the ragged trousered philanthropists-第113章

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as　often　awakened　out　of　his　beauty　sleep　in　the　middle　of　the　night　by　the　clattering　noise　of　the　workmen's　boots　as　they　passed　his　house　on　their　way　to　work　in　the　morning。　　‘Morpheus'　wrote　that　not　only　did　they　make　a　dreadful　noise　with　their　horrible　iron…clad　boots；　but　they　were　in　the　habit　of　coughing　and　spitting　a　great　deal；　which　was　very　unpleasant　to　hear；　and　they　conversed　in　loud　tones。　　Sometimes　their　conversation　was　not　at　all　edifying；　for　it　consisted　largely　of　bad　language；　which　‘Morpheus'　assumed　to　be　attributable　to　the　fact　that　they　were　out　of　temper　because　they　had　to　rise　so　early。

As　a　rule　they　worked　till　half…past　five　in　the　evening；　and　by　the　time　they　reached　home　it　was　six　o'clock。　　When　they　had　taken　their　evening　meal　and　had　a　wash　it　was　nearly　eight：　about　nine　most　of　them　went　to　bed　so　as　to　be　able　to　get　up　about　half　past　four　the　next　morning　to　make　a　cup　of　tea　before　leaving　home　at　half　past　five　to　go　to　work　again。　　Frequently　it　happened　that　they　had　to　leave　home　earlier　than　this；　because　their　‘job'　was　more　than　half　an　hour's　walk　away。　　It　did　not　matter　how　far　away　the　‘job'　was　from　the　shop；　the　men　had　to　walk　to　and　fro　in　their　own　time；　for　Trades　Union　rules　were　a　dead　letter　in　Mugsborough。　　There　were　no　tram　fares　or　train　fares　or　walking　time　allowed　for　the　likes　of　them。

Ninety…nine　out　of　every　hundred　of　them　did　not　believe　in　such　things　as　those：　they　had　much　more　sense　than　to　join　Trades　Unions：　on　the　contrary；　they　believed　in　placing　themselves　entirely　at　the　mercy　of　their　good；　kind　Liberal　and　Tory　masters。

Very　frequently　it　happened；　when　only　a　few　men　were　working　together；　that　it　was　not　convenient　to　make　tea　for　breakfast　or　dinner；　and　then　some　of　them　brought　tea　with　them　ready　made　in　bottles　and　drank　it　cold；　but　most　of　them　went　to　the　nearest　pub　and　ate　their　food　there　with　a　glass　of　beer。　　Even　those　who　would　rather　have　had　tea　or　coffee　had　beer；　because　if　they　went　to　a　temperance　restaurant　or　coffee　tavern　it　generally　happened　that　they　were　not　treated　very　civilly　unless　they　bought　something　to　eat　as　well　as　to　drink；　and　the　tea　at　such　places　was　really　dearer　than　beer；　and　the　latter　was　certainly　quite　as　good　to　drink　as　the　stewed　tea　or　the　liquid　mud　that　was　sold　as　coffee　at　cheap　‘Workmen's'　Eating　Houses。

There　were　some　who　were　…　as　they　thought　…　exceptionally　lucky：　the　firms　they　worked　for　were　busy　enough　to　let　them　work　two　hours'　overtime　every　night　…　till　half　past　seven　…　without　stopping　for　tea。　　Most　of　these　arrived　home　about　eight；　completely　flattened　out。　　Then　they　had　some　tea　and　a　wash　and　before　they　knew　where　they　were　it　was　about　half　past　nine。　　Then　they　went　to　sleep　again　till　half　past　four　or　five　the　next　morning。

They　were　usually　so　tired　when　they　got　home　at　night　that　they　never　had　any　inclination　for　study　or　any　kind　of　self…improvement；　even　if　they　had　had　the　time。　　They　had　plenty　of　time　to　study　during　the　winter：　and　their　favourite　subject　then　was；　how　to　preserve　themselves　from　starving　to　death。

This　overtime；　however；　was　the　exception；　for　although　in　former　years　it　had　been　the　almost　invariable　rule　to　work　till　half　past　seven　in　summer；　most　of　the　firms　now　made　a　practice　of　ceasing　work　at　five…thirty。　　The　revolution　which　had　taken　place　in　this　matter　was　a　favourite　topic　of　conversation　amongst　the　men；　who　spoke　regretfully　of　the　glorious　past；　when　things　were　busy；　and　they　used　to　work　fifteen；　sixteen　and　even　eighteen　hours　a　day。　　But　nowadays　there　were　nearly　as　many　chaps　out　of　work　in　the　summer　as　in　the　winter。　　They　used　to　discuss　the　causes　of　the　change。　　One　was；　of　course；　the　fact　that　there　was　not　so　much　building　going　on　as　formerly；　and　another　was　the　speeding　up　and　slave…driving；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　work　was　now　done；　or　rather　scamped。　　As　old　Philpot　said；　he　could　remember　the　time；　when　he　was　a　nipper；　when　such　a　‘job'　as　that　at　‘The　Cave'　would　have　lasted　at　least　six　months；　and　they　would　have　had　more　hands　on　it　too！　　But　it　would　have　been　done　properly；　not　messed　up　like　that　was：　all　the　woodwork　would　have　been　rubbed　down　with　pumice　stone　and　water：　all　the　knots　cut　out　and　the　holes　properly　filled　up；　and　the　work　properly　rubbed　down　with　glass…paper　between　every　coat。　　But　nowadays　the　only　place　you'd　see　a　bit　of　pumice　stone　was　in　a　glass　case　in　a　museum；　with　a　label　on　it。

