in darkest england and the way out- 第8部分

CHAPTER　4。　　THE　OUT…OF…WORKS

There　is　hardly　any　more　pathetic　figure　than　that　of　the　strong　able　worker　crying　plaintively　in　the　midst　of　our　palaces　and　churches　not　for　charity；　but　for　work；　asking　only　to　be　allowed　the　privilege　of　perpetual　hard　labour；　that　thereby　he　may　earn　wherewith　to　fill　his　empty　belly　and　silence　the　cry　of　his　children　for　food。　　Crying　for　it　and　not　getting　it；　seeking　for　labour　as　lost　treasure　and　finding　it　not；　until　at　last；　all　spirit　and　vigour　worn　out　in　the　weary　quest；　the　once　willing　worker　becomes　a　broken…down　drudge；　sodden　with　wretchedness　and　despairing　of　all　help　in　this　world　or　in　that　which　is　to　come。　　Our　organisation　of　industry　certainly　leaves　much　to　be　desired。　　A　problem　which　even　slave　owners　have　solved　ought　not　to　be　abandoned　as　insoluble　by　the　Christian　civilisation　of　the　Nineteenth　Century。

I　have　already　given　a　few　life　stories　taken　down　from　the　lip：　　of　those　who　were　found　homeless　on　the　Embankment　which　suggest　somewhat　of　the　hardships　and　the　misery　of　the　fruitless　search　for　work。　But　what　a　volume　of　dull；　squalid　horrora　horror　of　great　darkness　gradually　obscuring　all　the　light　of　day　from　the　life　of　the　sufferer　might　be　written　from　the　simple　prosaic　experiences　of　the　ragged　fellows　whom　you　meet　every　day　in　the　street。　　These　men；　whose　labour　is　their　only　capital；　are　allowed；　nay　compelled　to　waste　day　after　day　by　the　want　of　any　means　of　employment；　and　then　when　they　have　seen　days　and　weeks　roll　by　during　which　their　capital　has　been　wasted　by　pounds　and　pounds；　they　are　lectured　for　not　saving　the　pence。　When　a　rich　man　cannot　employ　his　capital　he　puts　it　out　at　interest；　but　the　bank　for　the　labour　capital　of　the　poor　man　has　yet　to　be　invented。　　Yet　it　might　be　worth　while　inventing　one。　　A　man's　labour　is　not　only　his　capital　but　his　life。　　When　it　passes　it　returns　never　more。　　To　utilise　it；　to　prevent　its　wasteful　squandering；　to　enable　the　poor　man　to　bank　it　up　for　use　hereafter；　this　surely　is　one　of　the　most　urgent　tasks　before　civilisation。

Of　all　heart…breaking　toil　the　hunt　for　work　is　surely　the　worst。　Yet　at　any　moment　let　a　workman　lose　his　present　situation；　and　he　is　compelled　to　begin　anew　the　dreary　round　of　fruitless　calls。　　Here　is　the　story　of　one　among　thousands　of　the　nomads；　taken　down　from　his　own　lips；　of　one　who　was　driven　by　sheer　hunger　into　crime。

A　bright　Spring　morning　found　me　landed　from　a　western　colony。　Fourteen　years　had　passed　since　I　embarked　from　the　same　spot。　They　were　fourteen　years；　as　far　as　results　were　concerned；　of　non…success；　and　here　I　was　again　in　my　own　land；　a　stranger；　with　anew　career　to　carve　for　myself　and　the　battle　of　life　to　fight　over　again。

My　first　thought　was　work。　　Never　before　had　I　felt　more　eager　for　a　down　right　good　chance　to　win　my　way　by　honest　toil；　but　where　was　I　to　find　work。　　With　firm　determination　I　started　in　search。　　One　day　passed　without　success　and　another；　and　another；　but　the　thought　cheered　me；　〃Better　luck　to…morrow。〃　　It　has　been　said；　〃Hope　springs　eternal　in　the　human　breast。〃　　In　my　case　it　was　to　be　severely　tested。　Days　soon　ran　into　weeks；　and　still　I　was　on　the　trail　patiently　and　hopefully。　　Courtesy　and　politeness　so　often　met　me　in　my　enquiries　for　employment　that　I　often　wished　they　would　kick　me　out；　and　so　vary　the　monotony　of　the　sickly　veneer　of　consideration　that　so　thinly　overlaid　the　indifference　and　the　absolute　unconcern　they　had　to　my　need。　　A　few　cut　up　rough　and　said；　No；　we　don't　want　you。　　〃Please　don't　trouble　us　again　（this　after　the　second　visit）。　　We　have　no　vacancy；　and　if　we　had；　we　have　plenty　of　people　on　hand　to　fill　it。〃

