in darkest england and the way out- 第47部分

They　will　still　remain　objects　worthy　of　infinite　compassion。　They　should　lead　as　human　a　life　as　is　possible　to　those　who　have　fallen　under　so　terrible　a　judgment。　　They　should　have　their　own　little　cottages　in　their　own　little　gardens；　under　the　blue　sky；　and；　if　possible；　amid　the　green　fields。　　I　would　deny　them　none　of　the　advantages；　moral；　mental；　and　religious　which　might　minister　to　their　diseased　minds；　and　tend　to　restore　them　to　a　better　state。　　Not　until　the　breath　leaves　their　bodies　should　we　cease　to　labour　and　wrestle　for　their　salvation。　　But　when　they　have　reached　a　certain　point　access　to　their　fellow　men　should　be　forbidden。　　Between　them　and　the　wide　world　there　should　be　reared　an　impassable　barrier；　which　once　passed　should　be　recrossed　no　more　for　ever。　　Such　a　course　must　be　wiser　than　allowing　them　to　go　in　and　out　among　their　fellows；　carrying　with　them　the　contagion　of　moral　leprosy；　and　multiplying　a　progeny　doomed　before　its　birth　to　inherit　the　vices　and　diseased　cravings　of　their　unhappy　parents。　　To　these　proposals　three　leading　objections　will　probably　be　raised

1。　It　may　be　said　that　to　shut　out　men　and　women　from　that　liberty　　　　which　is　their　universal　birthright　would　be　cruel。

To　this　it　might　be　sufficient　to　reply　that　this　is　already　done；　twenty　years'　immurement　is　a　very　common　sentence　passed　upon　wrong…doers；　and　in　some　cases　the　law　goes　as　far　as　to　inflict　penal　servitude　for　life。　　But　we　say　further　that　it　would　be　far　more　merciful　treatment　than　that　which　is　dealt　out　to　them　at　present；　and　it　would　be　far　more　likely　to　secure　a　pleasant　existence。　Knowing　their　fate　they　would　soon　become　resigned　to　it。　Habits　of　industry；　sobriety；　and　kindness　with　them　would　create　a　restfulness　of　spirit　which　goes　far　on　in　the　direction　of　happiness；　and　if　religion　were　added　it　would　make　that　happiness　complete。　There　might　be　set　continually　before　them　a　large　measure　of　freedom　and　more　frequent　intercourse　with　the　world　in　the　shape　of　correspondence；　newspapers；　and　even　occasional　interviews　with　relatives；　as　rewards　for　well…doing。　　And　in　sickness　and　old　age　their　latter　days　might　be　closed　in　comfort。　　In　fact；　so　far　as　this　class　of　people　were　concerned；　we　can　see　that　they　would　be　far　better　circumstanced　for　happiness　in　this　life　and　in　the　life　to　come　than　in　their　present　libertyif　a　life　spent　alternatively　in　drunkenness；　debauchery；　and　crime；　on　the　one　hand；　or　the　prison　on　the　other；　can　be　called　liberty。

2。　It　may　be　said　that　the　carrying　out　of　such　a　suggestion　would　be　　　　too　expensive。

To　this　we　reply　that　it　would　have　to　be　very　costly　to　exceed　the　expense　in　which　all　such　characters　involve　the　nation　under　the　present　regulations　of　vice　and　crime。　　But　there　is　no　need　for　any　great　expense；　seeing　that　after　the　first　outlay　the　inmates　of　such　an　institution；　if　it　were　fixed　upon　the　land；　would　readily　earn　all　that　would　be　required　for　their　support。

3。　But　it　may　be　said　that　this　is　impossible。

It　would　certainly　be　impossible　other　than　as　a　State　regulation。　But　it　would　surely　be　a　very　simple　matter　to　enact　a　law　which　should　decree　that　after　an　individual　had　suffered　a　certain　number　of　convictions　for　crime；　drunkenness；　or　vagrancy；　he　should　forfeit　his　freedom　to　roam　abroad　and　curse　his　fellows。　　When　I　include　vagrancy　in　this　list；　I　do　it　on　the　supposition　that　the　opportunity　and　ability　for　work　are　present。　　Otherwise　it　seems　to　me　most　heartless　to　punish　a　hungry　man　who　begs　for　food　because　he　can　in　no　other　way　obtain　it。　　But　with　the　opportunity　and　ability　for　work　I　would　count　the　solicitation　of　charity　a　crime；　and　punish　it　as　such。　　Anyway；　if　a　man　would　not　work　of　his　own　free　will　I　would　compel　him。


