the uncommercial traveller-第55章

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new…comer　got　served；　was　remarkable；　and　the　dexterity　with　which

the　waitresses　（quite　new　to　the　art　a　month　before）　discharged

their　duty；　was　as　agreeable　to　see；　as　the　neat　smartness　with

which　they　wore　their　dress　and　had　dressed　their　hair。



If　I　seldom　saw　better　waiting；　so　I　certainly　never　ate　better

meat；　potatoes；　or　pudding。　　And　the　soup　was　an　honest　and　stout

soup；　with　rice　and　barley　in　it；　and　'little　matters　for　the　teeth

to　touch；'　as　had　been　observed　to　me　by　my　friend　below　stairs

already　quoted。　　The　dinner…service；　too；　was　neither　conspicuously

hideous　for　High　Art　nor　for　Low　Art；　but　was　of　a　pleasant　and

pure　appearance。　　Concerning　the　viands　and　their　cookery；　one　last

remark。　　I　dined　at　my　club　in　Pall…Mall　aforesaid；　a　few　days

afterwards；　for　exactly　twelve　times　the　money；　and　not　half　as

well。



The　company　thickened　after　one　o'clock　struck；　and　changed　pretty

quickly。　　Although　experience　of　the　place　had　been　so　recently

attainable；　and　although　there　was　still　considerable　curiosity　out

in　the　street　and　about　the　entrance；　the　general　tone　was　as　good

as　could　be；　and　the　customers　fell　easily　into　the　ways　of　the

place。　　It　was　clear　to　me；　however；　that　they　were　there　to　have

what　they　paid　for；　and　to　be　on　an　independent　footing。　　To　the

best　of　my　judgment；　they　might　be　patronised　out　of　the　building

in　a　month。　　With　judicious　visiting；　and　by　dint　of　being

questioned；　read　to；　and　talked　at；　they　might　even　be　got　rid　of

（for　the　next　quarter　of　a　century）　in　half　the　time。



This　disinterested　and　wise　movement　is　fraught　with　so　many

wholesome　changes　in　the　lives　of　the　working　people；　and　with　so

much　good　in　the　way　of　overcoming　that　suspicion　which　our　own

unconscious　impertinence　has　engendered；　that　it　is　scarcely

gracious　to　criticise　details　as　yet；　the　rather；　because　it　is

indisputable　that　the　managers　of　the　Whitechapel　establishment

most　thoroughly　feel　that　they　are　upon　their　honour　with　the

customers；　as　to　the　minutest　points　of　administration。　　But；

although　the　American　stoves　cannot　roast；　they　can　surely　boil　one

kind　of　meat　as　well　as　another；　and　need　not　always　circumscribe

their　boiling　talents　within　the　limits　of　ham　and　beef。　　The　most

enthusiastic　admirer　of　those　substantials；　would　probably　not

object　to　occasional　inconstancy　in　respect　of　pork　and　mutton：

or；　especially　in　cold　weather；　to　a　little　innocent　trifling　with

Irish　stews；　meat　pies；　and　toads　in　holes。　　Another　drawback　on

the　Whitechapel　establishment；　is　the　absence　of　beer。　　Regarded

merely　as　a　question　of　policy；　it　is　very　impolitic；　as　having　a

tendency　to　send　the　working　men　to　the　public…house；　where　gin　is

reported　to　be　sold。　　But；　there　is　a　much　higher　ground　on　which

this　absence　of　beer　is　objectionable。　　It　expresses　distrust　of

the　working　man。　　It　is　a　fragment　of　that　old　mantle　of　patronage

in　which　so　many　estimable　Thugs；　so　darkly　wandering　up　and　down

the　moral　world；　are　sworn　to　muffle　him。　　Good　beer　is　a　good

thing　for　him；　he　says；　and　he　likes　it；　the　Depot　could　give　it

him　good；　and　he　now　gets　it　bad。　　Why　does　the　Depot　not　give　it

him　good？　　Because　he　would　get　drunk。　　Why　does　the　Depot　not　let

him　have　a　pint　with　his　dinner；　which　would　not　make　him　drunk？

Because　he　might　have　had　another　pint；　or　another　two　pints；

before　he　came。　　Now；　this　distrust　is　an　affront；　is　exceedingly

inconsistent　with　the　confidence　the　managers　express　in　their

hand…bills；　and　is　a　timid　stopping…short　upon　the　straight

