第5章

Thereweremanybabieshere，andmorethanonehandsomeyoungmother。Therewereuglyyoungmothersalso，andsullenyoungmothers，andcallousyoungmothers。But，thebabieshadnotappropriatedtothemselvesanybadexpressionyet，andmighthavebeen，foranythingthatappearedtothecontraryintheirsoftfaces，PrincesImperial，andPrincessesRoyal。Ihadthepleasureofgivingapoeticalcommissiontothebaker’smantomakeacakewithalldespatchandtossitintotheovenforonered-headedyoungpauperandmyself，andfeltmuchthebetterforit。Withoutthatrefreshment，IdoubtifIshouldhavebeeninaconditionfor’theRefractories，’towardswhommyquicklittlematron-forwhoseadaptationtoherofficeIhadbythistimeconceivedagenuinerespect-drewmenext，andmarshalledmethewaythatIwasgoing。

TheRefractorieswerepickingoakum，inasmallroomgivingonayard。Theysatinlineonaform，withtheirbackstoawindow；

beforethem，atable，andtheirwork。TheoldestRefractorywas，saytwenty；youngestRefractory，saysixteen。Ihaveneveryetascertainedinthecourseofmyuncommercialtravels，whyaRefractoryhabitshouldaffectthetonsilsanduvula；but，IhavealwaysobservedthatRefractoriesofbothsexesandeverygrade，betweenaRaggedSchoolandtheOldBailey，haveonevoice，inwhichthetonsilsanduvulagainadiseasedascendency。

’Fivepoundindeed！Ihain’tagoingfurtopickfivepound，’saidtheChiefoftheRefractories，keepingtimetoherselfwithherheadandchin。’Morethanenoughtopickwhatwepicksnow，insichaplaceasthis，andonwotwegetshere！’

(Thiswasinacknowledgmentofadelicateintimationthattheamountofworkwaslikelytobeincreased。Itcertainlywasnotheavythen，foroneRefractoryhadalreadydoneherday’stask-itwasbarelytwoo’clock-andwassittingbehindit，withaheadexactlymatchingit。)

’AprettyOusethisis，matron，ain’tit？’saidRefractoryTwo，’whereapleeseman’scalledin，ifagalsaysaword！’

’Andwenyou’resenttoprisonfornothinkorless！’saidtheChief，tuggingatheroakumasifitwerethematron’shair。’Butanyplaceisbetterthanthis；that’sonething，andbethankful！’

AlaughofRefractoriesledbyOakumHeadwithfoldedarms-whooriginatednothing，butwhowasincommandoftheskirmishersoutsidetheconversation。

’Ifanyplaceisbetterthanthis，’saidmybriskguide，inthecalmestmanner，’itisapityyouleftagoodplacewhenyouhadone。’

’Ho，no，Ididn’t，matron，’returnedtheChief，withanotherpullatheroakum，andaveryexpressivelookattheenemy’sforehead。

’Don’tsaythat，matron，cosit’slies！’

OakumHeadbroughtuptheskirmishersagain，skirmished，andretired。

’AndIwarn’tagoing，’exclaimedRefractoryTwo，’thoughIwasinoneplaceforaslongasfouryear-Iwarn’tagoingfurtostopinaplacethatwarn’tfitforme-there！Andwherethefamilywarn’t’spectablecharacters-there！AndwhereIfortunatelyorhunfort’nately，foundthatthepeoplewarn’twhattheypretendedtomaketheirselvesouttobe-there！Andwhereitwasn’ttheirfaults，bychalks，ifIwarn’tmadebadandruinated-Hah！’

Duringthisspeech，OakumHeadhadagainmadeadiversionwiththeskirmishers，andhadagainwithdrawn。

TheUncommercialTravellerventuredtoremarkthathesupposedChiefRefractoryandNumberOne，tobethetwoyoungwomenwhohadbeentakenbeforethemagistrate？

’Yes！’saidtheChief，’wehar！andthewonderis，thatapleesemanan’t’adinnow，andwetookoffagen。Youcan’topenyourlipshere，withoutapleeseman。’

NumberTwolaughed(veryuvularly)，andtheskirmishersfollowedsuit。

’I’msureI’dbethankful，’protestedtheChief，lookingsidewaysattheUncommercial，’ifIcouldbegotintoaplace，orgotabroad。I’msickandtiredofthispreciousOuse，Iam，withreason。’

Sowouldbe，andsowas，NumberTwo。Sowouldbe，andsowas，OakumHead。Sowouldbe，andsowere，Skirmishers。

TheUncommercialtookthelibertyofhintingthathehardlythoughtitprobablethatanyladyorgentlemaninwantofalikelyyoungdomesticofretiringmanners，wouldbetemptedintotheengagementofeitherofthetwoleadingRefractories，onherownpresentationofherselfaspersample。

’Itain’tnogoodbeingnothinkelsehere，’saidtheChief。

TheUncommercialthoughtitmightbeworthtrying。

’Ohnoitain’t，’saidtheChief。

’Notabitofgood，’saidNumberTwo。

’AndI’msureI’dbeverythankfultobegotintoaplace，orgotabroad，’saidtheChief。

’AndsoshouldI，’saidNumberTwo。’Trulythankful，Ishould。’

OakumHeadthenrose，andannouncedasanentirelynewidea，thementionofwhichprofoundnoveltymightbenaturallyexpectedtostartleherunpreparedhearers，thatshewouldbeverythankfultobegotintoaplace，orgotabroad。And，asifshehadthensaid，’Chorus，ladies！’alltheSkirmishersstruckuptothesamepurpose。Weleftthem，thereupon，andbeganalongwalkamongthewomenwhoweresimplyoldandinfirm；butwhenever，inthecourseofthissamewalk，Ilookedoutofanyhighwindowthatcommandedtheyard，IsawOakumHeadandalltheotherRefractorieslookingoutattheirlowwindowforme，andneverfailingtocatchme，themomentIshowedmyhead。

