idle ideas in 1905-第31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！


your　people；　and　I　should　not　care　to　take　a　girl　into　my　'ouse　as
put　'er　pleasure　before　'er　religion。　　You　are　not　engaged；　I　'ope？'

〃'Walking　out；　ma'am；　do　you　mean？'　says　Emma。　　'No；　ma'am；　there　is
nobody　I've　got　in　my　mindnot　just　at　present。'

〃'I　never　will　take　a　gal；'　explains　my　lady；　'who　is　engaged。　　I
find　it　distracts　'er　attention　from　'er　work。　　And　I　must　insist　if
you　come　to　me；'　continues　my　lady；　'that　you　get　yourself　another
'at　and　jacket。　　If　there　is　one　thing　I　object　to　in　a　servant　it　is
a　disposition　to　cheap　finery。'

〃'Er　own　daughter　was　sitting　there　beside　'er　with　'alf　a　dozen
silver　bangles　on　'er　wrist；　and　a　sort　of　thing　'anging　around　'er
neck；　as；　'ad　it　been　real；　would　'ave　been　worth　perhaps　a　thousand
pounds。　　But　Emma　wanted　a　job；　so　she　kept　'er　thoughts　to　'erself。

〃'I　can　put　these　things　by　and　get　myself　something　else；'　she　says；
'if　you　don't　mind；　ma'am；　advancing　me　something　out　of　my　first
three　months'　wages。　　I'm　afraid　my　account　at　the　bank　is　a　bit
overdrawn。'

〃The　lady　whispered　something　to　'er　daughter。　　'I　am　afraid；　on
thinking　it　over；'　she　says；　'that　you　won't　suit；　after　all。　　You
don't　look　serious　enough。　　I　feel　sure；　from　the　way　you　do　your
'air；'　says　my　lady；　'there's　a　frivolous　side　to　your　nature。'

〃So　Emma　came　away；　and　was　not；　on　the　whole；　too　sorry。〃

〃But　do　they　get　servants　to　come　to　them；　this　type　of　mistress；　do
you　think；　Mrs。　Wilkins？〃　I　asked。

〃They　get　them　all　right；〃　said　Mrs。　Wilkins；　〃and　if　it's　a　decent
gal；　it　makes　a　bad　gal　of　'er；　that　ever　afterwards　looks　upon　every
mistress　as　'er　enemy；　and　acts　accordingly。　　And　if　she　ain't　a
naturally　good　gal；　it　makes　'er　worse；　and　then　you　'ear　what　awful
things　gals　are。　　I　don't　say　it's　an　easy　problem；〃　continued　Mrs。
Wilkins；　〃it's　just　like　marriages。　　The　good　mistress　gets　'old　of
the　bad　servant；　and　the　bad　mistress；　as　often　as　not　is　lucky。〃

〃But　how　is　it；〃　I　argued；　〃that　in　hotels；　for　instance；　the　service
is　excellent；　and　the　girls；　generally　speaking；　seem　contented？　　The
work　is　hard；　and　the　wages　not　much　better；　if　as　good。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Mrs。　Wilkins；　〃you　'ave　'it　the　right　nail　on　the　'ead；
there；　sir。　　They　go　into　the　'otels　and　work　like　niggers；　knowing
that　if　a　single　thing　goes　wrong　they　will　be　bully…ragged　and　sworn
at　till　they　don't　know　whether　they　are　standing　on　their　'ead　or
their　'eels。　　But　they　'ave　their　hours；　the　gal　knows　when　'er　work
is　done；　and　when　the　clock　strikes　she　is　a　'uman　being　once　again。
She　'as　got　that　moment　to　look　forward　to　all　day；　and　it　keeps　'er
going。　　In　private　service　there's　no　moment　in　the　day　to　'ope　for。
If　the　lady　is　reasonable　she　ain't　overworked；　but　no　'ow　can　she
ever　feel　she　is　her　own　mistress；　free　to　come　and　go；　to　wear　'er
bit　of　finery；　to　'ave　'er　bit　of　fun。　　She　works　from　six　in　the
morning　till　eleven　or　twelve　at　night；　and　then　she　only　goes　to　bed
provided　she　ain't　wanted。　　She　don't　belong　to　'erself　at　all；　it's
that　that　irritates　them。〃