highway。　　It　is　unjust　and　unreasonable；　also。　　It　is　unjust；

because　it　punishes　the　sober　man　for　the　vice　of　the　drunken　man。

It　is　unreasonable；　because　any　one　at　all　experienced　in　such

things　knows　that　the　drunken　workman　does　not　get　drunk　where　he

goes　to　eat　and　drink；　but　where　he　goes　to　drink　…　expressly　to

drink。　　To　suppose　that　the　working　man　cannot　state　this　question

to　himself　quite　as　plainly　as　I　state　it　here；　is　to　suppose　that

he　is　a　baby；　and　is　again　to　tell　him　in　the　old　wearisome；

condescending；　patronising　way　that　he　must　be　goody…poody；　and　do

as　he　is　toldy…poldy；　and　not　be　a　manny…panny　or　a　voter…poter；

but　fold　his　handy…pandys；　and　be　a　childy…pildy。



I　found　from　the　accounts　of　the　Whitechapel　Self…Supporting

Cooking　Depot；　that　every　article　sold　in　it；　even　at　the　prices　I

have　quoted；　yields　a　certain　small　profit！　　Individual　speculators

are　of　course　already　in　the　field；　and　are　of　course　already

appropriating　the　name。　　The　classes　for　whose　benefit　the　real

depots　are　designed；　will　distinguish　between　the　two　kinds　of

enterprise。







CHAPTER　XXVI　…　CHATHAM　DOCKYARD







There　are　some　small　out…of…the…way　landing　places　on　the　Thames

and　the　Medway；　where　I　do　much　of　my　summer　idling。　　Running　water

is　favourable　to　day…dreams；　and　a　strong　tidal　river　is　the　best

of　running　water　for　mine。　　I　like　to　watch　the　great　ships

standing　out　to　sea　or　coming　home　richly　laden；　the　active　little

steam…tugs　confidently　puffing　with　them　to　and　from　the　sea…

horizon；　the　fleet　of　barges　that　seem　to　have　plucked　their　brown

and　russet　sails　from　the　ripe　trees　in　the　landscape；　the　heavy

old　colliers；　light　in　ballast；　floundering　down　before　the　tide；

the　light　screw　barks　and　schooners　imperiously　holding　a　straight

course　while　the　others　patiently　tack　and　go　about；　the　yachts

with　their　tiny　hulls　and　great　white　sheets　of　canvas；　the　little

sailing…boats　bobbing　to　and　fro　on　their　errands　of　pleasure　or

business；　and　…　as　it　is　the　nature　of　little　people　to　do　…　making

a　prodigious　fuss　about　their　small　affairs。　　Watching　these

objects；　I　still　am　under　no　obligation　to　think　about　them；　or

even　so　much　as　to　see　them；　unless　it　perfectly　suits　my　humour。

As　little　am　I　obliged　to　hear　the　plash　and　flop　of　the　tide；　the

ripple　at　my　feet；　the　clinking　windlass　afar　off；　or　the　humming

steam…ship　paddles　further　away　yet。　　These；　with　the　creaking

little　jetty　on　which　I　sit；　and　the　gaunt　high…water　marks　and

low…water　marks　in　the　mud；　and　the　broken　causeway；　and　the　broken

bank；　and　the　broken　stakes　and　piles　leaning　forward　as　if　they

were　vain　of　their　personal　appearance　and　looking　for　their

reflection　in　the　water；　will　melt　into　any　train　of　fancy。

Equally　adaptable　to　any　purpose　or　to　none；　are　the　posturing

sheep　and　kine　upon　the　marshes；　the　gulls　that　wheel　and　dip

around　me；　the　crows　（well　out　of　gunshot）　going　home　from　the　rich

harvest…fields；　the　heron　that　has　been　out　a…fishing　and　looks　as

melancholy；　up　there　in　the　sky；　as　if　it　hadn't　agreed　with　him。

Everything　within　the　range　of　the　senses　will；　by　the　aid　of　the

running　water；　lend　itself　to　everything　beyond　that　range；　and

work　into　a　drowsy　whole；　not　unlike　a　kind　of　tune；　but　for　which

there　is　no　exact　definition。



One　of　these　landing…places　is　near　an　old　fort　（I　can　see　the　Nore

Light　from　it　with　my　pocket…glass）；　from　which　fort　mysteriously

emerges　a　boy；　to　whom　I　am　much　indebted　for　additions　to　my

scanty　stock　of　knowledge。　　He　is　a　young　boy；　with　an　intelligent

face　burnt　to　a　dust　colour　by　the　summer　sun；　and　with　crisp　hair