CHAPTER　6。　　ASSISTANCE　IN　GENERAL。

There　are　many　who　are　not　lost；　who　need　help。　　A　little　assistance　given　to…day　will　perhaps　prevent　the　need　of　having　to　save　them　to…morrow。　　There　are　some；　who；　after　they　have　been　rescued；　will　still　need　a　friendly　hand。　　The　very　service　which　we　have　rendered　them　at　starting　makes　it　obligatory　upon　us　to　finish　the　good　work。　　Hitherto　it　may　be　objected　that　the　Scheme　has　dealt　almost　exclusively　with　those　who　are　more　or　less　disreputable　and　desperate。　　This　was　inevitable。　　We　obey　our　Divine　Master　and　seek　to　save　those　who　are　lost。　　But　because；　as　I　said　at　the　beginning；　urgency　is　claimed　rightly　for　those　who　have　no　helper；　we　do　not；　therefore；　forget　the　needs　and　the　aspirations　of　the　decent　working　people　who　are　poor　indeed；　but　who　keep　their　feet；　who　have　not　fallen；　and　who　help　themselves　and　help　each　other。　　They　constitute　the　bulk　of　the　nation。　　There　is　an　uppercrust　and　a　submerged　tenth。　But　the　hardworking　poor　people；　who　earn　a　pound　a　week　or　less；　constitute　in　every　land　the　majority　of　the　population。　　We　cannot　forget　them；　for　we　are　at　home　with　them。　　We　belong　to　them　and　many　thousands　of　them　belong　to　us。　　We　are　always　studying　how　to　help　them；　and　we　think　this　can　be　done　in　many　ways；　some　of　which　I　proceed　to　describe。


SECTION　1。IMPROVED　LODGINGS。

The　necessity　for　a　superior　class　of　lodgings　for　the　poor　men　rescued　at　our　Shelters　has　been　forcing　itself　already　upon　our　notice；　and　demanding　attention。　　One　of　the　first　things　that　happens　when　a　man；　lifted　out　of　the　gutter；　has　obtained　a　situation；　and　is　earning　a　decent　livelihood；　is　for　him　to　want　some　better　accommodation　than　that　afforded　at　the　Shelters。　　We　have　some　hundreds　on　our　hands　now　who　can　afford　to　pay　for　greater　comfort　and　seclusion。　These　are　continually　saying　to　us　something　like　the　following：　

The　Shelters　are　all　very　well　when　a　man　is　down　in　his　luck。　They　have　been　a　good　thing　for　us；　in　fact；　had　it　not　been　for　them；　we　would　still　have　been　without　a　friend；　sleeping　on　the　Embankment；　getting　our　living　dishonestly；　or　not　getting　a　living　at　all。　We　have　now　got　work；　and　want　a　bed　to　sleep　on；　and　a　room　to　ourselves；　and　a　box；　or　something　where　we　can　stow　away　our　bits　of　things。　　Cannot　you　do　something　for　us？〃　　We　have　replied　that　there　were　Lodging…houses　elsewhere；　which；　now　that　they　were　in　work；　they　could　afford　to　pay　for；　where　they　would　obtain　the　comfort　they　desired。　　To　this　they　answer；　〃That　is　all　very　well。　　We　know　there　are　these　places；　and　that　we　could　go　to　them。　　But　then；〃　they　said；　〃you　see；　here　in　the　Shelters　are　our　mates；　who　think　as　we　do。　And　there　is　the　prayer；　and　the　meeting；　and　kind　influence　every　night；　that　helps　to　keep　us　straight。　　We　would　like　a　better　place；　but　if　you　cannot　find　us　one　we　would　rather　stop　in　the　Shelter　and　sleep　on　the　floor；　as　we　have　been　doing；　than　go　to　something　more　complete；　get　into　bad　company；　and　so　fall　back　again　to　where　we　were　before。〃

