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ould　be　the　sale　of　〃Sixteen　String　Jack；〃　〃Dick　Turpin；〃　and　the　like？　　But　take　the　girls。　　Who　can　pretend　that　the　girls　whom　our　schools　are　now　turning　out　are　half　as　well　educated　for　the　work　of　life　as　their　grandmothers　were　at　the　same　age？　　How　many　of　all　these　mothers　of　the　future　know　how　to　bake　a　loaf　or　wash　their　clothes？　　Except　minding　the　babya　task　that　cannot　be　evadedwhat　domestic　training　have　they　received　to　qualify　them　for　being　in　the　future　the　mothers　of　babies　themselves？

And　even　the　schooling；　such　as　it　is；　at　what　an　expense　is　it　often　imparted！　　The　rakings　of　the　human　cesspool　are　brought　into　the　school…room　and　mixed　up　with　your　children。　　Your　little　ones；　who　never　heard　a　foul　word　and　who　are　not　only　innocent；　but　ignorant；　of　all　the　horrors　of　vice　and　sin；　sit　for　hours　side　by　side　with　little　ones　whose　parents　are　habitually　drunk；　and　play　with　others　whose　ideas　of　merriment　are　gained　from　the　familiar　spectacle　of　the　nightly　debauch　by　which　their　mothers　earn　the　family　bread。　It　is　good；　no　doubt；　to　learn　the　ABC；　but　it　is　not　so　good　that　in　acquiring　these　indispensable　rudiments；　your　children　should　also　acquire　the　vocabulary　of　the　harlot　and　the　corner　boy。　　I　speak　only　of　what　I　know；　and　of　　that　which　has　been　brought　home　to　me　as　a　matter　of　repeated　complaint　by　my　Officers；　when　I　say　that　the　obscenity　of　the　talk　of　many　of　the　children　of　some　of　our　public　schools　could　hardly　be　outdone　even　in　Sodom　and　Gomorrha。　　Childish　innocence　is　very　beautiful；　but　the　bloom　is　soon　destroyed；　and　it　is　a　cruel　awakening　for　a　mother　to　discover　that　her　tenderly　nurtured　boy；　or　her　carefully　guarded　daughter；　has　been　initiated　by　a　companion　into　the　mysteries　of　abomination　that　are　concealed　in　the　phrasea　house　of　ill…fame。

The　home　is　largely　destroyed　where　the　mother　follows　the　father　into　the　factory；　and　where　the　hours　of　labour　are　so　long　that　they　have　no　time　to　see　their　children。　　The　omnibus　drivers　of　London；　for　instance；　what　time　have　they　for　discharging　the　daily　duties　of　parentage　to　their　little　ones？　　How　can　a　man　who　is　on　his　omnibus　from　fourteen　to　sixteen　hours　a　day　have　time　to　be　a　father　to　his　children　in　any　sense　of　the　word？　　He　has　hardly　a　chance　to　see　them　except　when　they　are　asleep。　　Even　the　Sabbath；　that　blessed　institution　which　is　one　of　the　sheet　anchors　of　human　existence；　is　encroached　upon。　　Many　of　the　new　industries　which　have　been　started　or　developed　since　I　was　a　boy　ignore　man's　need　of　one　day's　rest　in　seven。　　The　railway；　the　post…office；　the　tramway　all　compel　some　of　their　employes　to　be　content　with　less　than　the　divinely　appointed　minimum　of　leisure。　　In　the　country　darkness　restores　the　labouring　father　to　his　little　ones。　　In　the　town　gas　and　the　electric　light　enables　the　employer　to　rob　the　children　of　the　whole　of　their　father's　waking　hours；　and　in　some　cases　he　takes　the　mother's　also。　　Under　some　of　the　conditions　of　modern　industry；　children　are　not　so　much　born　into　a　home　as　they　are　spawned　into　the　world　like　fish；　with　the　results　which　we　see。

The　decline　of　natural　affection　follows　inevitably　from　the　substitution　of　the　fish　relationship　for　that　of　the　human。　　A　father　who　never　dandles　his　child　on　his　knee　cannot　have　a　very　keen　sense　of　the　responsibilities　of　paternity。　　In　the　rush　and　pressure　of　our　competitive　City　life；　thousands　of　men　have　not　time　to　be　fathers。　Sires；　yes；　fathers；　no。　　It　will　take　a　good　deal　of　schoolmaster　to　make　up　for　that　change。　　If　this　be　the　case；　even　with　the　children　constantly　employed；　it　can　be　imagined　what　kind　of　a　home　life　is　possessed　by　the　children　of　the　tramp；　the　odd　jobber；　the　thief；　and　the　harlot。　　For　all　these　people　have　children；　although　they　have　no　homes　in　which　to　rear　them。　　Not　a　bird　in　all　the　woods　or　fields　but　prepares　some　kind　of　a　nest　in　which　to　hatch　and　rear　its　young；　even　if　it　be　but　a　hole　in　the　sand　or　a　few　crossed　sticks　in　the　bush。　But　how　many　young　ones　amongst　our　people　are　hatched　before　any　nest　is　ready　to　receive　them？