of　the　same　hue。　　He　is　a　boy　in　whom　I　have　perceived　nothing

incompatible　with　habits　of　studious　inquiry　and　meditation；　unless

an　evanescent　black　eye　（I　was　delicate　of　inquiring　how

occasioned）　should　be　so　considered。　　To　him　am　I　indebted　for

ability　to　identify　a　Custom…house　boat　at　any　distance；　and　for

acquaintance　with　all　the　forms　and　ceremonies　observed　by　a

homeward…bound　Indiaman　coming　up　the　river；　when　the　Custom…house

officers　go　aboard　her。　　But　for　him；　I　might　never　have　heard　of

'the　dumb…ague；'　respecting　which　malady　I　am　now　learned。　　Had　I

never　sat　at　his　feet；　I　might　have　finished　my　mortal　career　and

never　known　that　when　I　see　a　white　horse　on　a　barge's　sail；　that

barge　is　a　lime　barge。　　For　precious　secrets　in　reference　to　beer；

am　I　likewise　beholden　to　him；　involving　warning　against　the　beer

of　a　certain　establishment；　by　reason　of　its　having　turned　sour

through　failure　in　point　of　demand：　　though　my　young　sage　is　not　of

opinion　that　similar　deterioration　has　befallen　the　ale。　　He　has

also　enlightened　me　touching　the　mushrooms　of　the　marshes；　and　has

gently　reproved　my　ignorance　in　having　supposed　them　to　be

impregnated　with　salt。　　His　manner　of　imparting　information；　is

thoughtful；　and　appropriate　to　the　scene。　　As　he　reclines　beside

me；　he　pitches　into　the　river；　a　little　stone　or　piece　of　grit；　and

then　delivers　himself　oracularly；　as　though　he　spoke　out　of　the

centre　of　the　spreading　circle　that　it　makes　in　the　water。　　He

never　improves　my　mind　without　observing　this　formula。



With　the　wise　boy　…　whom　I　know　by　no　other　name　than　the　Spirit　of

the　Fort　…　I　recently　consorted　on　a　breezy　day　when　the　river

leaped　about　us　and　was　full　of　life。　　I　had　seen　the　sheaved　corn

carrying　in　the　golden　fields　as　I　came　down　to　the　river；　and　the

rosy　farmer；　watching　his　labouring…men　in　the　saddle　on　his　cob；

had　told　me　how　he　had　reaped　his　two　hundred　and　sixty　acres　of

long…strawed　corn　last　week；　and　how　a　better　week's　work　he　had

never　done　in　all　his　days。　　Peace　and　abundance　were　on　the

country…side　in　beautiful　forms　and　beautiful　colours；　and　the

harvest　seemed　even　to　be　sailing　out　to　grace　the　never…reaped　sea

in　the　yellow…laden　barges　that　mellowed　the　distance。



It　was　on　this　occasion　that　the　Spirit　of　the　Fort；　directing　his

remarks　to　a　certain　floating　iron　battery　lately　lying　in　that

reach　of　the　river；　enriched　my　mind　with　his　opinions　on　naval

architecture；　and　informed　me　that　he　would　like　to　be　an　engineer。

I　found　him　up　to　everything　that　is　done　in　the　contracting　line

by　Messrs。　Peto　and　Brassey　…　cunning　in　the　article　of　concrete　…

mellow　in　the　matter　of　iron　…　great　on　the　subject　of　gunnery。

When　he　spoke　of　pile…driving　and　sluice…making；　he　left　me　not　a

leg　to　stand　on；　and　I　can　never　sufficiently　acknowledge　his

forbearance　with　me　in　my　disabled　state。　　While　he　thus

discoursed；　he　several　times　directed　his　eyes　to　one　distant

quarter　of　the　landscape；　and　spoke　with　vague　mysterious　awe　of

'the　Yard。'　　Pondering　his　lessons　after　we　had　parted；　I　bethought

me　that　the　Yard　was　one　of　our　large　public　Dockyards；　and　that　it

lay　hidden　among　the　crops　down　in　the　dip　behind　the　windmills；　as

if　it　modestly　kept　itself　out　of　view　in　peaceful　times；　and

sought　to　trouble　no　man。　　Taken　with　this　modesty　on　the　part　of

the　Yard；　I　resolved　to　improve　the　Yard's　acquaintance。



My　good　opinion　of　the　Yard's　retiring　character　was　not　dashed　by

nearer　approach。　　It　resounded　with　the　noise　of　hammers　beating

upon　iron；　and　the　great　sheds　or　slips　under　which　the　mighty　men