〃I　see　your　point；　Mrs。　Wilkins；〃　I　said；　〃and；　of　course；　in　a　house
where　two　or　three　servants　were　kept　some　such　plan　might　easily　be
arranged。　　The　girl　who　commenced　work　at　six　o'clock　in　the　morning
might　consider　herself　free　at　six　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　What　she
did　with　herself；　how　she　dressed　herself　in　her　own　time；　would　be
her　affair。　　What　church　the　clerk　or　the　workman　belongs　to；　what
company　he　keeps；　is　no　concern　of　the　firm。　　In　such　matters；
mistresses；　I　am　inclined　to　think；　saddle　themselves　with　a
responsibility　for　which　there　is　no　need。　　If　the　girl　behaves
herself　while　in　the　house；　and　does　her　work；　there　the　contract
ends。　　The　mistress　who　thinks　it　her　duty　to　combine　the　roles　of
employer　and　of　maiden　aunt　is　naturally　resented。　　The　next　month
the　girl　might　change　her　hours　from　twelve　to　twelve；　and　her
fellow…servant　could　enjoy　the　six　a。m。　to　six　p。m。　shift。　　But　how
do　you　propose　to　deal；　Mrs。　Wilkins；　with　the　smaller　menage；　that
employs　only　one　servant？〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Wilkins；　〃it　seems　to　me　simple　enough。
Ladies　talk　pretty　about　the　dignity　of　labour；　and　are　never　tired
of　pointing　out　why　gals　should　prefer　domestic　service　to　all　other
kinds　of　work。　　Suppose　they　practise　what　they　preach。　　In　the
'ouse；　where　there's　only　the　master　and　the　mistress；　and；　say　a
couple　of　small　children；　let　the　lady　take　her　turn。　　After　all；
it's　only　her　duty；　same　as　the　office　or　the　shop　is　the　man's。
Where；　on　the　other　'and；　there　are　biggish　boys　and　gals　about　the
place；　well　it　wouldn't　do　them　any　'arm　to　be　taught　to　play　a
little　less；　and　to　look　after　themselves　a　little　more。　　It's　just
arranging　thingsthat's　all　that's　wanted。〃

〃You　remind　me　of　a　family　I　once　knew；　Mrs。　Wilkins；〃　I　said；　〃it
consisted　of　the　usual　father　and　mother；　and　of　five　sad；　healthy
girls。　　They　kept　two　servantsor；　rather；　they　never　kept　any
servants；　they　lived　always　looking　for　servants；　breaking　their
hearts　over　servants；　packing　servants　off　at　a　moment's　notice；
standing　disconsolately　looking　after　servants　who　had　packed
themselves　off　at　a　moment's　notice；　wondering　generally　what　the
world　was　coming　too。　　It　occurred　to　me　at　the　time；　that　without
much　trouble；　they　could　have　lived　a　peaceful　life　without　servants。
The　eldest　girl　was　learning　paintingand　seemed　unable　to　learn
anything　else。　　It　was　poor　sort　of　painting；　she　noticed　it　herself。
But　she　seemed　to　think　that；　if　she　talked　a　lot　about　it；　and
thought　of　nothing　else；　that　somehow　it　would　all　come　right。　　The
second　girl　played　the　violin。　　She　played　it　from　early　morning　till
late　evening；　and　friends　fell　away　from　them。　　There　wasn't　a　spark
of　talent　in　the　family；　but　they　all　had　a　notion　that　a　vague
longing　to　be　admired　was　just　the　same　as　genius。

