in darkest england and the way out-第65部分

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ed　them　in　the　City；　or　prepared　for　them　on　the　Farm；　they　would　prefer　to　rot　in　their　present　miseries　rather　than　avail　themselves　of　the　benefit　provided。

In　order　to　gather　the　opinions　of　those　most　concerned；　we　consulted　one　evening；　by　a　Census　in　our　London　Shelters；　two　hundred　and　fifty　men　out　of　work；　and　all　suffering　severely　in　consequence。　We　furnished　a　set　of　questions；　and　obtained　answers　from　the　whole。　Now；　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　these　men　were　under　no　obligation　whatever　to　make　any　reply　to　our　enquiries；　much　less　to　answer　them　favourably　to　our　plan；　of　which　they　knew　next　to　nothing。

These　two　hundred　and　fifty　men　were　mostly　in　the　prime　of　life；　the　greater　portion　of　them　being　skilled　workmen；　an　examination　of　the　return　papers　showing　that　out　of　the　entire　number　two　hundred　and　seven　were　able　to　work　at　their　trades　had　they　the　opportunity。

The　number　of　trades　naturally　varied。　　There　were　some　of　all　kinds：　Engineers；　Custom　House　Officers；　Schoolmasters；　Watch　and　Clockmakers；　Sailors；　and　men　of　the　different　branches　of　the　Building　trade；　also　a　number　of　men　who　have　been　in　business　on　their　own　account。

The　average　amount　of　wages　earned　by　the　skilled　mechanics　when　regularly　employed　was　33s。　per　week；　the　money　earned　by　the　unskilled　averaged　22s。　per　week。

They　could　not　be　accounted　lazy；　as　most　of　them；　when　not　employed　at　their　own　trade　or　occupation；　had　proved　their　willingness　to　work　by　getting　jobs　at　anything　that　turned　up。　　On　looking　over　the　list　we　saw　that　one　who　had　been　a　Custom　House　Officer　had　recently　acted　as　Carpenter's　Labourer；　a　Type…founder　had　been　glad　to　work　at　Chimney　Sweeping；　the　Schoolmaster；　able　to　speak　five　languages；　who　in　his　prosperous　days　had　owned　a　farm；　was　glad　to　do　odd　jobs　as　a　Bricklayer's　Labourer；　a　Gentleman's　Valet；　who　once　earned　#5　a　week；　had　come　so　low　down　in　the　world　that　he　was　glad　to　act　as　Sandwich　man　for　the　magnificent　sum　of　fourteenpence　a　day；　and　that；　only　as　an　occasional　affair。

In　the　list　was　a　dyer　and　cleaner；　married；　with　a　wife　and　nine　children；　who　had　been　able　to　earn　40s。　a　week；　but　had　done　no　regular　work　for　three　years　out　of　the　last　ten。

We　put　the　following　question　to　the　entire　number：　　〃If　you　were　put　on　a　farm；　and　set　to　work　at　anything　you　could　do；　and　supplied　with　food；　lodging；　and　clothing；　with　a　view　to　getting　you　on　to　your　feet；　would　you　be　willing　to　do　all　you　could？〃

In　response；　the　whole　250　replied　in　the　affirmative；　with　one　exception；　and　on　enquiry　we　elicited　that；　being　a　sailor；　the　man　was　afraid　he　would　not　know　how　to　do　the　work。

On　being　interrogated　as　to　their　willingness　to　grapple　with　the　hard　labour　on　the　land；　they　said：　　〃Why　should　we　not？　　Look　at　us。　Can　any　plight　be　more　miserable　than　ours？〃　　Why　not；　indeed？　A　glance　at　them　would　certainly　make　it　impossible　for　any　thoughtful　person　to　assign　a　rational　reason　for　their　refusalin　rags；　swarming　with　vermin；　hungry；　many　of　them　living　on　scraps　of　food；　begged　or　earned　in　the　most　haphazard　fashion；　without　sufficient　clothing　to　cover　their　poor　gaunt　limbs；　most　of　them　without　a　shirt。　They　had　to　start　out　the　next　morning；　uncertain　which　way　to　turn　to　earn　a　crust　for　dinner；　or　the　fourpence　necessary　to　supply　them　again　with　the　humble　shelter　they　had　enjoyed　that　night。　　The　idea　of　their　refusing　employment　which　would　supply　abundantly　the　necessaries　of　life；　and　give　the　prospect　of　becoming；　in　process　of　time；　the　owner　of　a　home；　with　its　comforts　and　companionships；　is　beyond　conception。　　There　is　not　much　question　that　this　class　will　not　only　accept　the　Scheme　we　want　to　set　before　them；　but　gratefully　do　all　in　their　power　to　make　it　a　success。

II。Too　many　would　come。　　This　would　be　very　probable。　There　would　certainly　be　too　many　apply。　　But　we　should　be　under　no　obligation　to　take　more　than　was　convenient。　　The　larger　the　number　of　applications　the　wider　the　field　for　selection；　and　the　greater　the　necessity　for　the　enlargement　of　our　operations。

III。They　would　run　away。　　It　is　further　objected　that　if　they　did　come；　the　monotony　of　the　life；　the　strangeness　of　the　work；　together　with　the　absence　of　the　excitements　and　amusements　with　which　they　had　been　entertained　in　the　cities　and　towns；　would　render　their　existence　unbearable。　　Even　when　left　to　the　streets；　there　is　an　amount　of　life　and　action　in　the　city　which　is　very　attractive。　　Doubtless　some　would　run　away；　but　I　don't　think　this　would　be　a　large　proportion。　The　change　would　be　so　great；　and　so　palpably　advantageous；　that　I　think　they　would　find　in　it　ample　compensation　for　the　deprivation　of　any　little　pleasureable　excitement　they　had　left　behind　them　in　the　city。　　For　instance；　there　would　be

