the ragged trousered philanthropists-第90章

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Elsie　and　Charley　frequently　went　to　Owen's　house　to　take　tea　with　Frankie；　in　fact；　whilst　Owen　had　anything　to　do；　they　almost　lived　there；　for　both　Owen　and　Nora；　knowing　that　the　Lindens　had　nothing　to　live　on　except　the　earnings　of　the　young　woman；　encouraged　the　children　to　come　often。

Old　Jack　made　some　hopeless　attempts　to　get　work　…　work　of　any　kind；　but　nobody　wanted　him；　and　to　make　things　worse；　his　eyesight；　which　had　been　failing　for　a　long　time；　became　very　bad。　　Once　he　was　given　a　job　by　a　big　provision　firm　to　carry　an　advertisement　about　the　streets。　　The　man　who　had　been　carrying　it　before　…　an　old　soldier　…　had　been　sacked　the　previous　day　for　getting　drunk　while　on　duty。　　The　advertisement　was　not　an　ordinary　pair　of　sandwich　boards；　but　a　sort　of　box　without　any　bottom　or　lid；　a　wooden　frame；　four　sides　covered　with　canvas；　an　which　were　pasted　printed　bills　advertising　margarine。　Each　side　of　this　box　or　frame　was　rather　larger　than　an　ordinary　sandwich　board。

Old　Linden　had　to　get　inside　this　thing　and　carry　it　about　the　streets；　two　straps　fixed　across　the　top　of　the　frame　and　passing　one　over　each　of　his　shoulders　enabled　him　to　carry　it。　　It　swayed　about　a　good　deal　as　he　walked　along；　especially　when　the　wind　caught　it；　but　there　were　two　handles　inside　to　hold　it　steady　by。　　The　pay　was　eighteenpence　a　day；　and　he　had　to　travel　a　certain　route；　up　and　down　the　busiest　streets。

At　first　the　frame　did　not　feel　very　heavy；　but　the　weight　seemed　to　increase　as　the　time　went　on；　and　the　straps　hurt　his　shoulders。　　He　felt　very　much　ashamed；　also；　whenever　he　encountered　any　of　his　old　mates；　some　of　whom　laughed　at　him。

In　consequence　of　the　frame　requiring　so　much　attention　to　keep　it　steady；　and　being　unused　to　the　work；　and　his　sight　so　bad；　he　several　times　narrowly　escaped　being　run　over。　　Another　thing　that　added　to　his　embarrassment　was　the　jeering　of　the　other　sandwichmen；　the　loafers　outside　the　public　houses；　and　the　boys；　who　shouted　‘old　Jack　in　the　box'　after　him。　　Sometimes　the　boys　threw　refuse　at　the　frame；　and　once　a　decayed　orange　thrown　by　one　of　them　knocked　his　hat　off。

By　the　time　evening　came　he　was　scarcely　able　to　stand　for　weariness。　His　shoulders；　his　legs　and　his　feet　ached　terribly；　and　as　he　was　taking　the　thing　back　to　the　shop　he　was　accosted　by　a　ragged；　dirty…　looking；　beer…sodden　old　man　whose　face　was　inflamed　with　drink　and　fury。　　‘This　was　the　old　soldier　who　had　been　discharged　the　previous　day。　　He　cursed　and　swore　in　the　most　awful　manner　and　accused　Linden　of　‘taking　the　bread　out　of　his　mouth'；　and；　shaking　his　fist　fiercely　at　him；　shouted　that　he　had　a　good　mind　to　knock　his　face　through　his　head　and　out　of　the　back　of　his　neck。　　He　might　possibly　have　tried　to　put　this　threat　into　practice　but　for　the　timely　appearance　of　a　policeman；　when　he　calmed　down　at　once　and　took　himself　off。

Jack　did　not　go　back　the　next　day；　he　felt　that　he　would　rather　starve　than　have　any　more　of　the　advertisement　frame；　and　after　this　he　seemed　to　abandon　all　hope　of　earning　money：　wherever　he　went　it　was　the　same　…　no　one　wanted　him。　　So　he　just　wandered　about　the　streets　aimlessly；　now　and　then　meeting　an　old　workmate　who　asked　him　to　have　a　drink；　but　this　was　not　often；　for　nearly　all　of　them　were　out　of　work　and　penniless。



Chapter　33

The　Soldier's　Children


During　most　of　this　time；　Jack　Linden's　daughter…in…law　had　‘Plenty　of　Work'；　making　blouses　and　pinafores　for　Sweater　&　Co。　　She　had　so　much　to　do　that　one　might　have　thought　that　the　Tory　Millennium　had　arrived；　and　that　Tariff　Reform　was　already　an　accomplished　fact。