〃Another　daughter　fancied　she　would　like　to　be　an　actress；　and
screamed　all　day　in　the　attic。　　The　fourth　wrote　poetry　on　a
typewriter；　and　wondered　why　nobody　seemed　to　want　it；　while　the
fifth　one　suffered　from　a　weird　belief　that　smearing　wood　with　a　red…
hot　sort　of　poker　was　a　thing　worth　doing　for　its　own　sake。　　All　of
them　seemed　willing　enough　to　work；　provided　only　that　it　was　work　of
no　use　to　any　living　soul。　　With　a　little　sense；　and　the　occasional
assistance　of　a　charwoman；　they　could　have　led　a　merrier　life。〃

〃If　I　was　giving　away　secrets；〃　said　Mrs。　Wilkins；　〃I'd　say　to　the
mistresses：　　'Show　yourselves　able　to　be　independent。'　　It's　because
the　gals　know　that　the　mistresses　can't　do　without　them　that　they
sometimes　gives　themselves　airs。〃



WHY　WE　HATE　THE　FOREIGNER。



The　advantage　that　the　foreigner　possesses　over　the　Englishman　is
that　he　is　born　good。　　He　does　not　have　to　try　to　be　good；　as　we　do。
He　does　not　have　to　start　the　New　Year　with　the　resolution　to　be
good；　and　succeed；　bar　accidents；　in　being　so　till　the　middle　of
January。　　He　is　just　good　all　the　year　round。　　When　a　foreigner　is
told　to　mount　or　descend　from　a　tram　on　the　near　side；　it　does　not
occur　to　him　that　it　would　be　humanly　possible　to　secure　egress　from
or　ingress　to　that　tram　from　the　off　side。

In　Brussels　once　I　witnessed　a　daring　attempt　by　a　lawless　foreigner
to　enter　a　tram　from　the　wrong　side。　　The　gate　was　open：　　he　was
standing　close　beside　it。　　A　line　of　traffic　was　in　his　way：　　to　have
got　round　to　the　right　side　of　that　tram　would　have　meant　missing　it。
He　entered　when　the　conductor　was　not　looking；　and　took　his　seat。
The　astonishment　of　the　conductor　on　finding　him　there　was　immense。
How　did　he　get　there？　　The　conductor　had　been　watching　the　proper
entrance；　and　the　man　had　not　passed　him。　　Later；　the　true
explanation　suggested　itself　to　the　conductor；　but　for　a　while　he
hesitated　to　accuse　a　fellow　human　being　of　such　crime。

He　appealed　to　the　passenger　himself。　　Was　his　presence　to　be
accounted　for　by　miracle　or　by　sin？　　The　passenger　confessed。　　It　was
more　in　sorrow　than　in　anger　that　the　conductor　requested　him　at　once
to　leave。　　This　tram　was　going　to　be　kept　respectable。　　The　passenger
proved　refractory；　a　halt　was　called；　and　the　gendarmerie　appealed
to。　　After　the　manner　of　policemen；　they　sprang；　as　it　were；　from　the
ground；　and　formed　up　behind　an　imposing　officer；　whom　I　took　to　be
the　sergeant。　　At　first　the　sergeant　could　hardly　believe　the
conductor's　statement。　　Even　then；　had　the　passenger　asserted　that　he
had　entered　by　the　proper　entrance；　his　word　would　have　been　taken。
Much　easier　to　the　foreign　official　mind　would　it　have　been　to
believe　that　the　conductor　had　been　stricken　with　temporary
blindness；　than　that　man　born　of　woman　would　have　deliberately　done
anything　expressly　forbidden　by　a　printed　notice。

Myself；　in　his　case；　I　should　have　lied　and　got　the　trouble　over。
But　he　was　a　proud　man；　or　had　not　much　senseone　of　the　two；　and　so
held　fast　to　the　truth。　　It　was　pointed　out　to　him　that　he　must
descend　immediately　and　wait　for　the　next　tram。　　Other　gendarmes　were
arriving　from　every　quarter：　　resistance　in　the　circumstances　seemed
hopeless。　　He　said