Think　of　the　multitudes　of　children　born　in　our　workhouses；　children　of　whom　it　may　be　said　〃they　are　conceived　in　sin　and　shapen　in　iniquity；〃　and；　as　a　punishment　of　the　sins　of　the　parents；　branded　from　birth　as　bastards；　worse　than　fatherless；　homeless；　and　friendless；　〃damned　into　an　evil　world；〃　in　which　even　those　who　have　all　the　advantages　of　a　good　parentage　and　a　careful　training　find　it　hard　enough　to　make　their　way。　　Sometimes；　it　is　true；　the　passionate　love　of　the　deserted　mother　for　the　child　which　has　been　the　visible　symbol　and　the　terrible　result　of　her　undoing　stands　between　the　little　one　and　all　its　enemies。　But　think　how　often　the　mother　regards　the　advent　of　her　child　with　loathing　and　horror；　how　the　discovery　that　she　is　about　to　become　a　mother　affects　her　like　a　nightmare；　and　how　nothing　but　the　dread　of　the　hangman's　rope　keeps　her　from　strangling　the　babe　on　the　very　hour　of　its　birth。　　What　chances　has　such　a　child？　　And　there　are　many　such。

In　a　certain　country　that　I　will　not　name　there　exists　a　scientifically　arranged　system　of　infanticide　cloaked　under　the　garb　of　philanthropy。　Gigantic　foundling　establishments　exist　in　its　principal　cities；　where　every　comfort　and　scientific　improvement　is　provided　for　the　deserted　children；　with　the　result　that　one…half　of　them　die。　　The　mothers　are　spared　the　crime。　　The　State　assumes　the　responsibility。　We　do　something　like　that　here；　but　our　foundling　asylums　are　the　Street；　the　Workhouse；　and　the　Grave。　　When　an　English　Judge　tells　us；　as　Mr。　Justice　Wills　did　the　other　day；　that　there　were　any　number　of　parents　who　would　kill　their　children　for　a　few　pounds'　insurance　money；　we　can　form　some　idea　of　the　horrors　of　the　existence　into　which　many　of　the　children　of　this　highly　favoured　land　are　ushered　at　their　birth。

The　overcrowded　homes　of　the　poor　compel　the　children　to　witness　everything。　　Sexual　morality　often　comes　to　have　no　meaning　to　them。　Incest　is　so　familiar　as　hardly　to　call　for　remark。　　The　bitter　poverty　of　the　poor　compels　them　to　leave　their　children　half　fed。　　There　are　few　more　grotesque　pictures　in　the　history　of　civilisation　than　that　of　the　compulsory　attendance　of　children　at　school；　faint　with　hunger　because　they　had　no　breakfast；　and　not　sure　whether　they　would　even　secure　a　dry　crust　for　dinner　when　their　morning's　quantum　of　education　had　been　duly　imparted。　　Children　thus　hungered；　thus　housed；　and　thus　left　to　grow　up　as　best　they　can　without　being　fathered　or　mothered；　are　not；　educate　them　as　you　will；　exactly　the　most　promising　material　for　the　making　of　the　future　citizens　and　rulers　of　the　Empire。

What；　then；　is　the　ground　for　hope　that　if　we　leave　things　alone　the　new　generation　will　be　better　than　their　elders？　　To　me　it　seems　that　the　truth　is　rather　the　other　way。　　The　lawlessness　of　our　lads　the　increased　license　of　our　girls；　the　general　shiftlessness　from　the　home…making　point　of　view　of　the　product　of　our　factories　and　schools　are　far　from　reassuring。　　Our　young　people　have　never　learned　to　obey。　The　fighting　gangs　of　half…grown　lads　in　Lisson　Grove；　and　the　scuttlers　of　Manchester　are　ugly　symptoms　of　a　social　condition　that　will　not　grow　better　by　being　left　alone。

It　is　the　home　that　has　been　destroyed；　and　with　the　home　the　home…like　virtues。　　It　is　the　dis…homed　multitude；　nomadic；　hungry　that　is　rearing　an　undisciplined　population；　cursed　from　birth　with　hereditary　weakness　of　body　and　hereditary　faults　of　character。　　It　is　idle　to　hope　to　mend　matters　by　taking　the　children　and　bundling　them　up　in　barracks。　　A　child　brought　up　in　an　institution　is　too　often　only　half…human；　having　never　known　a　mother's　love　and　a　father's　care。　To　men　and　women　who　are　without　homes　children　must　be　more　or　less　of　an　incumbrance。　　Their　advent　is　regarded　with　impatience；　and　often　it　is　averted　by　crime。　　The　unwelcome　little　stranger　is　badly　cared　for；　badly　fed；　and　allowed　every　chance　to　die。　　Nothing　is　worth　doing　to　increase　his　chances　of　living　that　does　not　Reconstitute　the　Home。　But　between　us　and　that　ideal　how　vast　is　the　gulf！　　It　will　have　to　be　bridged；　however；　if　anything　practical　is　to　be　done。


CHAPTER　9。　　IS　THERE　NO　HELP？

It　may　be　said　by　those　who　have　followed　me　to　this　point　that　while　it　is　quite　true　that　there　are　many　who　are　out　of　work；　and　not　less　true　that　there　are　many　who　sleep　on　the　Embankment　and　elsewhere；　the　law　has　provided　a　remedy；　or　if　not　a　remedy；　at　least　a　method；　of　dealing　with　these　sufferers　which　is　sufficient：　　The　Secretary　of　the　Charity　Organisation　Society　assured　one　of　my　Officers；　who　went　to　inquire　for　his　opinion　on　the　subject；　〃that　no　further　machinery　was　necessary。　　All　that　was　needed　in　this　direction　they　already　had　in　working　order；　and　to　create　any　further　machinery　would　do　more　harm　than　good。〃

Now；　what　is　the　existing　machinery　by　which　Society；　whether　through　the　organisation　of　the　State；　or　by　individual　endeavour；　attempts　to　deal　with　the　submerged　residuum？　　I　had　intended　at　one　time　to　have　devoted　considerable　space　to