the uncommercial traveller- 第84部分

perplexed　air；　as　if　for　a　boiler　that　had　unaccountably　vanished。



'He　ain't　a　mechanic；　you　understand；　sir；'　the　wife　put　in：　　'he's

only　a　labourer。'



'Are　you　in　work？'



He　looked　up　at　his　wife　again。　　'Gentleman　says　are　you　in　work；

John？'



'In　work！'　cried　this　forlorn　boilermaker；　staring　aghast　at　his

wife；　and　then　working　his　vision's　way　very　slowly　round　to　me：

'Lord；　no！'



'Ah；　he　ain't　indeed！'　said　the　poor　woman；　shaking　her　head；　as

she　looked　at　the　four　children　in　succession；　and　then　at　him。



'Work！'　said　the　boilermaker；　still　seeking　that　evaporated　boiler；

first　in　my　countenance；　then　in　the　air；　and　then　in　the　features

of　his　second　son　at　his　knee：　　'I　wish　I　WAS　in　work！　　I　haven't

had　more　than　a　day's　work　to　do　this　three　weeks。'



'How　have　you　lived？'



A　faint　gleam　of　admiration　lighted　up　the　face　of　the　would…be

boilermaker；　as　he　stretched　out　the　short　sleeve　of　his　thread…

bare　canvas　jacket；　and　replied；　pointing　her　out；　'On　the　work　of

the　wife。'



