the ragged trousered philanthropists-第112章

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ith　an　agony　of　remorse。

The　presence　of　Mary　Linden　and　the　two　children　in　the　house　probably　saved　Ruth　from　being　more　unhappy　than　she　was。　　Little　Elsie　had　made　an　arrangement　with　her　to　be　allowed　to　take　the　baby　out　for　walks；　and　in　return　Ruth　did　Elsie's　housework。　　As　for　Mary；　she　had　not　much　time　to　do　anything　but　sew；　almost　the　only　relaxation　she　knew　being　when　she　took　the　work　home；　and　on　Sunday；　which　she　usually　devoted　to　a　general　clean…up　of　the　room；　and　to　mending　the　children's　clothes。　　Sometimes　on　Sunday　evening　she　used　to　go　with　Ruth　and　the　children　to　see　Mrs　Owen；　who；　although　she　was　not　ill　enough　to　stay　in　bed；　seldom　went　out　of　the　house。　　She　had　never　really　recovered　from　the　attack　of　illness　which　was　brought　on　by　her　work　at　the　boarding　house。　　The　doctor　had　been　to　see　her　once　or　twice　and　had　prescribed　…　rest。　　She　was　to　lie　down　as　much　as　possible；　not　to　do　any　heavy　work　…　not　to　carry　or　lift　any　heavy　articles；　scrub　floors；　make　beds；　or　anything　of　that　sort：　and　she　was　to　take　plenty　of　nourishing　food；　beef　tea；　chicken；　a　little　wine　and　so　on。　　He　did　not　suggest　a　trip　round　the　world　in　a　steam　yacht　or　a　visit　to　Switzerland　…　perhaps　he　thought　they　might　not　be　able　to　afford　it。　　Sometimes　she　was　so　ill　that　she　had　to　observe　one　at　least　of　the　doctor's　instructions　…　to　lie　down：　and　then　she　would　worry　and　fret　because　she　was　not　able　to　do　the　housework　and　because　Owen　had　to　prepare　his　own　tea　when　he　came　home　at　night。　On　one　of　these　occasions　it　would　have　been　necessary　for　Owen　to　stay　at　home　from　work　if　it　had　not　been　for　Mrs　Easton；　who　came　for　several　days　in　succession　to　look　after　her　and　attend　to　the　house。

Fortunately；　Owen's　health　was　better　since　the　weather　had　become　warmer。　　For　a　long　time　after　the　attack　of　haemorrhage　he　had　while　writing　the　show…card　he　used　to　dread　going　to　sleep　at　night　for　fear　it　should　recur。　　He　had　heard　of　people　dying　in　their　sleep　from　that　cause。　　But　this　terror　gradually　left　him。　　Nora　knew　nothing　of　what　occurred　that　night：　to　have　told　her　would　have　done　no　good；　but　on　the　contrary　would　have　caused　her　a　lot　of　useless　anxiety。　　Sometimes　he　doubted　whether　it　was　right　not　to　tell　her；　but　as　time　went　by　and　his　health　continued　to　improve　he　was　glad　he　had　said　nothing　about　it。

Frankie　had　lately　resumed　his　athletic　exercises　with　the　flat　iron：　his　strength　was　returning　since　Owen　had　been　working　regularly；　because　he　had　been　having　his　porridge　and　milk　again　and　also　some　Parrish's　Food　which　a　chemist　at　Windley　was　selling　large　bottles　of　for　a　shilling。　　He　used　to　have　what　he　called　a　‘party'　two　or　three　times　a　week　with　Elsie；　Charley　and　Easton's　baby　as　the　guests。　Sometimes；　if　Mrs　Owen　were　not　well；　Elsie　used　to　stay　in　with　her　after　tea　and　do　some　housework　while　the　boys　went　out　to　play；　but　more　frequently　the　four　children　used　to　go　together　to　the　park　to　play　or　sail　boats　on　the　lake。　　Once　one　of　the　boats　was　becalmed　about　a　couple　of　yards　from　shore　and　while　trying　to　reach　it　with　a　stick　Frankie　fell　into　the　water；　and　when　Charley　tried　to　drag　him　out　he　fell　in　also。　　Elsie　put　the　baby　down　on　the　bank　and　seized　hold　of　Charley　and　while　she　was　trying　to　get　him　out；　the　baby　began　rolling　down；　and　would　probably　have　tumbled　in　as　well　if　a　man　who　happened　to　be　passing　by　had　not　rushed　up　in　time　to　prevent　it。　　Fortunately　the　water　at　that　place　was　only　about　two　feet　deep；　so　the　boys　were　not　much　the　worse　for　their　ducking。　　They　returned　home　wet　through；　smothered　with　mud；　and　feeling　very　important；　like　boys　who　had　distinguished　themselves。

