the uncommercial traveller-第68章

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on　the　sea　to　that　surprising　extent　that　she　looks　within　an　ace

of　washing　aboard　of　us；　high　and　dry。　　Roared　at　with　contumely　to

the　last；　this　wretched　tender　is　at　length　let　go；　with　a　final

plunge　of　great　ignominy；　and　falls　spinning　into　our　wake。



The　voice　of　conscience　resumed　its　dominion　as　the　day　climbed　up

the　sky；　and　kept　by　all　of　us　passengers　into　port；　kept　by　us　as


we　passed　other　lighthouses；　and　dangerous　islands　off　the　coast；

where　some　of　the　officers；　with　whom　I　stood　my　watch；　had　gone

ashore　in　sailing…ships　in　fogs　（and　of　which　by　that　token　they

seemed　to　have　quite　an　affectionate　remembrance）；　and　past　the

Welsh　coast；　and　past　the　Cheshire　coast；　and　past　everything　and

everywhere　lying　between　our　ship　and　her　own　special　dock　in　the

Mersey。　　Off　which；　at　last；　at　nine　of　the　clock；　on　a　fair

evening　early　in　May；　we　stopped；　and　the　voice　ceased。　　A　very

curious　sensation；　not　unlike　having　my　own　ears　stopped；　ensued

upon　that　silence；　and　it　was　with　a　no　less　curious　sensation　that

I　went　over　the　side　of　the　good　Cunard　ship　'Russia'　（whom

prosperity　attend　through　all　her　voyages！）　and　surveyed　the　outer

hull　of　the　gracious　monster　that　the　voice　had　inhabited。　　So；

perhaps；　shall　we　all；　in　the　spirit；　one　day　survey　the　frame　that

held　the　busier　voice　from　which　my　vagrant　fancy　derived　this

similitude。







CHAPTER　XXXII　…　A　SMALL　STAR　IN　THE　EAST







I　had　been　looking；　yesternight；　through　the　famous　'Dance　of

Death；'　and　to…day　the　grim　old　woodcuts　arose　in　my　mind　with　the

new　significance　of　a　ghastly　monotony　not　to　be　found　in　the

original。　　The　weird　skeleton　rattled　along　the　streets　before　me；

and　struck　fiercely；　but　it　was　never　at　the　pains　of　assuming　a

disguise。　　It　played　on　no　dulcimer　here；　was　crowned　with　no

flowers；　waved　no　plume；　minced　in　no　flowing　robe　or　train；　lifted

no　wine…cup；　sat　at　no　feast；　cast　no　dice；　counted　no　gold。　　It

was　simply　a　bare；　gaunt；　famished　skeleton；　slaying　his　way　along。



The　borders　of　Ratcliff　and　Stepney；　eastward　of　London；　and　giving

on　the　impure　river；　were　the　scene　of　this　uncompromising　dance　of

death；　upon　a　drizzling　November　day。　　A　squalid　maze　of　streets；

courts；　and　alleys　of　miserable　houses　let　out　in　single　rooms。　　A

wilderness　of　dirt；　rags；　and　hunger。　　A　mud…desert；　chiefly

inhabited　by　a　tribe　from　whom　employment　has　departed；　or　to　whom

it　comes　but　fitfully　and　rarely。　　They　are　not　skilled　mechanics

in　any　wise。　　They　are　but　labourers；　…　dock…labourers；　water…side

labourers；　coal…porters；　ballast…heavers；　such…like　hewers　of　wood

and　drawers　of　water。　　But　they　have　come　into　existence；　and　they

propagate　their　wretched　race。



One　grisly　joke　alone；　methought；　the　skeleton　seemed　to　play　off

here。　　It　had　stuck　election…bills　on　the　walls；　which　the　wind　and

rain　had　deteriorated　into　suitable　rags。　　It　had　even　summed　up

the　state　of　the　poll；　in　chalk；　on　the　shutters　of　one　ruined

house。　　It　adjured　the　free　and　independent　starvers　to　vote　for

Thisman　and　vote　for　Thatman；　not　to　plump；　as　they　valued　the

state　of　parties　and　the　national　prosperity　（both　of　great

importance　to　them；　I　think）；　but；　by　returning　Thisman　and

Thatman；　each　naught　without　the　other；　to　compound　a　glorious　and

immortal　whole。　　Surely　the　skeleton　is　nowhere　more　cruelly

ironical　in　the　original　monkish　idea！



Pondering　in　my　mind　the　far…seeing　schemes　of　Thisman　and　Thatman；

and　of　the　public　blessing　called　Party；　for　staying　the

degeneracy；　physical　and　moral；　of　many　thousands　（who　shall　say

