioners　by　the　children；　the　district　visitors　and　the　verger；　the　collection　at　a　special　Service；　and　donations　from　the　feeble…minded　old　females　elsewhere　referred　to。

By　the　end　of　April　nearly　all　the　old　hands　were　back　at　work；　and　several　casual　hands　had　also　been　taken　on；　the　Semi…drunk　being　one　of　the　number。　　In　addition　to　these；　Misery　had　taken　on　a　number　of　what　he　called　‘lightweights'；　men　who　were　not　really　skilled　workmen；　but　had　picked　up　sufficient　knowledge　of　the　simpler　parts　of　the　trade　to　be　able　to　get　over　it　passably。　　These　were　paid　fivepence　or　fivepence…halfpenny；　and　were　employed　in　preference　to　those　who　had　served　their　time；　because　the　latter　wanted　more　money　and　therefore　were　only　employed　when　absolutely　necessary。　　Besides　the　lightweights　there　were　a　few　young　fellows　called　improvers；　who　were　also　employed　because　they　were　cheap。

Crass　now　acted　as　colourman；　having　been　appointed　possibly　because　he　knew　absolutely　nothing　about　the　laws　of　colour。　　As　most　of　the　work　consisted　of　small　jobs；　all　the　paint　and　distemper　was　mixed　up　at　the　shop　and　sent　out　ready　for　use　to　the　various　jobs。

Sawkins　or　some　of　the　other　lightweights　generally　carried　the　heavier　lots　of　colour　or　scaffolding；　but　the　smaller　lots　of　colour　or　such　things　as　a　pair　of　steps　or　a　painter's　plank　were　usually　sent　by　the　boy；　whose　slender　legs　had　become　quite　bowed　since　he　had　been　engaged　helping　the　other　philanthropists　to　make　money　for　Mr　Rushton。

Crass's　work　as　colourman　was　simplified；　to　a　certain　extent；　by　the　great　number　of　specially　prepared　paints　and　distempers　in　all　colours；　supplied　by　the　manufacturers　ready　for　use。　　Most　of　these　new…fangled　concoctions　were　regarded　with　an　eye　of　suspicion　and　dislike　by　the　hands；　and　Philpot　voiced　the　general　opinion　about　them　one　day　during　a　dinner…hour　discussion　when　he　said　they　might　appear　to　be　all　right　for　a　time；　but　they　would　probably　not　last；　because　they　was　mostly　made　of　kimicles。

One　of　these　new…fashioned　paints　was　called　‘Petrifying　Liquid'；　and　was　used　for　first…coating　decaying　stone　or　plaster　work。　　It　was　also　supposed　to　be　used　for　thinning　up　a　certain　kind　of　patent　distemper；　but　when　Misery　found　out　that　it　was　possible　to　thin　the　latter　with　water；　the　use　of　‘Petrifying　Liquid'　for　that　purpose　was　discontinued。　　This　‘Petrifying　Liquid'　was　a　source　of　much　merriment　to　the　hands。　　The　name　was　applied　to　the　tea　that　they　made　in　buckets　on　some　of　the　jobs；　and　also　to　the　four…ale　that　was　supplied　by　certain　pubs。

One　of　the　new　inventions　was　regarded　with　a　certain　amount　of　indignation　by　the　hands：　it　was　a　white　enamel；　and　they　objected　to　it　for　two　reasons　…　one　was　because；　as　Philpot　remarked；　it　dried　so　quickly　that　you　had　to　work　like　greased　lightning；　you　had　to　be　all　over　the　door　directly　you　started　it。

The　other　reason　was　that；　because　it　dried　so　quickly；　it　was　necessary　to　keep　closed　the　doors　and　windows　of　the　room　where　it　was　being　used；　and　the　smell　was　so　awful　that　it　brought　on　fits　of　dizziness　and　sometimes　vomiting。　　Needless　to　say；　the　fact　that　it　compelled　those　who　used　it　to　work　quickly　recommended　the　stuff　to　Misery。

As　for　the　smell；　he　did　not　care　about　that；　be　did　not　have　to　inhale　the　fumes　himself。



It　was　just　about　this　time　that　Crass；　after　due　consultation　with　several　of　the　others；　including　Philpot；　Harlow；　Bundy；　Slyme；　Easton　and　the　Semi…drunk；　decided　to　call　a　meeting　of　the　hands　for　the　purpose　of　considering　the　advisability　of　holding　the　usual　Beano　later　on　in　the　summer。　　The　meeting　was　held　in　the　carpenter's　shop　down　at　the　yard　one　evening　at　six　o'clock；　which　allowed　time　for　those　interested　to　attend　after　leaving　work。

The　hands　sat　on　the　benches　or　carpenter's　stools；　or　reclined　upon　heaps　of　shavings。　　On　a　pair　of　tressels　in　the　centre　of　the　workshop　stood　a　large　oak　coffin　which　Crass　had　just　finished　polishing。

When　all　those　who　were　expected　to　turn　up　had　arrived；　Payne；　the　foreman　carpenter　…　the　man　who　made　the　coffins　…　was　voted　to　the　chair　on　the　proposition　of　Crass；　seconded　by　Philpot；　and　then　a　solemn　silence　ensued；　which　was　broken　at　last　by　the　chairman；　who；　in　a　lengthy　speech；　explained　the　object　of　the　meeting。　　Possibly　with　a　laudable　desire　that　there　should　be　no　mistake　about　it；　he　took　the　trouble　to　explain　several　times；　going　over　the　same　ground　and　repeating　the　same　words　over　and　over　again；　whilst　the　audience　waited　in　a　deathlike　and　miserable　silence　for　him　to　leave　off。　Payne；　however；　did　not　appear　to　have　any　intention　of　leaving　off；　for　he　continued；　like　a　man　in　a　trance；　to　repeat　what　he　had　said　before；　seeming　to　be　under　the　impression　that　he　had　to　make　a　separate　explanation　to　each　individual　member　of　the　audience。　　At　last　the　crowd　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　began　to　shout　‘Hear；　hear'　and　to　bang　bits　of　wood　and　hammers　on　the　floor　and　the　benches；　and　then；　after　a　final　repetition　of　the　statement；　that　the　object　of　the　meeting　was　to　consider　the　advisability　of　holding　an　outing；　or　beanfeast；　the　chairman　collapsed　on　to　a　carpenter's　stool　and　wiped　the　sweat　from　his　forehead。

Crass　then　reminded　the　meeting　that　the　last　year's　Beano　had　been　an　unqualified　success；　and　for　his　part　he　would　be　very　sorry　if　they　did　not　have　one　this　yea