I　forget　where　boilermaking　had　gone　to；　or　where　he　supposed　it

had　gone　to；　but　he　added　some　resigned　information　on　that　head；

coupled　with　an　expression　of　his　belief　that　it　was　never　coming

back。



The　cheery　helpfulness　of　the　wife　was　very　remarkable。　　She　did

slop…work；　made　pea…jackets。　　She　produced　the　pea…jacket　then　in

hand；　and　spread　it　out　upon　the　bed；　…　the　only　piece　of　furniture

in　the　room　on　which　to　spread　it。　　She　showed　how　much　of　it　she

made；　and　how　much　was　afterwards　finished　off　by　the　machine。

According　to　her　calculation　at　the　moment；　deducting　what　her

trimming　cost　her；　she　got　for　making　a　pea…jacket　tenpence　half…

penny；　and　she　could　make　one　in　something　less　than　two　days。



But；　you　see；　it　come　to　her　through　two　hands；　and　of　course　it

didn't　come　through　the　second　hand　for　nothing。　　Why　did　it　come

through　the　second　hand　at　all？　　Why；　this　way。　　The　second　hand

took　the　risk　of　the　given…out　work；　you　see。　　If　she　had　money

enough　to　pay　the　security　deposit；　…　call　it　two　pound；　…　she

could　get　the　work　from　the　first　hand；　and　so　the　second　would　not

have　to　be　deducted　for。　　But；　having　no　money　at　all；　the　second

hand　come　in　and　took　its　profit；　and　so　the　whole　worked　down　to

tenpence　half…penny。　　Having　explained　all　this　with　great

intelligence；　even　with　some　little　pride；　and　without　a　whine　or

murmur；　she　folded　her　work　again；　sat　down　by　her　husband's　side

at　the　washing…stool；　and　resumed　her　dinner　of　dry　bread。　　Mean　as

the　meal　was；　on　the　bare　board；　with　its　old　gallipots　for　cups；

and　what　not　other　sordid　makeshifts；　shabby　as　the　woman　was　in

dress；　and　toning　done　towards　the　Bosjesman　colour；　with　want　of

nutriment　and　washing；　…　there　was　positively　a　dignity　in　her；　as

the　family　anchor　just　holding　the　poor　ship…wrecked　boilermaker's

bark。　　When　I　left　the　room；　the　boiler…maker's　eyes　were　slowly

turned　towards　her；　as　if　his　last　hope　of　ever　again　seeing　that

vanished　boiler　lay　in　her　direction。



These　people　had　never　applied　for　parish　relief　but　once；　and　that

was　when　the　husband　met　with　a　disabling　accident　at　his　work。



Not　many　doors　from　here；　I　went　into　a　room　on　the　first　floor。

The　woman　apologised　for　its　being　in　'an　untidy　mess。'　　The　day

was　Saturday；　and　she　was　boiling　the　children's　clothes　in　a

saucepan　on　the　hearth。　　There　was　nothing　else　into　which　she

could　have　put　them。　　There　was　no　crockery；　or　tinware；　or　tub；　or

bucket。　　There　was　an　old　gallipot　or　two；　and　there　was　a　broken

bottle　or　so；　and　there　were　some　broken　boxes　for　seats。　　The　last

small　scraping　of　coals　left　was　raked　together　in　a　corner　of　the

floor。　　There　were　some　rags　in　an　open　cupboard；　also　on　the

floor。　　In　a　corner　of　the　room　was　a　crazy　old　French　bed…stead；

with　a　man　lying　on　his　back　upon　it　in　a　ragged　pilot　jacket；　and

rough　oil…skin　fantail　hat。　　The　room　was　perfectly　black。　　It　was

difficult　to　believe；　at　first；　that　it　was　not　purposely　coloured

black；　the　walls　were　so　begrimed。



As　I　stood　opposite　the　woman　boiling　the　children's　clothes；　…　she

had　not　even　a　piece　of　soap　to　wash　them　with；　…　and　apologising

for　her　occupation；　I　could　take　in　all　these　things　without

appearing　to　notice　them；　and　could　even　correct　my　inventory。　　I

had　missed；　at　the　first　glance；　some　half　a　pound　of　bread　in　the

otherwise　empty　safe；　an　old　red　ragged　crinoline　hanging　on　the

handle　of　the　door　by　which　I　had　entered；　and　certain　fragments　of

rusty　iron　scattered　on　the　floor；　which　looked　like　broken　tools

and　a　piece　of　stove…pipe。　　A　child　stood　looking　on。　　On　the　box

nearest　to　the　fire　sat　two　younger　children；　one　a　delicate　and

pretty　little　creature；　whom　the　other　sometimes　kissed。



This　woman；　like　the　last；　was　wofully　shabby；　and　was　degenerating

to　the　Bosjesman　complexion。　　But　her　figure；　and　the　ghost　of　a

certain　vivacity　about　her；　and　the　spectre　of　a　dimple　in　her

cheek；　carried　my　memory　strangely　back　to　the　old　days　of　the

Adelphi　Theatre；　London；　when　Mrs。　Fitzwilliam　was　the　friend　of

Victorine。



'May　I　ask　you　what　your　husband　is？'



'He's　a　coal…porter；　sir；'　…　with　a　glance　and　a　sigh　towards　the

bed。



'Is　he　out　of　work？'



'Oh；　yes；　sir！　and　work's　at　all　times　very；　very　scanty　with　him；

and　now　he's　laid　up。'



'It's　my　legs；'　said　the　man　upon　the　bed。　　'I'll　unroll　'em。'　　And

immediately　began。



'Have　you　any　older　children？'



'I　have　a　daughter　that　does　the　needle…work；　and　I　have　a　son　that

does　what　he　can。　　She's　at　her　work　now；　and　he's　trying　for

work。'



'Do　they　live　here？'



'They　sleep　here。　　They　can't　afford　to　pay　more　rent；　and　so　they

come　here　at　night。　　The　rent　is　very　hard　upon　us。　　It's　rose　upon

us　too；　now；　…　sixpence　a　week；　…　on　account　of　these　new　changes

in　the　law；　about　the　rates。　　We　are　a　week　behind；　the　landlord's

been　shaking　and　rattling　at　that　door　frightfully；　he　says　he'll

turn　us　out。　　I　don't　know　what's　to　come　of　it。'



The　man　upon　the　bed　ruefully　interposed；　'Here's　my　legs。　　The

skin's　broke；　besides　the　swelling。　　I　have　had　a　many　kicks；

working；　one　way　and　another。'



He　looked　at　his　legs　（which　were　much　discoloured　and　misshapen）

for　a　while；　and　then　appearing　to　remember　that　they　were　not

popular　with　his　family；　rolled　them　up　again；　as　if　they　were

something　in　the　nature　of　maps　or　plans　that　were　not　wanted　to　be

referred　to；　lay　hopelessly　down　on　his　back　once　more　with　his

fantail　hat　over　his　face；　and　stirred　not。



'Do　your　eldest　son　and　daughter　sleep　in　that　cupboard？'



'Yes；'　replied　the　woman。



'With　the　children？'



'Yes。　　We　have　to　get　together　for　warmth。　　We　have　little　to　cover

us。'



'Have　you　nothing　by　you　to　eat　but　the　piece　of　bread　I　see

there？'



'Nothing。　　And　we　had　the　rest　of　the　loaf　for　our　breakfast；　with

water。　　I　don't　know　what's　to　come　of　it。'



'Have　you　no　prospect　of　improvement？'



'If　my　eldest　son　earns　anything　to…day；　he'll　bring　it　home。　　Then

we　shall　have　something　to　eat　to…night；　and　may　be　able　to　do

something　towards　the　rent。　　If　not；　I　don't　know　what's　to　come　of

it。'



'This　is　a　sad　state　of　things。'



'Yes；　sir；　it's　a　hard；　hard　life。　　Take　care　of　the　stairs　as　you

go；　sir；　…　they're　broken；　…　and　good　day；　sir！'



These　people　had　a　mortal　dread　of　entering　the　workhouse；　and

received　no　out…of…door　relief。



In　another　room；　in　still　another　tenement；　I　found　a　very　decent

woman　with　five　children；　…　the　last　a　baby；　and　she　herself　a

patient　of　the　parish　doctor；　…　to　whom；　her　husband　being　in　the

hospital；　the　Union　allowed　for　the　support　of　herself　and　family；

four　shillings　a　week　and　five　loaves。　　I　suppose　when　Thisman；

M。P。；　and　Thatman；　M。P。；　and　the　Public…blessing　Party；　lay　their

heads　together　in　course　of　time；　and　come　to　an　equalization　of

rating；　she　may　go　down　to　the　dance　of　death　to　the　tune　of

sixpence　more。



I　could　enter　no　other　houses　for　that　one　while；　for　I　could　not

bear　the　contemplation　of　the　children。　　Such　heart　as　I　had

summoned　to　sustain　me　against　the　miseries　of　the　adults　failed　me

when　I　looked　at　the　children。　　I　saw　how　young　they　were；　how

hungry；　how　serious　and　still。　　I　thought　of　them；　sick　and　dying

in　those　lairs。　　I　think　of　them　dead　without　anguish；　but　to　think

of　them　so　suffering　and　so　dying　quite　unmanned　me。



Down　by　the　river's　bank　in　Ratcliff；　I　was　turning　upward　by　a

side…street；　therefore；　to　regain　the　railway；　when　my　eyes　rested

on　the　inscription　across　the　road；　'East　London　Children's

Hospital。'　　I　could　scarcely　have　seen　an　inscription　better　suited

to　my　frame　of　mind；　and　I　went　across　and　went　straight　in。



I　found　the　children's　hospital　established　in　an　old　sail…loft　or