　　　　　　　　　　　‘Pumice　Stone：　formerly　used　by　house…painters。'

Most　of　them　spoke　of　those　bygone　times　with　poignant　regret；　but　there　were　a　few　…　generally　fellows　who　had　been　contaminated　by　contact　with　Socialists　or　whose　characters　had　been　warped　and　degraded　by　the　perusal　of　Socialist　literature　…　who　said　that　they　did　not　desire　to　work　overtime　at　all　…　ten　hours　a　day　were　quite　enough　for　them　…　in　fact　they　would　rather　do　only　eight。　　What　they　wanted；　they　said；　was　not　more　work；　but　more　grub；　more　clothes；　more　leisure；　more　pleasure　and　better　homes。　　They　wanted　to　be　able　to　go　for　country　walks　or　bicycle　rides；　to　go　out　fishing　or　to　go　to　the　seaside　and　bathe　and　lie　on　the　beach　and　so　forth。　　But　these　were　only　a　very　few；　there　were　not　many　so　selfish　as　this。　　The　majority　desired　nothing　but　to　be　allowed　to　work；　and　as　for　their　children；　why；　‘what　was　good　enough　for　themselves　oughter　be　good　enough　for　the　kids'。

They　often　said　that　such　things　as　leisure；　culture；　pleasure　and　the　benefits　of　civilization　were　never　intended　for　‘the　likes　of　us'。

They　did　not　…　all　…　actually　say　this；　but　that　was　what　their　conduct　amounted　to；　for　they　not　only　refused　to　help　to　bring　about　a　better　state　of　things　for　their　children；　but　they　ridiculed　and　opposed　and　cursed　and　abused　those　who　were　trying　to　do　it　for　them。　The　foulest　words　that　came　out　of　their　mouths　were　directed　against　the　men　of　their　own　class　in　the　House　of　Commons　…　the　Labour　Members　…　and　especially　the　Socialists；　whom　they　spoke　of　as　fellows　who　were　too　bloody　lazy　to　work　for　a　living；　and　who　wanted　the　working　classes　to　keep　them。

Some　of　them　said　that　they　did　not　believe　in　helping　their　children　to　become　anything　better　than　their　parents　had　been　because　in　such　cases　the　children；　when　they　grew　up；　‘looked　down'　upon　and　were　ashamed　of　their　fathers　and　mothers！　　They　seemed　to　think　that　if　they　loved　and　did　their　duty　to　their　children；　the　probability　was　that　the　children　would　prove　ungrateful：　as　if　even　if　that　were　true；　it　would　be　any　excuse　for　their　indifference。

Another　cause　of　the　shortage　of　work　was　the　intrusion　into　the　trade　of　so　many　outsiders：　fellows　like　Sawkins　and　the　other　lightweights。　Whatever　other　causes　there　were；　there　could　be　no　doubt　that　the　hurrying　and　scamping　was　a　very　real　one。　　Every　‘job'　had　to　be　done　at　once！　as　if　it　were　a　matter　of　life　or　death！　　It　must　be　finished　by　a　certain　time。　　If　the　‘job'　was　at　an　empty　house；　Misery's　yarn　was　that　it　was　let！　the　people　were　coming　in　at　the　end　of　the　week！　therefore　everything　must　be　finished　by　Wednesday　night。　　All　the　ceilings　had　to　be　washed　off；　the　walls　stripped　and　repapered；　and　two　coats　of　paint　inside　and　outside　the　house。　　New　drains　were　to　be　put　in；　and　all　broken　windows　and　locks　and　broken　plaster　repaired。　　A　number　of　men　…　usually　about　half　as　many　as　there　should　have　been　…　would　be　sent　to　do　the　work；　and　one　man　was　put　in　charge　of　the　‘job'。　　These　sub…foremen　or　‘coddies'　knew　that　if　they　‘made　their　jobs　pay'　they　would　be　put　in　charge　of　others　and　be　kept　on　in　preference　to　other　men　as　long　as　the　firm　had　any　work；　so　they　helped　Misery　to　scheme　and　scamp　the　work　and　watched　and　drove　the　men　under　their　charge；　and　these　latter　poor　wretches；　knowing　that　their　only　chance　of　retaining　their　employment　was　to　‘tear　into　it'；　tore　into　it　like　so　many　maniacs。　　Instead　of　cleaning　any　parts　of　the　woodwork　that　were　greasy　or　very　dirty；　they　brushed　them　over　with　a　coat　of　spirit　varnish　before　painting　to　make　sure　that　the　paint　would　dry：　places　where　the　p