novel notes-第13章

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〃The　plan　worked　exceedingly　well；　and　does　so；　my　cousin　tells　me；　to　this　day。　　The　drunken　father　has　completely　conquered　his　dislike　to　strong　drink。　　He　has　not　been　sober　now　for　over　three　weeks；　and　has　lately　taken　to　knocking　his　wife　about。　　The　disagreeable　fellow　is　most　conscientious　in　fulfilling　his　part　of　the　bargain；　and　makes　himself　a　perfect　curse　to　the　whole　village。　The　others　have　dropped　into　their　respective　positions　and　are　working　well。　　The　lady　visits　them　all　every　afternoon；　and　is　most　charitable。　　They　call　her　Lady　Bountiful；　and　everybody　blesses　her。〃

Brown　rose　as　he　finished　speaking；　and　mixed　himself　a　glass　of　whisky　and　water　with　the　self…satisfied　air　of　a　benevolent　man　about　to　reward　somebody　for　having　done　a　good　deed；　and　MacShaughnassy　lifted　up　his　voice　and　talked。

〃I　know　a　story　bearing　on　the　subject；　too；〃　he　said。　　〃It　happened　in　a　tiny　Yorkshire　villagea　peaceful；　respectable　spot；　where　folks　found　life　a　bit　slow。　　One　day；　however；　a　new　curate　arrived；　and　that　woke　things　up　considerably。　　He　was　a　nice　young　man；　and；　having　a　large　private　income　of　his　own；　was　altogether　a　most　desirable　catch。　　Every　unmarried　female　in　the　place　went　for　him　with　one　accord。

〃But　ordinary　feminine　blandishments　appeared　to　have　no　effect　upon　him。　　He　was　a　seriously　inclined　young　man；　and　once；　in　the　course　of　a　casual　conversation　upon　the　subject　of　love；　he　was　heard　to　say　that　he　himself　should　never　be　attracted　by　mere　beauty　and　charm。　　What　would　appeal　to　him；　he　said；　would　be　a　woman's　goodnessher　charity　and　kindliness　to　the　poor。

〃Well；　that　set　the　petticoats　all　thinking。　　They　saw　that　in　studying　fashion　plates　and　practising　expressions　they　had　been　going　upon　the　wrong　tack。　　The　card　for　them　to　play　was　'the　poor。'　　But　here　a　serious　difficulty　arose。　　There　was　only　one　poor　person　in　the　whole　parish；　a　cantankerous　old　fellow　who　lived　in　a　tumble…down　cottage　at　the　back　of　the　church；　and　fifteen　able…bodied　women　（eleven　girls；　three　old　maids；　and　a　widow）　wanted　to　be　'good'　to　him。

〃Miss　Simmonds；　one　of　the　old　maids；　got　hold　of　him　first；　and　commenced　feeding　him　twice　a　day　with　beef…tea；　and　then　the　widow　boarded　him　with　port　wine　and　oysters。　　Later　in　the　week　others　of　the　party　drifted　in　upon　him；　and　wanted　to　cram　him　with　jelly　and　chickens。

The　old　man　couldn't　understand　it。　　He　was　accustomed　to　a　small　sack　of　coals　now　and　then；　accompanied　by　a　long　lecture　on　his　sins；　and　an　occasional　bottle　of　dandelion　tea。　　This　sudden　spurt　on　the　part　of　Providence　puzzled　him。　　He　said　nothing；　however；　but　continued　to　take　in　as　much　of　everything　as　he　could　hold。　　At　the　end　of　a　month　he　was　too　fat　to　get　through　his　own　back　door。

〃The　competition　among　the　women…folk　grew　keener　every　day；　and　at　last　the　old　man　began　to　give　himself　airs；　and　to　make　the　place　hard　for　them。　　He　made　them　clean　his　cottage　out；　and　cook　his　meals；　and　when　he　was　tired　of　having　them　about　the　house；　he　set　them　to　work　in　the　garden。

〃They　grumbled　a　good　deal；　and　there　was　a　talk　at　one　time　of　a　sort　of　a　strike；　but　what　could　they　do？　　He　was　the　only　pauper　for　miles　round；　and　knew　it。　　He　had　the　monopoly；　and；　like　all　monopolises；　he　abused　his　position。

〃He　made　them　run　errands。　　He　sent　them　out　to　buy　his　'baccy；'　at　their　own　expense。　　On　one　occasion　he　sent　Miss　Simmonds　out　with　a　jug　to　get　his　supper　beer。　　She　indignantly　refused　at　first；　but　he　told　her　that　if　she　gave　him　any　of　her　stuck…up　airs　out　she　would　go；　and　never　come　into　his　house　again。　　If　she　wouldn't　do　it　there　were　plenty　of　others　who　would。　　She　knew　it　and　went。

〃They　had　been　in　the　habit　of　reading　to　himgood　books　with　an　elevating　tendency。　　But　now　he　put　his　foot　down　upon　that　sort　of　thing。　　He　said　he　didn't　want　Sunday…school　rubbish　at　his　time　of　life。　　What　he　liked　was　something　spicy。　　And　he　made　them　read　him　French　novels　and　sea…faring　tales；　containing　realistic　language。　And　they　didn't　have　to　skip　anything　either；　or　he'd　know　the　reason　why。

