the uncommercial traveller-第7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！



mouths；　like　a　sort　of　poor　old　Cows。　　In　some　of　these　wards；　it

was　good　to　see　a　few　green　plants；　in　others；　an　isolated

Refractory　acting　as　nurse；　who　did　well　enough　in　that　capacity；

when　separated　from　her　compeers；　every　one　of　these　wards；　day

room；　night　room；　or　both　combined；　was　scrupulously　clean　and

fresh。　　I　have　seen　as　many　such　places　as　most　travellers　in　my

line；　and　I　never　saw　one　such；　better　kept。



Among　the　bedridden　there　was　great　patience；　great　reliance　on　the

books　under　the　pillow；　great　faith　in　GOD。　　All　cared　for

sympathy；　but　none　much　cared　to　be　encouraged　with　hope　of

recovery；　on　the　whole；　I　should　say；　it　was　considered　rather　a

distinction　to　have　a　complication　of　disorders；　and　to　be　in　a

worse　way　than　the　rest。　　From　some　of　the　windows；　the　river　could

be　seen　with　all　its　life　and　movement；　the　day　was　bright；　but　I

came　upon　no　one　who　was　looking　out。



In　one　large　ward；　sitting　by　the　fire　in　arm…chairs　of

distinction；　like　the　President　and　Vice　of　the　good　company；　were

two　old　women；　upwards　of　ninety　years　of　age。　　The　younger　of　the

two；　just　turned　ninety；　was　deaf；　but　not　very；　and　could　easily

be　made　to　hear。　　In　her　early　time　she　had　nursed　a　child；　who　was

now　another　old　woman；　more　infirm　than　herself；　inhabiting　the

very　same　chamber。　　She　perfectly　understood　this　when　the　matron

told　it；　and；　with　sundry　nods　and　motions　of　her　forefinger；

pointed　out　the　woman　in　question。　　The　elder　of　this　pair；　ninety…

three；　seated　before　an　illustrated　newspaper　（but　not　reading　it）；

was　a　bright…eyed　old　soul；　really　not　deaf；　wonderfully　preserved；

and　amazingly　conversational。　　She　had　not　long　lost　her　husband；

and　had　been　in　that　place　little　more　than　a　year。　　At　Boston；　in

the　State　of　Massachusetts；　this　poor　creature　would　have　been

individually　addressed；　would　have　been　tended　in　her　own　room；　and

would　have　had　her　life　gently　assimilated　to　a　comfortable　life

out　of　doors。　　Would　that　be　much　to　do　in　England　for　a　woman　who

has　kept　herself　out　of　a　workhouse　more　than　ninety　rough　long

years？　　When　Britain　first；　at　Heaven's　command；　arose；　with　a

great　deal　of　allegorical　confusion；　from　out　the　azure　main；　did

her　guardian　angels　positively　forbid　it　in　the　Charter　which　has

been　so　much　besung？



The　object　of　my　journey　was　accomplished　when　the　nimble　matron

had　no　more　to　show　me。　　As　I　shook　hands　with　her　at　the　gate；　I

told　her　that　I　thought　justice　had　not　used　her　very　well；　and

that　the　wise　men　of　the　East　were　not　infallible。



Now；　I　reasoned　with　myself；　as　I　made　my　journey　home　again；

concerning　those　Foul　wards。　　They　ought　not　to　exist；　no　person　of

common　decency　and　humanity　can　see　them　and　doubt　it。　　But　what　is

this　Union　to　do？　　The　necessary　alteration　would　cost　several

thousands　of　pounds；　it　has　already　to　support　three　workhouses；

its　inhabitants　work　hard　for　their　bare　lives；　and　are　already

rated　for　the　relief　of　the　Poor　to　the　utmost　extent　of　reasonable

endurance。　　One　poor　parish　in　this　very　Union　is　rated　to　the

amount　of　FIVE　AND　SIXPENCE　in　the　pound；　at　the　very　same　time

when　the　rich　parish　of　Saint　George's；　Hanover…square；　is　rated　at

about　SEVENPENCE　in　the　pound；　Paddington　at　about　FOURPENCE；　Saint

James's；　Westminster；　at　about　TENPENCE！　　It　is　only　through　the

equalisation　of　Poor　Rates　that　what　is　left　undone　in　this　wise；

can　be　done。　　Much　more　is　left　undone；　or　is　ill…done；　than　I　have

space　to　suggest　in　these　notes　of　a　single　uncommercial　journey；

but；　the　wise　men　of　the　East；　before　they　can　reasonably　hold

forth　about　it；　must　look　to　the　North　and　South　and　West；　let　them

also；　any　morning　before　taking　the　seat　of　Solomon；　look　into　the

shops　and　dwellings　all　around　the　Temple；　and　first　ask　themselves

'how　much　more　can　these　poor　people　…　many　of　whom　keep　themselves

with　difficulty　enough　out　of　the　workhouse　…　bear？'



I　had　yet　other　matter　for　reflection　as　I　journeyed　home；　inasmuch

as；　before　I　altogether　departed　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Mr。