how　many？）　of　the　English　race；　for　devising　employment　useful　to

the　community　for　those　who　want　but　to　work　and　live；　for

equalising　rates；　cultivating　waste　lands；　facilitating　emigration；

and；　above　all　things；　saving　and　utilising　the　oncoming

generations；　and　thereby　changing　ever…growing　national　weakness

into　strength：　　pondering　in　my　mind；　I　say；　these　hopeful

exertions；　I　turned　down　a　narrow　street　to　look　into　a　house　or

two。



It　was　a　dark　street　with　a　dead　wall　on　one　side。　　Nearly　all　the

outer　doors　of　the　houses　stood　open。　　I　took　the　first　entry；　and

knocked　at　a　parlour…door。　　Might　I　come　in？　　I　might；　if　I　plased；

sur。



The　woman　of　the　room　（Irish）　had　picked　up　some　long　strips　of

wood；　about　some　wharf　or　barge；　and　they　had　just　now　been　thrust

into　the　otherwise　empty　grate　to　make　two　iron　pots　boil。　　There

was　some　fish　in　one；　and　there　were　some　potatoes　in　the　other。

The　flare　of　the　burning　wood　enabled　me　to　see　a　table；　and　a

broken　chair　or　so；　and　some　old　cheap　crockery　ornaments　about　the

chimney…piece。　　It　was　not　until　I　had　spoken　with　the　woman　a　few

minutes；　that　I　saw　a　horrible　brown　heap　on　the　floor　in　a　corner；

which；　but　for　previous　experience　in　this　dismal　wise；　I　might　not

have　suspected　to　be　'the　bed。'　　There　was　something　thrown　upon

it；　and　I　asked　what　that　was。



''Tis　the　poor　craythur　that　stays　here；　sur；　and　'tis　very　bad　she

is；　and　'tis　very　bad　she's　been　this　long　time；　and　'tis　better

she'll　never　be；　and　'tis　slape　she　does　all　day；　and　'tis　wake　she

does　all　night；　and　'tis　the　lead；　sur。'



'The　what？'



'The　lead；　sur。　　Sure　'tis　the　lead…mills；　where　the　women　gets

took　on　at　eighteen…pence　a　day；　sur；　when　they　makes　application

early　enough；　and　is　lucky　and　wanted；　and　'tis　lead…pisoned　she

is；　sur；　and　some　of　them　gets　lead…pisoned　soon；　and　some　of　them

gets　lead…pisoned　later；　and　some；　but　not　many；　niver；　and　'tis

all　according　to　the　constitooshun；　sur；　and　some　constitooshuns　is

strong；　and　some　is　weak；　and　her　constitooshun　is　lead…pisoned；

bad　as　can　be；　sur；　and　her　brain　is　coming　out　at　her　ear；　and　it

hurts　her　dreadful；　and　that's　what　it　is；　and　niver　no　more；　and

niver　no　less；　sur。'



The　sick　young　woman　moaning　here；　the　speaker　bent　over　her；　took

a　bandage　from　her　head；　and　threw　open　a　back　door　to　let　in　the

daylight　upon　it；　from　the　smallest　and　most　miserable　backyard　I

ever　saw。



'That's　what　cooms　from　her；　sur；　being　lead…pisoned；　and　it　cooms

from　her　night　and　day；　the　poor；　sick　craythur；　and　the　pain　of　it

is　dreadful；　and　God　he　knows　that　my　husband　has　walked　the

sthreets　these　four　days；　being　a　labourer；　and　is　walking　them

now；　and　is　ready　to　work；　and　no　work　for　him；　and　no　fire　and　no

food　but　the　bit　in　the　pot；　and　no　more　than　ten　shillings　in　a

fortnight；　God　be　good　to　us！　and　it　is　poor　we　are；　and　dark　it　is

and　could　it　is　indeed。'



Knowing　that　I　could　compensate　myself　thereafter　for　my　self…

denial；　if　I　saw　fit；　I　had　resolved　that　I　would　give　nothing　in

the　course　of　these　visits。　　I　did　this　to　try　the　people。　　I　may

state　at　once　that　my　closest　observation　could　not　detect　any

indication　whatever　of　an　expectation　that　I　would　give　money：

they　were　grateful　to　be　talked　to　about　their　miserable　affairs；

and　sympathy　was　plainly　a　comfort　to　them；　but　they　neither　asked

for　money　in　any　case；　nor　showed　the　least　trace　of　surprise　or

disappointment　or　resentment　at　my　giving　none。



The　woman's　married　daughter　had　by　this　time　come　down　from　her

room　on　the　floor　above；　to　join　in　the　conversation。　　She　herself

had　been　to　the　lead…mills　very　early　that　morning　to　be　'took　on；'

