the ragged trousered philanthropists-第84节

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tle　work　at　a　boarding…house　on　the　Grand　Parade。　　But　things　had　been　going　from　bad　to　worse。　They　had　not　been　able　to　keep　up　the　payments　for　the　furniture　they　had　hired；　so　the　things　had　been　seized　and　carted　off。　　They　had　even　stripped　the　oilcloth　from　the　floor。　　Easton　remarked　he　was　sorry　he　had　not　tacked　the　bloody　stuff　down　in　such　a　manner　that　they　would　not　have　been　able　to　take　it　up　without　destroying　it。　　He　had　been　to　see　Didlum；　who　said　he　didn't　want　to　be　hard　on　them；　and　that　he　would　keep　the　things　together　for　three　months；　and　if　Easton　had　paid　up　arrears　by　that　time　he　could　have　them　back　again；　but　there　was；　in　Easton's　opinion；　very　little　chance　of　that。

Owen　listened　with　contempt　and　anger。　　Here　was　a　man　who　grumbled　at　the　present　state　of　things；　yet　took　no　trouble　to　think　for　himself　and　try　to　alter　them；　and　who　at　the　first　chance　would　vote　for　the　perpetuation　of　the　System　which　produced　his　misery。

‘Have　you　heard　that　old　Jack　Linden　and　his　wife　went　to　the　workhouse　today；'　he　said。

‘No；'　replied　Easton；　indifferently。　　‘It's　only　what　I　expected。'

Owen　then　suggested　it　would　not　be　a　bad　plan　for　Easton　to　let　his　front　room；　now　that　it　was　empty；　to　Mrs　Linden；　who　would　be　sure　to　pay　her　rent；　which　would　help　Easton　to　pay　his。　　Easton　agreed　and　said　he　would　mention　it　to　Ruth；　and　a　few　minutes　later　they　parted。

The　next　morning　Nora　found　Ruth　talking　to　Mary　Linden　about　the　room　and　as　the　Eastons　lived　only　about　five　minutes'　walk　away；　they　all　three　went　round　there　in　order　that　Mary　might　see　the　room。　　The　appearance　of　the　house　from　outside　was　unaltered：　the　white　lace　curtains　still　draped　the　windows　of　the　front　room；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　bay　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　small　round　table　covered　with　a　red　cloth；　and　upon　it　a　geranium　in　a　flowerpot　standing　in　a　saucer　with　a　frill　of　coloured　tissue　paper　round　it。　　These　things　and　the　curtains；　which　fell　close　together；　made　it　impossible　for　anyone　to　see　that　the　room　was；　otherwise；　unfurnished。　　The　‘table'　consisted　of　an　empty　wooden　box　…　procured　from　the　grocer's　…　stood　on　end；　with　the　lid　of　the　scullery　copper　placed　upside　down　upon　it　for　a　top　and　covered　with　an　old　piece　of　red　cloth。　　The　purpose　of　this　was　to　prevent　the　neighbours　from　thinking　that　they　were　hard　up；　although　they　knew　that　nearly　all　those　same　neighbours　were　in　more　or　less　similar　straits。

It　was　not　a　very　large　room；　considering　that　it　would　have　to　serve　all　purposes　for　herself　and　the　two　children；　but　Mrs　Linden　knew　that　it　was　not　likely　that　she　would　be　able　to　get　one　as　good　elsewhere　for　the　same　price；　so　she　agreed　to　take　it　from　the　following　Monday　at　two　shillings　a　week。

As　the　distance　was　so　short　they　were　able　to　carry　most　of　the　smaller　things　to　their　new　home　during　the　next　few　days；　and　on　the　Monday　evening；　when　it　was　dark。　　Owen　and　Easton　brought　the　remainder　on　a　truck　they　borrowed　for　the　purpose　from　Hunter。

During　the　last　weeks　of　February　the　severity　of　the　weather　increased。　　There　was　a　heavy　fall　of　snow　on　the　20th　followed　by　a　hard　frost　which　lasted　several　days。

About　ten　o'clock　one　night　a　policeman　found　a　man　lying　unconscious　in　the　middle　of　a　lonely　road。　　At　first　he　thought　the　man　was　drunk；　and　after　dragging　him　on　to　the　footpath　out　of　the　way　of　passing　vehicles　he　went　for　the　stretcher。　　They　took　the　man　to　the　station　and　put　him　into　a　cell；　which　was　already　occupied　by　a　man　who　had　been　caught　in　the　act　of　stealing　a　swede　turnip　from　a　barn。　When　the　police　surgeon　came　he　pronounced　the　supposed　drunken　man　to　be　dying　from　bronchitis　and　want　of　food；　and　he　further　said　that　there　was　nothing　to　indicate　that　the　man　was　addicted　to　drink。　When　the　inquest　was　held　a　few　days　afterwards；　the　coroner　remarked　that　it　was　the　third　case　of　death　from　destitution　that　had　occurred　in　the　town　within　six　weeks。

The　evidence　showed　that　the　man　was　a　plasterer　who　had　walked　from　London　with　the　hope　of　finding　work　somewhere　in　the　country。　　He　had　no　money　in　his　possession　when　he　was　found　by　the　policeman；　all　that　his　pockets　contained　being　several　pawn…tickets　and　a　letter　from　his　wife；　which　was　not　found　until　after　he　died；　because　it　was　in　an　inner　pocket　of　his　waistcoat。　　A　few　days　before　this　inquest　was　held；　the　man　who　had　been　arrested　for　stealing　the　turnip　had　been　taken　before　the　magistrates。　　The　poor　wretch　said　he　did　it　because　he　was　starving；　but　Aldermen　Sweater　and　Grinder；　after　telling　him　that　starvation　was　no　excuse　for　dishonesty；　sentenced　him　to　pay　a　fine　of　seven　shillings　and　costs；　or　go　to　prison　for　seven　days　with　hard　labour。　　As　the　convict　had　neither　money　nor　friends；　he　had　to　go　to　jail；　where　he　was；　after　all；　better　off　than　most　of　those　who　were　still　outside　because　they　lacked　either　the　courage　or　the　opportunity　to　steal　something　to　relieve　their　sufferings。