She　had　Plenty　of　Work。

At　first　they　had　employed　her　exclusively　on　the　cheapest　kind　of　blouses　…　those　that　were　paid　for　at　the　rate　of　two　shillings　a　dozen；　but　they　did　not　give　her　many　of　that　sort　now。　　She　did　the　work　so　neatly　that　they　kept　her　busy　on　the　better　qualities；　which　did　not　pay　her　so　well；　because　although　she　was　paid　more　per　dozen；　there　was　a　great　deal　more　work　in　them　than　in　the　cheaper　kinds。　Once　she　had　a　very　special　one　to　make；　for　which　she　was　paid　six　shillings；　but　it　took　her　four　and　a　half　days　…　working　early　and　late　…　to　do　it。　　The　lady　who　bought　this　blouse　was　told　that　it　came　from　Paris；　and　paid　three　guineas　for　it。　　But　of　course　Mrs　Linden　knew　nothing　of　that；　and　even　if　she　had　known；　it　would　have　made　no　difference　to　her。

Most　of　the　money　she　earned　went　to　pay　the　rent；　and　sometimes　there　was　only　two　or　three　shillings　left　to　buy　food　for　all　of　them：　sometimes　not　even　so　much；　because　although　she　had　Plenty　of　Work　she　was　not　always　able　to　do　it。　　There　were　times　when　the　strain　of　working　the　machine　was　unendurable：　her　shoulders　ached；　her　arms　became　cramped；　and　her　eyes　pained　so　that　it　was　impossible　to　continue。　　Then　for　a　change　she　would　leave　the　sewing　and　do　some　housework。

Once；　when　they　owed　four　weeks'　rent；　the　agent　was　so　threatening　that　they　were　terrified　at　the　thought　of　being　sold　up　and　turned　out　of　the　house；　and　so　she　decided　to　sell　the　round　mahogany　table　and　some　of　the　other　things　out　of　the　sitting…room。　　Nearly　all　the　furniture　that　was　in　the　house　now　belonged　to　her；　and　had　formed　her　home　before　her　husband　died。　　The　old　people　had　given　most　of　their　things　away　at　different　times　to　their　other　sons　since　she　had　come　to　live　there。　　These　men　were　all　married　and　all　in　employment。　One　was　a　fitter　at　the　gasworks；　the　second　was　a　railway　porter；　and　the　other　was　a　butcher；　but　now　that　the　old　man　was　out　of　work　they　seldom　came　to　the　house。　　The　last　time　they　had　been　there　was　on　Christmas　Eve；　and　then　there　had　been　such　a　terrible　row　between　them　that　the　children　had　been　awakened　by　it　and　frightened　nearly　out　of　their　lives。　　The　cause　of　the　row　was　that　some　time　previously　they　had　mutually　agreed　to　each　give　a　shilling　a　week　to　the　old　people。　　They　had　done　this　for　three　weeks　and　after　that　the　butcher　had　stopped　his　contribution：　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　he　was　not　to　be　expected　to　help　to　keep　his　brother's　widow　and　her　children。　　If　the　old　people　liked　to　give　up　the　house　and　go　to　live　in　a　room　somewhere　by　themselves；　he　would　continue　paying　his　shilling　a　week；　but　not　otherwise。　　Upon　this　the　railway　porter　and　the　gas…fitter　also　ceased　paying。　　They　said　it　wasn't　fair　that　they　should　pay　a　shilling　a　week　each　when　the　butcher　…　who　was　the　eldest　and　earned　the　best　wages　…　paid　nothing。　　Provided　he　paid；　they　would　pay；　but　if　he　didn't　pay　anything；　neither　would　they。　　On　Christmas　Eve　they　all　happened　to　come　to　the　house　at　the　same　time；　each　denounced　the　others；　and　after　nearly　coming　to　blows　they　all　went　away　raging　and　cursing　and　had　not　been　near　the　place　since。

As　soon　as　she　decided　to　sell　the　things；　Mary　went　to　Didlum's　second…hand　furniture　store；　and　the　manager　said　he　would　ask　Mr　Didlum　to　call　and　see　the　table　and　other　articles。　　She　waited　anxiously　all　the　morning；　but　he　did　not　appear；　so　she　went　once　more　to　the　shop　to　remind　him。　　When　he　did　come　at　last　he　was　very　contemptuous　of　the　table　and　of　everything　else　she　offered　to　sell。　Five　shillings　was　the　very　most　he　could　think　of　giving　for　the　table；　and　even　then　he　doubted　whether　he　would　ever　get　his　money　back。　　Eventually　he　gave　her　thirty　shillings　for　the　table；　the　overmantel；　the　easy　chair；　three　other　chairs　and　the　two　best　pictures　…　one　a　large　steel　engraving　of　‘The　Good　Samaritan'　and　the　other　‘Christ　Blessing　Little　Children'。

He　paid　the　money　at　once；　half　an　hour　afterwards　the　van　came　to　take　the　things　away；　and　when　they　were　gone；　Mary　sank　down　on　the　hearthrug　in　the　wrecked　room　and　sobbed　as　if　her　heart　would　break。

This　was　the　first　of　several　similar　transactions。　　Slowly；　piece　by　piece；　in　order　to　buy　food　and　to　pay　the　rent；　the　furniture　was　sold。　　Every　time　Didlum　came　he　affected　to　be　doing　them　a　very　great　favour　by　buying　the　things　at　all。　　Almost　an　act　of　charity。　He　did　not　want　them。　　Business　was　so　bad：　it　might　be　years　before　he　could　sell　them　again；　and　so　on。　　Once　or　twice