Baker's　trap；　I　had　knocked　at　the　gate　of　the　workhouse　of　St。

George's…in…the…East；　and　had　found　it　to　be　an　establishment

highly　creditable　to　those　parts；　and　thoroughly　well　administered

by　a　most　intelligent　master。　　I　remarked　in　it；　an　instance　of　the

collateral　harm　that　obstinate　vanity　and　folly　can　do。　　'This　was

the　Hall　where　those　old　paupers；　male　and　female；　whom　I　had　just

seen；　met　for　the　Church　service；　was　it？'　…　'Yes。'　…　'Did　they

sing　the　Psalms　to　any　instrument？'　…　'They　would　like　to；　very

much；　they　would　have　an　extraordinary　interest　in　doing　so。'　…

'And　could　none　be　got？'　…　'Well；　a　piano　could　even　have　been　got

for　nothing；　but　these　unfortunate　dissensions　…　'　　Ah！　better；　far

better；　my　Christian　friend　in　the　beautiful　garment；　to　have　let

the　singing　boys　alone；　and　left　the　multitude　to　sing　for

themselves！　　You　should　know　better　than　I；　but　I　think　I　have　read

that　they　did　so；　once　upon　a　time；　and　that　'when　they　had　sung　an

hymn；'　Some　one　（not　in　a　beautiful　garment）　went　up　into　the　Mount

of　Olives。



It　made　my　heart　ache　to　think　of　this　miserable　trifling；　in　the

streets　of　a　city　where　every　stone　seemed　to　call　to　me；　as　I

walked　along；　'Turn　this　way；　man；　and　see　what　waits　to　be　done！'

So　I　decoyed　myself　into　another　train　of　thought　to　ease　my　heart。

But；　I　don't　know　that　I　did　it；　for　I　was　so　full　of　paupers；　that

it　was；　after　all；　only　a　change　to　a　single　pauper；　who　took

possession　of　my　remembrance　instead　of　a　thousand。



'I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；'　he　had　said；　in　a　confidential　manner；　on

another　occasion；　taking　me　aside；　'but　I　have　seen　better　days。'



'I　am　very　sorry　to　hear　it。'



'Sir；　I　have　a　complaint　to　make　against　the　master。'



'I　have　no　power　here；　I　assure　you。　　And　if　I　had　…　'



'But；　allow　me；　sir；　to　mention　it；　as　between　yourself　and　a　man

who　has　seen　better　days；　sir。　　The　master　and　myself　are　both

masons；　sir；　and　I　make　him　the　sign　continually；　but；　because　I　am

in　this　unfortunate　position；　sir；　he　won't　give　me　the　counter…

sign！'







CHAPTER　IV　…　TWO　VIEWS　OF　A　CHEAP　THEATRE







As　I　shut　the　door　of　my　lodging　behind　me；　and　came　out　into　the

streets　at　six　on　a　drizzling　Saturday　evening　in　the　last　past

month　of　January；　all　that　neighbourhood　of　Covent…garden　looked

very　desolate。　　It　is　so　essentially　a　neighbourhood　which　has　seen

better　days；　that　bad　weather　affects　it　sooner　than　another　place

which　has　not　come　down　in　the　World。　　In　its　present　reduced

condition　it　bears　a　thaw　almost　worse　than　any　place　I　know。　　It

gets　so　dreadfully　low…spirited　when　damp　breaks　forth。　　Those

wonderful　houses　about　Drury…lane　Theatre；　which　in　the　palmy　days

of　theatres　were　prosperous　and　long…settled　places　of　business；

and　which　now　change　hands　every　week；　but　never　change　their

character　of　being　divided　and　sub…divided　on　the　ground　floor　into

mouldy　dens　of　shops　where　an　orange　and　half…a…dozen　nuts；　or　a

pomatum…pot；　one　cake　of　fancy　soap；　and　a　cigar　box；　are　offered

for　sale　and　never　sold；　were　most　ruefully　contemplated　that

evening；　by　the　statue　of　Shakespeare；　with　the　rain…drops　coursing

one　another　down　its　innocent　nose。　　Those　inscrutable　pigeon…hole

offices；　with　nothing　in　them　（not　so　much　as　an　inkstand）　but　a

model　of　a　theatre　before　the　curtain；　where；　in　the　Italian　Opera

season；　tickets　at　reduced　prices　are　kept　on　sale　by　nomadic

gentlemen　in　smeary　hats　too　tall　for　them；　whom　one　occasionally

seems　to　have　seen　on　race…courses；　not　wholly　unconnected　with

strips　of　cloth　of　various　colours　and　a　rolling　ball　…　those

Bedouin　establishments；　deserted　by　the　tribe；　and　tenantless；

except　when　sheltering　in　one　corner　an　irregular　row　of　ginger…

beer　bottles；　which　would　have　made　one　shudder　on　such　a　night；

but　for　its　being　plain　that　they　had　nothing　in　them；　shrunk　from

the　shrill　cries　of　the　news…boys　at　their　Exchange　in　the　kennel

of　Catherine…street；　like　guilty　things　upon　a　fearful　summons。　　At

the　pipe…shop　in　Great　Russell…street；　the　Death's…head　pipes　were

like　theatrical　memento　mori；　admonishing　beholders　of　the　decline

of　the　playhouse　as　an　Institution。　　I　walked　up　Bow…street；

disposed　to　be　angry　with　the　shops　there；　that　were　letting　out

theatrical　secrets　by　exhibiting　to　work…a…day　humanity　the　stuff

of　which　diadems　and　robes　of　kings　are　made。　　I　noticed　that　some

shops　which　had　once　been　in　the　dramatic　line；　and　had　struggled

out　of　it；　were　not　getting　on　prosperously　…　like　some　actors　I

have　known；　who　took　to　business　and　failed　to　make　it　answer。　　In

a　word；　those　streets　looked　so　dull；　and；　considered　as　theatrical

streets；　so　broken　and　bankrupt；　that　the　FOUND　DEAD　on　the　black

board　at　the　police　station　might　have　announced　the　deceas