but　had　not　succeeded。　　She　had　four　children；　and　her　husband；

also　a　water…side　labourer；　and　then　out　seeking　work；　seemed　in　no

better　case　as　to　finding　it　than　her　father。　　She　was　English；　and

by　nature；　of　a　buxom　figure　and　cheerful。　　Both　in　her　poor　dress

and　in　her　mother's　there　was　an　effort　to　keep　up　some　appearance

of　neatness。　　She　knew　all　about　the　sufferings　of　the　unfortunate

invalid；　and　all　about　the　lead…poisoning；　and　how　the　symptoms

came　on；　and　how　they　grew；　…　having　often　seen　them。　　The　very

smell　when　you　stood　inside　the　door　of　the　works　was　enough　to

knock　you　down；　she　said：　　yet　she　was　going　back　again　to　get

'took　on。'　　What　could　she　do？　　Better　be　ulcerated　and　paralysed

for　eighteen…pence　a　day；　while　it　lasted；　than　see　the　children

starve。



A　dark　and　squalid　cupboard　in　this　room；　touching　the　back　door

and　all　manner　of　offence；　had　been　for　some　time　the　sleeping…

place　of　the　sick　young　woman。　　But　the　nights　being　now　wintry；

and　the　blankets　and　coverlets　'gone　to　the　leaving　shop；'　she　lay

all　night　where　she　lay　all　day；　and　was　lying　then。　　The　woman　of

the　room；　her　husband；　this　most　miserable　patient；　and　two　others；

lay　on　the　one　brown　heap　together　for　warmth。



'God　bless　you；　sir；　and　thank　you！'　were　the　parting　words　from

these　people；　…　gratefully　spoken　too；　…　with　which　I　left　this

place。



Some　streets　away；　I　tapped　at　another　parlour…door　on　another

ground…floor。　　Looking　in；　I　found　a　man；　his　wife；　and　four

children；　sitting　at　a　washing…stool　by　way　of　table；　at　their

dinner　of　bread　and　infused　tea…leaves。　　There　was　a　very　scanty

cinderous　fire　in　the　grate　by　which　they　sat；　and　there　was　a　tent

bedstead　in　the　room　with　a　bed　upon　it　and　a　coverlet。　　The　man

did　not　rise　when　I　went　in；　nor　during　my　stay；　but　civilly

inclined　his　head　on　my　pulling　off　my　hat；　and；　in　answer　to　my

inquiry　whether　I　might　ask　him　a　question　or　two；　said；

'Certainly。'　　There　being　a　window　at　each　end　of　this　room；　back

and　front；　it　might　have　been　ventilated；　but　it　was　shut　up　tight；

to　keep　the　cold　out；　and　was　very　sickening。



The　wife；　an　intelligent；　quick　woman；　rose　and　stood　at　her

husband's　elbow；　and　he　glanced　up　at　her　as　if　for　help。　　It　soon

appeared　that　he　was　rather　deaf。　　He　was　a　slow；　simple　fellow　of

about　thirty。



'What　was　he　by　trade？'



'Gentleman　asks　what　are　you　by　trade；　John？'



'I　am　a　boilermaker；'　looking　about　him　with　an　exceedingly

perplexed　air；　as　if　for　a　boiler　that　had　unaccountably　vanished。



'He　ain't　a　mechanic；　you　understand；　sir；'　the　wife　put　in：　　'he's

only　a　labourer。'



'Are　you　in　work？'



He　looked　up　at　his　wife　again。　　'Gentleman　says　are　you　in　work；

John？'



'In　work！'　cried　this　forlorn　boilermaker；　staring　aghast　at　his

wife；　and　then　working　his　vision's　way　very　slowly　round　to　me：

'Lord；　no！'



'Ah；　he　ain't　indeed！'　said　the　poor　woman；　shaking　her　head；　as

she　looked　at　the　four　children　in　succession；　and　then　at　him。



'Work！'　said　the　boilermaker；　still　seeking　that　evaporated　boiler；

first　in　my　countenance；　then　in　the　air；　and　then　in　the　features

of　his　second　son　at　his　knee：　　'I　wish　I　WAS　in　work！　　I　haven't

had　more　than　a　day's　work　to　do　this　three　weeks。'



'How　have　you　lived？'



A　faint　gleam　of　admiration　lighted　up　the　face　of　the　would…be

boilermaker；　as　he　stretched　out　the　short　sleeve　of　his　thread…

bare　canvas　jacket；　and　replied；　pointing　her　out；　'On　the　work　of