〃He　said　he　liked　music；　so　a　few　of　them　clubbed　together　and　bought　him　a　harmonium。　　Their　idea　was　that　they　would　sing　hymns　and　play　high…class　melodies；　but　it　wasn't　his。　　His　idea　was　'Keeping　up　the　old　girl's　birthday'　and　'She　winked　the　other　eye；'　with　chorus　and　skirt　dance；　and　that's　what　they　sang。

〃To　what　lengths　his　tyranny　would　have　gone　it　is　difficult　to　say；　had　not　an　event　happened　that　brought　his　power　to　a　premature　collapse。　　This　was　the　curate's　sudden　and　somewhat　unexpected　marriage　with　a　very　beautiful　burlesque　actress　who　had　lately　been　performing　in　a　neighbouring　town。　　He　gave　up　the　Church　on　his　engagement；　in　consequence　of　his　fiancee's　objection　to　becoming　a　minister's　wife。　　She　said　she　could　never　'tumble　to'　the　district　visiting。

〃With　the　curate's　wedding　the　old　pauper's　brief　career　of　prosperity　ended。　　They　packed　him　off　to　the　workhouse　after　that；　and　made　him　break　stones。〃


At　the　end　of　the　telling　of　his　tale；　MacShaughnassy　lifted　his　feet　off　the　mantelpiece；　and　set　to　work　to　wake　up　his　legs；　and　Jephson　took　a　hand；　and　began　to　spin　us　stories。

But　none　of　us　felt　inclined　to　laugh　at　Jephson's　stories；　for　they　dealt　not　with　the　goodness　of　the　rich　to　the　poor；　which　is　a　virtue　yielding　quick　and　highly　satisfactory　returns；　but　with　the　goodness　of　the　poor　to　the　poor；　a　somewhat　less　remunerative　investment　and　a　different　matter　altogether。

For　the　poor　themselvesI　do　not　mean　the　noisy　professional　poor；　but　the　silent；　fighting　poorone　is　bound　to　feel　a　genuine　respect。　　One　honours　them；　as　one　honours　a　wounded　soldier。

In　the　perpetual　warfare　between　Humanity　and　Nature；　the　poor　stand　always　in　the　van。　　They　die　in　the　ditches；　and　we　march　over　their　bodies　with　the　flags　flying　and　the　drums　playing。

One　cannot　think　of　them　without　an　uncomfortable　feeling　that　one　ought　to　be　a　little　bit　ashamed　of　living　in　security　and　ease；　leaving　them　to　take　all　the　hard　blows。　　It　is　as　if　one　were　always　skulking　in　the　tents；　while　one's　comrades　were　fighting　and　dying　in　the　front。

They　bleed　and　fall　in　silence　there。　　Nature　with　her　terrible　club；　〃Survival　of　the　Fittest〃；　and　Civilisation　with　her　cruel　sword；　〃Supply　and　Demand；〃　beat　them　back；　and　they　give　way　inch　by　inch；　fighting　to　the　end。　　But　it　is　in　a　dumb；　sullen　way；　that　is　not　sufficiently　picturesque　to　be　heroic。

I　remember　seeing　an　old　bull…dog；　one　Saturday　night；　lying　on　the　doorstep　of　a　small　shop　in　the　New　Cut。　　He　lay　there　very　quiet；　and　seemed　a　bit　sleepy；　and；　as　he　looked　savage；　nobody　disturbed　him。　　People　stepped　in　and　out　over　him；　and　occasionally　in　doing　so；　one　would　accidentally　kick　him；　and　then　he　would　breathe　a　little　harder　and　quicker。

At　last　a　passer…by；　feeling　something　wet　beneath　his　feet；　looked　down；　and　found　that　he　was　standing　in　a　pool　of　blood；　and；　looking　to　see　where　it　came　from；　found　that　it　flowed　in　a　thick；　dark　stream　from　the　step　on　which　the　dog　was　lying。

Then　he　stooped　down　and　examined　the　dog；　and　the　dog　opened　its　eyes　sleepily　and　looked　at　him；　gave　a　grin　which　may　have　implied　pleasure；　or　may　have　implied　irritation　at　being　disturbed；　and　died。

A　crowd　collected；　and　they　turned　the　dead　body　of　the　dog　over　on　its　side；　and　saw　a　fearful　gash　in　the　groin；　out　of　which　oozed　blood；　and　other　things。　　The　proprietor　of　the　shop　said　the　animal　had　been　there　for　over　an　hour。

I　have　known　the　poor　to　die　in　that　same　grim；　silent　waynot　the　poor　that　you；　my　delicately…gloved　Lady　Bountiful　and　my　very　excellent　Sir　Simon　DoGood；　know；　or　that　you　would　care　to　know；　not　the　poor　who　march　in　processions　with　banners　and　collection…　boxes；　not　the　poor　that　clamour　round　your　soup　kitchens　and　sing　hymns　at　your　tea　meetings；　but　the　poor　that　you　don't　know　are　poor　until　the　tale　is　told　at　the　coroner's　inquestthe　silent；　proud　poor　who　wake　each　morning　to　wrestle　with　Death　till　night…　time；　and　who；　when　at　last　he　overcomes　them；　and；　forcing　them　down　on　the　r