the ragged trousered philanthropists-第83章

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‘And　I　suppose　you　think　as　'is　opinion　ain't　far　wrong；'　snarled　Crass。

‘We　shall　be　better　able　to　judge　of　that　after　the　next　General　Election；'　replied　Owen。　　‘If　the　working　classes　again　elect　a　majority　of　Liberal　or　Tory　landlords　and　employers　to　rule　over　them；　it　will　prove　that　Jim　Scalds'　estimate　of　their　intelligence　is　about　right。'

‘Well；　anyhow；'　persisted　Slyme；　‘I　don't　think　it's　a　right　thing　that　they　should　be　allowed　to　go　marchin'　about　like　that　…　driving　visitors　out　of　the　town。'

‘What　do　you　think　they　ought　to　do；　then？'　demanded　Owen。

‘Let　the　brs　go　to　the　bloody　workhouse！'　shouted　Crass。

‘But　before　they　could　be　received　there　they　would　have　to　be　absolutely　homeless　and　destitute；　and　then　the　ratepayers　would　have　to　keep　them。　　It　costs　about　twelve　shillings　a　week　for　each　inmate；　so　it　seems　to　me　that　it　would　be　more　sensible　and　economical　for　the　community　to　employ　them　on　some　productive　work。'

They　had　by　this　time　arrived　at　the　yard。　　The　steps　and　ladders　were　put　away　in　their　places　and　the　dirty　paint…pots　and　pails　were　placed　in　the　paint…shop　on　the　bench　and　on　the　floor。　　With　what　had　previously　been　brought　back　there　were　a　great　many　of　these　things；　all　needing　to　be　cleaned　out；　so　Bert　at　any　rate　stood　in　no　danger　of　being　out　of　employment　for　some　time　to　come。

When　they　were　paid　at　the　office；　Owen　on　opening　his　envelope　found　it　contained　as　usual；　a　time　sheet　for　the　next　week；　which　meant　that　he　was　not　‘stood　off'　although　he　did　not　know　what　work　there　would　be　to　do。　　Crass　and　Slyme　were　both　to　go　to　the　‘Cave'　to　fix　the　venetian　blinds；　and　Sawkins　also　was　to　come　to　work　as　usual。



Chapter　28

The　Week　before　Christmas


During　the　next　week　Owen　painted　a　sign　on　the　outer　wall　of　one　of　the　workshops　at　the　yard；　and　he　also　wrote　the　name　of　the　firm　on　three　of　the　handcarts。

These　and　other　odd　jobs　kept　him　employed　a　few　hours　every　day；　so　that　he　was　not　actually　out　of　work。

One　afternoon　…　there　being　nothing　to　do　…　he　went　home　at　three　o'clock；　but　almost　as　soon　as　he　reached　the　house　Bert　White　came　with　a　coffin…plate　which　had　to　be　written　at　once。　　The　lad　said　he　had　been　instructed　to　wait　for　it。

Nora　gave　the　boy　some　tea　and　bread　and　butter　to　eat　whilst　Owen　was　doing　the　coffin…plate；　and　presently　Frankie　…　who　had　been　playing　out　in　the　street　…　made　his　appearance。　　The　two　boys　were　already　known　to　each　other；　for　Bert　had　been　there　several　times　before　…　on　errands　similar　to　the　present　one；　or　to　take　lessons　on　graining　and　letter…painting　from　Owen。

‘I'm　going　to　have　a　party　next　Monday　…　after　Christmas；'　remarked　Frankie。　　‘Mother　told　me　I　might　ask　you　if　you'll　come？'

‘All　right；'　said　Bert；　‘and　I'll　bring　my　Pandoramer。'

‘What　is　it？　　Is　it　alive？'　asked　Frankie　with　a　puzzled　look。

‘Alive！　　No；　of　course　not；'　replied　Bert　with　a　superior　air。　　‘It's　a　show；　like　they　have　at　the　Hippodrome　or　the　Circus。'

‘How　big　is　it？'

‘Not　very　big：　it's　made　out　of　a　sugar…box。　　I　made　it　myself。　　It's　not　quite　finished　yet；　but　I　shall　get　it　done　this　week。　　There's　a　band　as　well；　you　know。　　I　do　that　part　with　this。'

‘This'　was　a　large　mouth　organ　which　he　produced　from　the　inner　pocket　of　his　coat。

‘Play　something　now。'

Bert　accordingly　played；　and　Frankie　sang　at　the　top　of　his　voice　a　selection　of　popular　songs；　including　‘The　Old　Bull　and　Bush'；　‘Has　Anyone　seen　a　German　Band？'；　‘Waiting　at　the　Church'　and　finally　…　possibly　as　a　dirge　for　the　individual　whose　coffin…plate　Owen　was　writing　…　‘Goodbye；　Mignonette'　and　‘I　wouldn't　leave　my　little　wooden　hut　for　you'。

‘You　don't　know　what's　in　that；'　said　Frankie；　referring　to　a　large　earthenware　bread…pan　which　Nora　had　just　asked　Owen　to　help　her　to　lift　from　the　floor　on　to　one　of　the　chairs。　　The　vessel　in　question　was　covered　with　a　clean　white　cloth。