　　　A　Sufficiency　of　Food。

　　　The　friendliness　and　sympathy　of　their　new　associates。　　There　would　　　　be　abundance　of　companions　of　similar　tastes　and　circumstances　　　　not　all　pious。　　It　would　be　quite　another　matter　to　going　　　　single…handed　on　to　a　farm；　or　into　a　melancholy　family。

　　　Then　there　would　be　the　prospect　of　doing　well　for　themselves　in　　　　the　future；　together　with　all　the　religious　life；　meetings；　music；　　　　and　freedom　of　the　Salvation　Army。

But　what　says　our　experience？

If　there　be　one　class　which　is　the　despair　of　the　social　reformer；　it　is　that　which　is　variously　described；　but　which　we　may　term　the　lost　women　of　our　streets。　　From　the　point　of　view　of　the　industrial　organiser；　they　suffer　from　almost　every　fault　that　human　material　can　possess。　　They　are；　with　some　exceptions；　untrained　to　labour；　demoralised　by　a　life　of　debauchery；　accustomed　to　the　wildest　license；　emancipated　from　all　discipline　but　that　of　starvation；　given　to　drink；　and；　for　the　most　part；　impaired　in　health。　　If；　therefore；　any　considerable　number　of　this　class　can　be　shown　to　be　ready　to　submit　themselves　voluntarily　to　discipline；　to　endure　deprivation　of　drink；　and　to　apply　themselves　steadily　to　industry；　then　example　will　go　a　long　way　towards　proving　that　even　the　worst　description　of　humanity；　when　intelligently；　thoroughly　handled；　is　amenable　to　discipline　and　willing　to　work。　　In　our　British　Rescue　Homes　we　receive　considerably　over　a　thousand　unfortunates　every　year；　while　all　over　the　world；　our　annual　average　is　two　thousand。　　The　work　has　been　in　progress　for　three　yearslong　enough　to　enable　us　to　test　very　fully　the　capacity　of　the　class　in　question　to　reform。

With　us　there　is　no　compulsion。　　If　any　girl　wishes　to　remain；　she　remains。　　If　she　wishes　to　go；　she　goes。　　No　one　is　detained　a　day　or　an　hour　longer　than　they　choose　to　stay。　　Yet　our　experience　shows　that；　as　a　rule；　they　do　not　run　away。　　Much　more　restless　and　thoughtless　and　given　to　change；　as　a　class；　than　men；　the　girls　do　not；　in　any　considerable　numbers；　desert。　　The　average　of　our　London　Homes；　for　the　last　three　years；　gives　only　14　per　cent。　as　leaving　on　their　own　account；　while　for　the　year　1889　only　5　per　cent。　　And　the　entire　number；　who　have　either　left　or　been　dismissed　during　that　year；　amounts　only　to　13　per　cent。　on　the　whole。

IV。They　would　not　work。　Of　course；　to　such　as　had　for　years　been　leading　idle　lives；　anything　like　work　and　exhaustive　labour　would　be　very　trying　and　wearisome；　and　a　little　patience　and　coaxing　might　be　required　to　get　them　into　the　way　of　it。　　Perhaps　some　would　be　hopelessly　beyond　salvation　in　this　respect；　and；　until　the　time　comes；　if　it　ever　does　arrive；　when　the　Government　will　make　it　a　crime　for　an　abled…bodied　man　to　beg　when　there　is　an　opportunity　for　him　to　engage　in　remunerative　work；　this　class　will　wander　abroad　preying　upon　a　generous　public。　　It　will；　however；　only　need　to　be　known　that　any　man　can　obtain　work　if　he　wants　it；　for　those　who　have　by　their　liberality　maintained　men　and　women　in　idleness　to　cease　doing　so。　　And　when　it　comes　to　this　pass；　that　a　man　cannot　eat　without　working；　of　the　two　evils　he　will　choose　the　latter；　preferring　labour；　however　unpleasant　it　may　be　to　his　tastes；　to　actual　starvation。

It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　the　penalty　of　certain　expulsion；　which　all　would　be　given　to　understand　would　be　strictly　enforced　would　have　a　good　influence　in　inducing　the　idlest　to　give　work　a　fair　trial；　and　once　at　it　should　not　despair　of　conquering　the　aversion　altogether；　and　eventually　being　able　to　transform　and　pass　these　once　lazy　loafers　as　real　industrious　members　of　Society。

Again；　any　who　have　fears　on　this　point　may　be　encouraged　by　contrasting　the　varied　and　ever…changing　methods　of　labour　we　should　pursue；　with　the　monotonous　and　uninteresting　grind　of　many　of　the　ordinary　employments　of　the　poor；　and　the　circumstances　by　which　they　are　surrounded。

Here；　again；　we　fall　back　upon　our　actual　experience　in　reclamation　work。　　In　our　Homes　for　Saving　the　Lost　Women　we　have　no　difficulty　of　getting　them　to　work。　　The　idleness　of　this　section　of　the　social　strata　has　been　before　referred　to；　it　is　not　for　a　moment　denied；　and　there　can　be　no　question；　as　to　its　being　the　cause　of　much　of　their　poverty　and　distress。　　But　from　early　morn　until　the　lights　are　out　at　night；　all　is　a