the ragged trousered philanthropists-第76节

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ast　Christmas　a　cardboard　box　containing　a　lot　of　glittering　tinsel　ornaments　…　globes　of　silvered　or　gilded　or　painted　glass；　birds；　butterflies　and　stars。　　Some　of　these　things　had　done　duty　three　Christmases　ago　and　although　they　were　in　some　instances　slightly　tarnished　most　of　them　were　as　good　as　new。　　In　addition　to　these　and　the　toys　they　had　bought　that　evening　they　had　a　box　of　bon…bons　and　a　box　of　small　coloured　wax　candles；　both　of　which　had　formed　part　of　the　things　they　got　from　the　grocer's　with　the　Christmas　Club　money；　and　there　were　also　a　lot　of　little　coloured　paper　bags　of　sweets；　and　a　number　of　sugar　and　chocolate　toys　and　animals　which　had　been　bought　two　or　three　at　a　time　for　several　weeks　past　and　put　away　for　this　occasion。　　There　was　something　suitable　for　each　child　that　was　coming；　with　the　exception　of　Bert　White；　they　had　intended　to　include　a　sixpenny　pocket　knife　for　him　in　their　purchases　that　evening；　but　as　they　had　not　been　able　to　afford　this　Owen　decided　to　give　him　an　old　set　of　steel　paining　combs　which　he　knew　the　lad　had　often　longed　to　possess。　　The　tin　case　containing　these　tools　was　accordingly　wrapped　in　some　red　tissue　paper　and　hung　on　the　tree　with　the　other　things。

They　moved　about　as　quietly　as　possible　so　as　not　to　disturb　those　who　were　sleeping　in　the　rooms　beneath；　because　long　before　they　were　finished　the　people　in　the　other　parts　of　the　house　had　all　retired　to　rest；　and　silence　had　fallen　on　the　deserted　streets　outside。　　As　they　were　putting　the　final　touches　to　their　work　the　profound　stillness　of　the　night　was　suddenly　broken　by　the　voices　of　a　band　of　carol…　singers。

The　sound　overwhelmed　them　with　memories　of　other　and　happier　times；　and　Nora　stretched　out　her　hands　impulsively　to　Owen；　who　drew　her　close　to　his　side。

They　had　been　married　just　over　eight　years；　and　although　during　all　that　time　they　had　never　been　really　free　from　anxiety　for　the　future；　yet　on　no　previous　Christmas　had　they　been　quite　so　poor　as　now。　During　the　last　few　years　periods　of　unemployment　had　gradually　become　more　frequent　and　protracted；　and　the　attempt　he　had　made　in　the　early　part　of　the　year　to　get　work　elsewhere　had　only　resulted　in　plunging　them　into　even　greater　poverty　than　before。　　But　all　the　same　there　was　much　to　be　thankful　for：　poor　though　they　were；　they　were　far　better　off　than　many　thousands　of　others：　they　still　had　food　and　shelter；　and　they　had　each　other　and　the　boy。

Before　they　went　to　bed　Owen　carried　the　tree　into　Frankie's　bedroom　and　placed　it　so　that　he　would　be　able　to　see　it　in　all　its　glittering　glory　as　soon　as　he　awoke　on　Christmas　morning。



Chapter　29

The　Pandorama


Although　the　party　was　not　supposed　to　begin　till　six　o'clock；　Bert　turned　up　at　half　past　four；　bringing　the　‘Pandoramer'　with　him。

At　about　half　past　five　the　other　guests　began　to　arrive。　　Elsie　and　Charley　Linden　came　first；　the　girl　in　a　pretty　blue　frock　trimmed　with　white　lace；　and　Charley　resplendent　in　a　new　suit；　which；　like　his　sister's　dress；　had　been　made　out　of　somebody's　cast…off　clothes　that　had　been　given　to　their　mother　by　a　visiting　lady。　　It　had　taken　Mrs　Linden　many　hours　of　hard　work　to　contrive　these　garments；　in　fact；　more　time　than　the　things　were　worth；　for　although　they　looked　all　right　…　especially　Elsie's　…　the　stuff　was　so　old　that　it　would　not　wear　very　long：　but　this　was　the　only　way　in　which　she　could　get　clothes　for　the　children　at　all：　she　certainly　could　not　afford　to　buy　them　any。　　So　she　spent　hours　and　hours　making　things　that　she　knew　would　fall　to　pieces　almost　as　soon　as　they　were　made。

After　these　came　Nellie；　Rosie　and　Tommy　Newman。　　These　presented　a　much　less　prosperous　appearance　than　the　other　two。　　Their　mother　was　not　so　skilful　at　contriving　new　clothes　out　of　old。　　Nellie　was　wearing　a　grown…up　woman's　blouse；　and　by　way　of　ulster　she　had　on　an　old…fashioned　jacket　of　thick　cloth　with　large　pearl　buttons。　　This　was　also　a　grown…up　woman's　garment：　it　was　shaped　to　fit　the　figure　of　a　tall　woman　with　wide　shoulders　and　a　small　waist；　consequently；　it　did　not　fit　Nellie　to　perfection。　　The　waist　reached　below　the　poor　child's　hips。

Tommy　was　arrayed　in　the　patched　remains　of　what　had　once　been　a　good　suit　of　clothes。　　They　had　been　purchased　at　a　second…hand　shop　last　summer　and　had　been　his　‘best'　for　several　months；　but　they　were　now　much　too　small　for　him。

Little　Rosie　…　who　was　only　just　over　three　years　old　…　was　better　off　than　either　of　the　other　two；　for　she　had　a　red　cloth　dress　that　fitted　her　perfectly：　indeed；　as　the　district　visitor　who　gave　it　to　her　mother　had　remarked；　it　looked　as　if　it　had　been　made　for　her。