As　time　went　on　the　long…continued　privation　began　to　tell　upon　Owen　and　his　family。　　He　had　a　severe　cough：　his　eyes　became　deeply　sunken　and　of　remarkable　brilliancy；　and　his　thin　face　was　always　either　deathly　pale　or　dyed　with　a　crimson　flush。

Frankie　also　began　to　show　the　effects　of　being　obliged　to　go　so　often　without　his　porridge　and　milk；　he　became　very　pale　and　thin　and　his　long　hair　came　out　in　handfuls　when　his　mother　combed　or　brushed　it。　This　was　a　great　trouble　to　the　boy；　who；　since　hearing　the　story　of　Samson　read　out　of　the　Bible　at　school；　had　ceased　from　asking　to　have　his　hair　cut　short；　lest　he　should　lose　his　strength　in　consequence。　He　used　to　test　himself　by　going　through　a　certain　exercise　he　had　himself　invented；　with　a　flat　iron；　and　he　was　always　much　relieved　when　he　found　that；　notwithstanding　the　loss　of　the　porridge；　he　was　still　able　to　lift　the　iron　the　proper　number　of　times。　　But　after　a　while；　as　he　found　that　it　became　increasingly　difficult　to　go　through　the　exercise；　he　gave　it　up　altogether；　secretly　resolving　to　wait　until　‘Dad'　had　more　work　to　do；　so　that　he　could　have　the　porridge　and　milk　again。　　He　was　sorry　to　have　to　discontinue　the　exercise；　but　he　said　nothing　about　it　to　his　father　or　mother　because　he　did　not　want　to　‘worry'　them　。。。

Sometimes　Nora　managed　to　get　a　small　job　of　needlework。　　On　one　occasion　a　woman　with　a　small　son　brought　a　parcel　of　garments　belonging　to　herself　or　her　husband；　an　old　ulster；　several　coats；　and　so　on　…　things　that　although　they　were　too　old…fashioned　or　shabby　to　wear；　yet　might　look　all　right　if　turned　and　made　up　for　the　boy。

Nora　undertook　to　do　this；　and　after　working　several　hours　every　day　for　a　week　she　earned　four　shillings：　and　even　then　the　woman　thought　it　was　so　dear　that　she　did　not　bring　any　more。

Another　time　Mrs　Easton　got　her　some　work　at　a　boarding…house　where　she　herself　was　employed。　　The　servant　was　laid　up；　and　they　wanted　some　help　for　a　few　days。　　The　pay　was　to　be　two　shillings　a　day；　and　dinner。　　Owen　did　not　want　her　to　go　because　he　feared　she　was　not　strong　enough　to　do　the　work；　but　he　gave　way　at　last　and　Nora　went。　She　had　to　do　the　bedrooms；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　second　day；　as　a　result　of　the　constant　running　up　and　down　the　stairs　carrying　heavy　cans　and　pails　of　water；　she　was　in　such　intense　pain　that　she　was　scarcely　able　to　walk　home；　and　for　several　days　afterwards　had　to　lie　in　bed　through　a　recurrence　of　her　old　illness；　which　caused　her　to　suffer　untold　agony　whenever　she　tried　to　stand。

Owen　was　alternately　dejected　and　maddened　by　the　knowledge　of　his　own　helplessness：　when　he　was　not　doing　anything　for　Rushton　he　went　about　the　town　trying　to　find　some　other　work；　but　usually　with　scant　success。　　He　did　some　samples　of　showcard　and　window　tickets　and　endeavoured　to　get　some　orders　by　canvassing　the　shops　in　the　town；　but　this　was　also　a　failure；　for　these　people　generally　had　a　ticket…writer　to　whom　they　usually　gave　their　work。　　He　did　get　a　few　trifling　orders；　but　they　were　scarcely　worth　doing　at　the　price　he　got　for　them。　　He　used　to　feel　like　a　criminal　when　he　went　into　the　shops　to　ask　them　for　the　work；　because　he　realized　fully　that；　in　effect；　he　was　saying　to　them：　‘Take　your　work　away　from　the　other　man；　and　employ　me。'　　He　was　so　conscious　of　this　that　it　gave　him　a　shamefaced　manner；　which；　coupled　as　it　was　with　his　shabby　clothing；　did　not　create　a　very　favourable　impression　upon　those　he　addressed；　who　usually　treated　him　with　about　as　much　courtesy　as　they　would　have　extended　to　any　other　sort　of　beggar。　　Generally；　after　a　day's　canvassing；　he　returned　home　unsuccessful　and　faint　with　hunger　and　fatigue。

Once；　when　there　was　a　bitterly　cold　east　wind　blowing；　he　was　out　on　one　of　these　canvassing　expeditions　and　contracted　a　severe　cold：　his　chest　became　so　bad　that　he　found　it　almost　impossible　to　speak；　because　the　effort　to　do　so　often　brought　on　a　violent　fit　of　coughing。　　It　was　during　this　time　that　a　firm　of　drapers；　for　whom　he　had　done　some　showcards；　sent　him　an　order　for　one　they　wanted　in　a　hurry；　it　had　to　be　delivered　the　next　morning；　so　he　stayed　up　by　himself　till　nearly　midnight