‘Christmas　pudding；'　replied　Bert；　promptly。

‘Guessed　right　first　time！'　cried　Frankie。　　‘We　got　the　things　out　of　the　Christmas　Club　on　Saturday。　　We've　been　paying　in　ever　since　last　Christmas。　　We're　going　to　mix　it　now；　and　you　can　have　a　stir　too　if　you　like；　for　luck。'

Whilst　they　were　stirring　the　pudding；　Frankie　several　times　requested　the　others　to　feel　his　muscle：　he　said　he　felt　sure　that　he　would　soon　be　strong　enough　to　go　out　to　work；　and　he　explained　to　Bert　that　the　extraordinary　strength　he　possessed　was　to　be　attributed　to　the　fact　that　he　lived　almost　exclusively　on　porridge　and　milk。



For　the　rest　of　the　week；　Owen　continued　to　work　down　at　the　yard　with　Sawkins；　Crass；　and　Slynie；　painting　some　of　the　ladders；　steps　and　other　plant　belonging　to　the　firm。　　These　things　had　to　have　two　coats　of　paint　and　the　name　Rushton　&　Co。　written　on　them。　　As　soon　as　they　had　got　some　of　them　second…coated；　Owen　went　on　with　the　writing；　leaving　the　painting　for　the　others；　so　as　to　share　the　work　as　fairly　as　possible。　　Several　times　during　the　week　one　or　other　of　them　was　taken　away　to　do　some　other　work；　once　Crass　and　Slyme　had　to　go　and　wash　off　and　whiten　a　ceiling　somewhere；　and　several　times　Sawkins　was　sent　out　to　assist　the　plumbers。

Every　day　some　of　the　men　who　had　been　‘stood　off'　called　at　the　yard　to　ask　if　any　other　‘jobs'　had　‘come　in'。　　From　these　callers　they　heard　all　the　news。　　Old　Jack　Linden　had　not　succeeded　in　getting　anything　to　do　at　the　trade　since　he　was　discharged　from　Rushton's；　and　it　was　reported　that　he　was　trying　to　earn　a　little　money　by　hawking　bloaters　from　house　to　house。　　As　for　Philpot；　he　said　that　he　had　been　round　to　nearly　all　the　firms　in　the　town　and　none　of　them　had　any　work　to　speak　of。

Newman　…　the　man　whom　the　reader　will　remember　was　sacked　for　taking　too　much　pains　with　his　work　…　had　been　arrested　and　sentenced　to　a　month's　imprisonment　because　he　had　not　been　able　to　pay　his　poor　rates；　and　the　Board　of　Guardians　were　allowing　his　wife　three　shillings　a　week　to　maintain　herself　and　the　three　children。　　Philpot　had　been　to　see　them；　and　she　told　him　that　the　landlord　was　threatening　to　turn　them　into　the　street；　he　would　have　seized　their　furniture　and　sold　it　if　it　had　been　worth　the　expense　of　the　doing。

‘I　feel　ashamed　of　meself；'　Philpot　added　in　confidence　to　Owen；　‘when　I　think　of　all　the　money　I　chuck　away　on　beer。　　If　it　wasn't　for　that；　I　shouldn't　be　in　such　a　hole　meself　now；　and　I　might　be　able　to　lend　'em　a　'elpin'　'and。'

‘It　ain't　so　much　that　I　likes　the　beer；　you　know；'　he　continued；　‘it's　the　company。　　When　you　ain't　got　no　'ome；　in　a　manner　o'　speakin'；　like　me；　the　pub's　about　the　only　place　where　you　can　get　a　little　enjoyment。　　But　you　ain't　very　welcome　there　unless　you　spends　your　money。'

‘Is　the　three　shillings　all　they　have　to　live　on？'

‘I　think　she　goes　out　charin'　when　she　can　get　it；'　replied　Philpot；　‘but　I　don't　see　as　she　can　do　a　great　deal　o'　that　with　three　young　'uns　to　look　after；　and　from　what　I　hear　of　it　she's　only　just　got　over　a　illness　and　ain't　fit　to　do　much。'

‘My　God！'　said　Owen。

‘I'll　tell　you　what；'　said　Philpot。　　‘I've　been　thinking　we　might　get　up　a　bit　of　a　subscription　for　'em。　　There's　several　chaps　in　work　what　knows　Newman；　and　if　they　was　each　to　give　a　trifle　we　could　get　enough　to　pay　for　a　Christmas　dinner；　anyway。　　I've　brought　a　sheet　of　foolscap　with　me；　and　I　was　goin'　to　ask　you　to　write　out　the　heading　for　me。'

As　there　was　no　pen　available　at　the　workshop；　Philpot　waited　till　four　o'clock　and　then　accompanied　Owen　home；　where　the　heading　of　the　list　was　written。　　Owen　put　his　name　down　for　a　shilling　and　Philpot　his　for　a　similar　amount。

Philpot　stayed　to　tea　and　accepted　an　invitation　to　spend　Christmas　Day　with　them；　and　to　come　to　Frankie's　party　on　the　Monday　after。

The　next　morning　Philpot　brought　the　list　to　the　yard　and　Crass　and　Slyme　put　their　names　down　for　a　shilling　each；　and　Sawkins　for　threepence；　it　being　arranged　that　the　money　was　to　be　paid　on　payday　…　Christmas　Eve。　　In　the　meantime；　Philpot　was　to　see　as　many　as　he　could　of　those　who　were　in　work；　at　other　firms　and　get　as　many　subscriptions　as　possible。

At　pay…time　on　Christmas　Eve