‘It's　not　much　to　look　at；'　observed　Nellie；　referring　to　her　big　jacket；　but　all　the　same　we　was　very　glad　of　it　when　the　rain　came　on。'

The　coat　was　so　big　that　by　withdrawing　her　arms　from　the　sleeves　and　using　it　as　a　cloak　or　shawl　she　had　managed　to　make　it　do　for　all　three　of　them。

Tommy's　boots　were　so　broken　that　the　wet　had　got　in　and　saturated　his　stockings；　so　Nora　made　him　take　them　all　off　and　wear　some　old　ones　of　Frankie's　whilst　his　own　were　drying　at　the　fire。

Philpot；　with　two　large　paper　bags　full　of　oranges　and　nuts；　arrived　just　as　they　were　sitting　down　to　tea　…　or　rather　cocoa　…　for　with　the　exception　of　Bert　all　the　children　expressed　a　preference　for　the　latter　beverage。　　Bert　would　have　liked　to　have　cocoa　also；　but　hearing　that　the　grown…ups　were　going　to　have　tea；　he　thought　it　would　be　more　manly　to　do　the　same。　　This　question　of　having　tea　or　cocoa　for　tea　became　a　cause　of　much　uproarious　merriment　on　the　part　of　the　children；　who　asked　each　other　repeatedly　which　they　liked　best；　‘tea　tea？'　or　‘cocoa　tea？'　　They　thought　it　so　funny　that　they　said　it　over　and　over　again；　screaming　with　laughter　all　the　while；　until　Tommy　got　a　piece　of　cake　stuck　in　his　throat　and　became　nearly　black　in　the　face；　and　then　Philpot　had　to　turn　him　upside　down　and　punch　him　in　the　back　to　save　him　from　choking　to　death。　　This　rather　sobered　the　others；　but　for　some　time　afterwards　whenever　they　looked　at　each　other　they　began　to　laugh　afresh　because　they　thought　it　was　such　a　good　joke。

When　they　had　filled　themselves　up　with　the　‘cocoa…tea'　and　cakes　and　bread　and　jam；　Elsie　Linden　and　Nellie　Newman　helped　to　clear　away　the　cups　and　saucers；　and　then　Owen　lit　the　candles　on　the　Christmas　tree　and　distributed　the　toys　to　the　children；　and　a　little　while　afterwards　Philpot　…　who　had　got　a　funny…looking　mask　out　of　one　of　the　bon…bons　…　started　a　fine　game　pretending　to　be　a　dreadful　wild　animal　which　he　called　a　Pandroculus；　and　crawling　about　on　all　fours；　rolled　his　goggle　eyes　and　growled　out　he　must　have　a　little　boy　or　girl　to　eat　for　his　supper。

He　looked　so　terrible　that　although　they　knew　it　was　only　a　joke　they　were　almost　afraid　of　him；　and　ran　away　laughing　and　screaming　to　shelter　themselves　behind　Nora　or　Owen；　but　all　the　same；　whenever　Philpot　left　off　playing；　they　entreated　him　to　‘be　it　again'；　and　so　he　had　to　keep　on　being　a　Pandroculus；　until　exhaustion　compelled　him　to　return　to　his　natural　form。

After　this　they　all　sat　round　the　table　and　had　a　game　of　cards；　‘Snap'；　they　called　it；　but　nobody　paid　much　attention　to　the　rules　of　the　game：　everyone　seemed　to　think　that　the　principal　thing　to　do　was　to　kick　up　as　much　row　as　possible。　　After　a　while　Philpot　suggested　a　change　to　‘Beggar　my　neighbour'；　and　won　quite　a　lot　of　cards　before　they　found　out　that　he　had　hidden　all　the　jacks　in　the　pocket　of　his　coat；　and　then　they　mobbed　him　for　a　cheat。　　He　might　have　been　seriously　injured　if　it　had　not　been　for　Bert；　who　created　a　diversion　by　standing　on　a　chair　and　announcing　that　he　was　about　to　introduce　to　their　notice　‘Bert　White's　World…famed　Pandorama'　as　exhibited　before　all　the　nobility　and　crowned　heads　of　Europe；　England；　Ireland　and　Scotland；　including　North　America　and　Wales。

Loud　cheers　greeted　the　conclusion　of　Bert's　speech。　　The　box　was　placed　on　the　table；　which　was　then　moved　to　the　end　of　the　room；　and　the　chairs　were　ranged　in　two　rows　in　front。

The　‘Pandorama'　consisted　of　a　stage…front　made　of　painted　cardboard　and　fixed　on　the　front　of　a　wooden　box　about　three　feet　long　by　two　feet　six　inches　high；　and　about　one　foot　deep　from　back　to　front。　　The　‘Show'　was　a　lot　of　pictures　cut　out　of　illustrated　weekly　papers　and　pasted　together；　end　to　end；　so　as　to　form　a　long　strip　or　ribbon。　Bert　had　coloured　all　the　pictures　with　water…colours。

Just　behind　the　wings　of　the　stage…front　at　each　end　of　the　box　…　was　an　upright　roller；　and　the　long　strip　of　pictures　was　rolled　up　on　this。　　The　upper　ends　of　the　rollers　came　through　the　top　of　the　box　and　had　handles　attached　to　them。　　When　these　handles　were　turned　the　pictures　passed　across　the　stage；　unrolling　from　one　roller　and　rolling　on　to　the　other；　and　were　illuminated　by　the　light　of　three　candles　placed　behind。

The　idea　of　constructing　this　machine　had　been　suggested　to　Bert　by　a　panorama　entertainment　he　had　been　to　see　some　time　before。

‘The　Style　of　the　decorations；'　he　remarked；　alluding　to　the　painted　stage…front；　'is　Moorish。'

He　lit　the　candles　at