After　this；　whenever　she　could　manage　to　spare　the　time；　Ruth　Easton　used　to　go　with　the　children　to　the　park。　　There　was　a　kind　of　summer…house　near　the　shore　of　the　lake；　only　a　few　feet　away　from　the　water's　edge；　surrounded　and　shaded　by　trees；　whose　branches　arched　over　the　path　and　drooped　down　to　the　surface　of　the　water。　　While　the　children　played　Ruth　used　to　sit　in　this　arbour　and　sew；　but　often　her　work　was　neglected　and　forgotten　as　she　gazed　pensively　at　the　water；　which　just　there　looked　very　still；　and　dark；　and　deep；　for　it　was　sheltered　from　the　wind　and　over…shadowed　by　the　trees　that　lined　the　banks　at　the　end　of　the　lake。



Sometimes；　if　it　happened　to　be　raining；　instead　of　going　out　the　children　used　to　have　some　games　in　the　house。　　On　one　such　occasion　Frankie　produced　the　flat　iron　and　went　through　the　exercise；　and　Charley　had　a　go　as　well。　　But　although　he　was　slightly　older　and　taller　than　Frankie　he　could　not　lift　the　iron　so　often　or　hold　it　out　so　long　as　the　other；　a　failure　that　Frankie　attributed　to　the　fact　that　Charley　had　too　much　tea　and　bread　and　butter　instead　of　porridge　and　milk　and　Parrish's　Food。　　Charley　was　so　upset　about　his　lack　of　strength　that　he　arranged　with　Frankie　to　come　home　with　him　the　next　day　after　school　to　see　his　mother　about　it。　　Mrs　Linden　had　a　flat　iron；　so　they　gave　a　demonstration　of　their　respective　powers　before　her。　　Mrs　Easton　being　also　present；　by　request；　because　Frankie　said　that　the　diet　in　question　was　suitable　for　babies　as　well　as　big　children。　　He　had　been　brought　up　on　it　ever　since　he　could　remember；　and　it　was　almost　as　cheap　as　bread　and　butter　and　tea。

The　result　of　the　exhibition　was　that　Mrs　Linden　promised　to　make　porridge　for　Charley　and　Elsie　whenever　she　could　spare　the　time；　and　Mrs　Easton　said　she　would　try　it　for　the　baby　also。



Chapter　43

The　Good　Old　Summer…time


All　through　the　summer　the　crowd　of　ragged…trousered　philanthropists　continued　to　toil　and　sweat　at　their　noble　and　unselfish　task　of　making　money　for　Mr　Rushton。

Painting　the　outsides　of　houses　and　shops；　washing　off　and　distempering　ceilings；　stripping　old　paper　off　walls；　painting　and　papering　rooms　and　staircases；　building　new　rooms　or　other　additions　to　old　houses　or　business　premises；　digging　up　old　drains；　repairing　leaky　roofs　and　broken　windows。

Their　zeal　and　enthusiasm　in　the　good　cause　was　unbounded。　　They　were　supposed　to　start　work　at　six　o'clock；　but　most　of　them　were　usually　to　be　found　waiting　outside　the　job　at　about　a　quarter　to　that　hour；　sitting　on　the　kerbstones　or　the　doorstep。

Their　operations　extended　all　over　the　town：　at　all　hours　of　the　day　they　were　to　be　seen　either　going　or　returning　from　‘jobs'；　carrying　ladders；　planks；　pots　of　paint；　pails　of　whitewash；　earthenware；　chimney　pots；　drainpipes；　lengths　of　guttering；　closet　pans；　grates；　bundles　of　wallpaper；　buckets　of　paste；　sacks　of　cement；　and　loads　of　bricks　and　mortar。　　Quite　a　common　spectacle　…　for　gods　and　men　…　was　a　procession　consisting　of　a　handcart　loaded　up　with　such　materials　being　pushed　or　dragged　through　the　public　streets　by　about　half　a　dozen　of　these　Imperialists　in　broken　boots　and　with　battered；　stained；　discoloured　bowler　hats；　or　caps　splashed　with　paint　and　whitewash；　their　stand…up　collars　dirty；　limp　and　crumpled；　and　their　rotten　second…hand　misfit　clothing　saturated　with　sweat　and　plastered　with　mortar。

Even　the　assistants　in　the　grocers'　and　drapers'　shops　laughed　and　ridiculed　and　pointed　the　finger　of　scorn　at　them　as　they　passed。

The　superior　classes　…　those　who　do　nothing　…　regarded　them　as　a　sort　of　lower　animals。　　A　letter　appeared　in　the　Obscurer　one　week　from　one　of　these　well…dressed　loafers；　complaining　of　the　annoyance　caused　to　the　better…class　visitors　by　workmen　walking　on　the　pavement　as　they　passed　along　the　Grand　Parade　in　the　evening　on　their　way　home　from　work；　and　suggesting　that　they　should　walk　in　the　roadway。　　When　they　heard　of　the　letter　a　lot　of　the　workmen　adopted　the　suggestion　and　walked　in　the　road　so　as　to　avoid　contaminating　the　idlers。

This　letter　was　followed　by　others　of　a　somewhat　similar　kind；　and　one　or　two　written　in　a　patronizing　strain　in　defence　of　the　working　classes　by　persons　who　evidently　knew　nothing　about　them。　　There　was　also　a　letter　from　an　individual　who　signed　himself　‘Morpheus'　complaining　that　he　was　often　awakened　out　of　his　beauty　sleep　in　the　middle　of　the　night　by　the　clattering　noise　of　the