But　this；　although　natural；　is　not　desirable；　for；　if　the　process　went　on；　in　course　of　time　the　whole　of　the　Shelter　Depots　would　be　taken　up　by　persons　who　had　risen　above　the　class　for　whom　they　were　originally　destined。　　I　propose；　therefore；　to　draft　those　who　get　on；　but　wish　to　continue　in　connection　with　the　Army；　into　a　superior　lodging…house；　a　sort　of　POOR　MAN'S　METROPOLE；　managed　on　the　same　principles；　but　with　better　accommodation　in　every　way；　which；　I　anticipate；　would　be　self…supporting　from　the　first。　　In　these　homes　there　would　be　separate　dormitories；　good　sitting…rooms；　cooking　conveniences；　baths；　a　hall　for　meetings；　and　many　other　comforts；　of　which　all　would　have　the　benefit　at　as　low　a　figure　above　cost　price　as　will　not　only　pay　interest　on　the　original　outlay；　but　secure　us　against　any　shrinkage　of　capital。

Something　superior　in　this　direction　will　also　be　required　for　the　women。　　Having　begun；　we　must　go　on。　　Hitherto　I　have　proposed　to　deal　only　with　single　men　and　single　women；　but　one　of　the　consequences　of　getting　hold　of　these　men　very　soon　makes　itself　felt。　　Your　ragged；　hungry；　destitute　Out…of…Work　in　almost　every　case　is　married。　When　he　comes　to　us　he　comes　as　single　and　is　dealt　with　as　such；　but　after　you　rouse　in　him　aspirations　for　better　things　he　remembers　the　wife　whom　he　has　probably　enough　deserted；　or　left　from　sheer　inability　to　provide　her　anything　to　eat。　　As　soon　as　such　a　man　finds　himself　under　good　influence　and　fairly　employed　his　first　thought　is　to　go　and　look　after　the　〃Missis。〃　　There　is　very　little　reality　about　any　change　of　heart　in　a　married　man　who　does　not　thus　turn　in　sympathy　and　longing　towards　his　wife；　and　the　more　successful　we　are　in　dealing　with　these　people　the　more　inevitable　it　is　that　we　shall　be　confronted　with　married　couple's　who　in　turn　demand　that　we　should　provide　for　them　lodgings。　　This　we　propose　to　do　also　on　a　commercial　footing。　I　see　greater　developments　in　this　direction；　one　of　which　will　be　described　in　the　chapter　relating　to　Suburban　Cottages。　The　Model…lodging　House　for　Married　People　is；　however；　one　of　those　things　that　must　be　provided　as　an　adjunct　of　the　Food　and　Shelter　Depots。


SECTION　2。MODEL　SUBURBAN　VILLAGES。

As　I　have　repeatedly　stated　already；　but　will　state　once　more；　for　it　is　important　enough　to　bear　endless　repetition；　one　of　the　first　steps　which　must　inevitably　be　taken　in　the　reformation　of　this　class；　is　to　make　for　them　decent；　healthy；　pleasant　homes；　or　help　them　to　make　them　for　themselves；　which；　if　possible；　is　far　better。　　I　do　not　regard　the　institution　of　any　first；　second；　or　third…class　lodging…houses　as　affording　anything　but　palliatives　of　the　existing　distress。　To　substitute　life　in　a　boarding…house　for　life　in　the　streets　is；　no　doubt；　an　immense　advance；　but　it　is　by　no　means　the　ultimatum。　Life　in　a　boarding…house　is　better　than　the　worst；　but　it　is　far　from　being　the　best　form　of　human　existence。　　Hence；　the　object　I　constantly　keep　in　view　is　how　to　pilot　those　persons　who　have　been　set　on　their　feet　again　by　means　of　the　Food　and　Shelter　Depots；　and　who　have　obtained　employment　in　the　City；　into　the　possession　of　homes　of　their　own。

Neither　can　I　regard　the　one；　or　at　most　two；　rooms　in　which　the　large　majority　of　the　inhabitants　of　our　great　cities　are　compelled　to　spend　their　d