IntenminutesIhadceasedtobelieveinsuchfablesofagoldentimeasyouth，theprimeoflife，orahaleoldage。Intenminutes，allthelightsofwomankindseemedtohavebeenblownout，andnothinginthatwaytobeleftthisvaulttobragof，buttheflickeringandexpiringsnuffs。

Andwhatwasverycurious，was，thatthesedimoldwomenhadonecompanynotionwhichwasthefashionoftheplace。Everyoldwomanwhobecameawareofavisitorandwasnotinbedhobbledoveraformintoheraccustomedseat，andbecameoneofalineofdimoldwomenconfrontinganotherlineofdimoldwomenacrossanarrowtable。Therewasnoobligationwhateveruponthemtorangethemselvesinthisway；itwastheirmannerof’receiving。’Asarule，theymadenoattempttotalktooneanother，ortolookatthevisitor，ortolookatanything，butsatsilentlyworkingtheirmouths，likeasortofpooroldCows。Insomeofthesewards，itwasgoodtoseeafewgreenplants；inothers，anisolatedRefractoryactingasnurse，whodidwellenoughinthatcapacity，whenseparatedfromhercompeers；everyoneofthesewards，dayroom，nightroom，orbothcombined，wasscrupulouslycleanandfresh。Ihaveseenasmanysuchplacesasmosttravellersinmyline，andIneversawonesuch，betterkept。

Amongthebedriddentherewasgreatpatience，greatrelianceonthebooksunderthepillow，greatfaithinGOD。Allcaredforsympathy，butnonemuchcaredtobeencouragedwithhopeofrecovery；onthewhole，Ishouldsay，itwasconsideredratheradistinctiontohaveacomplicationofdisorders，andtobeinaworsewaythantherest。Fromsomeofthewindows，therivercouldbeseenwithallitslifeandmovement；thedaywasbright，butI

cameuponnoonewhowaslookingout。

Inonelargeward，sittingbythefireinarm-chairsofdistinction，likethePresidentandViceofthegoodcompany，weretwooldwomen，upwardsofninetyyearsofage。Theyoungerofthetwo，justturnedninety，wasdeaf，butnotvery，andcouldeasilybemadetohear。Inherearlytimeshehadnursedachild，whowasnowanotheroldwoman，moreinfirmthanherself，inhabitingtheverysamechamber。Sheperfectlyunderstoodthiswhenthematrontoldit，and，withsundrynodsandmotionsofherforefinger，pointedoutthewomaninquestion。Theelderofthispair，ninety-

three，seatedbeforeanillustratednewspaper(butnotreadingit)，wasabright-eyedoldsoul，reallynotdeaf，wonderfullypreserved，andamazinglyconversational。Shehadnotlonglostherhusband，andhadbeeninthatplacelittlemorethanayear。AtBoston，intheStateofMassachusetts，thispoorcreaturewouldhavebeenindividuallyaddressed，wouldhavebeentendedinherownroom，andwouldhavehadherlifegentlyassimilatedtoacomfortablelifeoutofdoors。WouldthatbemuchtodoinEnglandforawomanwhohaskeptherselfoutofaworkhousemorethanninetyroughlongyears？WhenBritainfirst，atHeaven’scommand，arose，withagreatdealofallegoricalconfusion，fromouttheazuremain，didherguardianangelspositivelyforbiditintheCharterwhichhasbeensomuchbesung？

Theobjectofmyjourneywasaccomplishedwhenthenimblematronhadnomoretoshowme。AsIshookhandswithheratthegate，I

toldherthatIthoughtjusticehadnotusedherverywell，andthatthewisemenoftheEastwerenotinfallible。

Now，Ireasonedwithmyself，asImademyjourneyhomeagain，concerningthoseFoulwards。Theyoughtnottoexist；nopersonofcommondecencyandhumanitycanseethemanddoubtit。ButwhatisthisUniontodo？Thenecessaryalterationwouldcostseveralthousandsofpounds；ithasalreadytosupportthreeworkhouses；

itsinhabitantsworkhardfortheirbarelives，andarealreadyratedforthereliefofthePoortotheutmostextentofreasonableendurance。OnepoorparishinthisveryUnionisratedtotheamountofFIVEANDSIXPENCEinthepound，attheverysametimewhentherichparishofSaintGeorge’s，Hanover-square，isratedataboutSEVENPENCEinthepound，PaddingtonataboutFOURPENCE，SaintJames’s，Westminster，ataboutTENPENCE！ItisonlythroughtheequalisationofPoorRatesthatwhatisleftundoneinthiswise，canbedone。Muchmoreisleftundone，orisill-done，thanIhavespacetosuggestinthesenotesofasingleuncommercialjourney；

but，thewisemenoftheEast，beforetheycanreasonablyholdforthaboutit，mustlooktotheNorthandSouthandWest；letthemalso，anymorningbeforetakingtheseatofSolomon，lookintotheshopsanddwellingsallaroundtheTemple，andfirstaskthemselves’howmuchmorecanthesepoorpeople-manyofwhomkeepthemselveswithdifficultyenoughoutoftheworkhouse-bear？’

IhadyetothermatterforreflectionasIjourneyedhome，inasmuchas，beforeIaltogetherdepartedfromtheneighbourhoodofMr。

Baker’strap，IhadknockedatthegateoftheworkhouseofSt。