Who　can　express　the　feeling　that　comes　over　one　when　the　fact　begins　to　dawn　that　the　search　for　work　is　a　failure？　　All　my　hopes　and　prospects　seemed　to　have　turned　out　false。　　Helplessness；　I　had　often　heard　of　it；　had　often　talked　about　it；　thought　I　knew　all　about　it。　　Yes！　in　others；　but　now　began　to　understand　it　for　myself。　　Gradually　my　personal　appearance　faded。　　My　once　faultless　linen　became　unkempt　and　unclean。　　Down　further　and　further　went　the　heels　of　my　shoes；　and　I　drifted　into　that　distressing　condition　〃shabby　gentility。〃　　If　the　odds　were　against　me　before；　how　much　more　so　now；　seeing　that　I　was　too　shabby　even　to　command　attention；　much　less　a　reply　to　my　enquiry　for　work。

Hunger　now　began　to　do　its　work；　and　I　drifted　to　the　dock　gates；　but　what　chance　had　I　among　the　hungry　giants　there？　　And　so　down　the　stream　drifted　until　〃Grim　Want〃　brought　me　to　the　last　shilling；　the　last　lodging；　and　the　last　meal。　　What　shall　I　do？　　Where　shall　I　go？　I　tried　to　think。　　Must　I　starve？　　Surely　there　must　be　some　door　still　open　for　honest　willing　endeavour；　but　where？　　What　can　I　do？　　〃Drink；〃　said　the　Tempter；　but　to　drink　to　drunkenness　needs　cash；　and　oblivion　by　liquor　demands　an　equivalent　in　the　currency。

Starve　or　steal。　　〃You　must　do　one　or　the　other；〃　said　the　Tempter。　But　recoiled　from　being　a　Thief。　　〃Why　be　so　particular？〃　says　the　Tempter　again　〃You　are　down　now；　who　will　trouble　about　you？　Why　trouble　about　yourself？　　The　choice　is　between　starving　and　stealing。〃　　And　I　struggled　until　hunger　stole　my　judgment；　and　then　I　became　a　Thief。

No　one　can　pretend　that　it　was　an　idle　fear　of　death　by　starvation　which　drove　this　poor　fellow　to　steal。　　Deaths　from　actual　hunger　an　more　common　than　is　generally　supposed。　　Last　year；　a　man；　whose　name　was　never　known；　was　walking　through　St。　James's　Park；　when　three　of　our　Shelter　men　saw　him　suddenly　stumble　and　fall。　　They　thought　he　was　drunk；　but　found　he　had　fainted。　　They　carried　him　to　the　bridge　and　gave　him　to　the　police。　　They　took　him　to　St　George's　Hospital；　where　he　died。　　It　appeared　that　he　had；　according　to　his　own　tale；　walked　up　from　Liverpool；　and　had　been　without　food　for　five　days。　　The　doctor；　however；　said　he　had　gone　longer　than　that。　　The　jury　returned　a　verdict　of　〃Death　from　Starvation。〃

Without　food　for　five　days　or　longer！　　Who　that　has　experienced　the　sinking　sensation　that　is　felt　when　even　a　single　meal　has　been　sacrificed　may　form　some　idea　of　what　kind　of　slow　torture　killed　that　man！

In　1888　the　average　daily　number　of　unemployed　in　London　was　estimated　by　the　Mansion　House　Committee　at　20；000。　　This　vast　reservoir　of　unemployed　labour　is　the　bane　of　all　efforts　to　raise　the　scale　of　living；　to　improve　the　condition　of　labour。　　Men　hungering　to　death　for　lack　of　opportunity　to　earn　a　crust　are　the　materials　from　which　〃blacklegs〃　are　made；　by　whose　aid　the　labourer　is　constantly　defeated　in　his　attempts　to　improve　his　condition。

This　is　the　problem　that　underlies　all　questions　of　Trades　Unionism　and　all　Schemes　for　the　Improvement　of　the　Condition　of　the　Industrial　Army。　To　rear　any　stable　edifice　that　will　not　perish　when　the　first　storm　rises　and　the　first　hurricane　blows；　it　must　be　built　not　upon　sand；　but　upon　a　rock。　　And　the　worst　of　all　existing　Schemes　for　social　betterment　by　organisation　of　the　skilled　workers　and　the　like　is　that　they　are　founded；　not　upon　〃rock；〃　nor　even　upon　〃sand；〃　but　upon　the　bottomless　bog　of　the　stratum　of　the　Workless。　　It　is　here　where　we　must　begin。　　The　regimentation　of　industrial　workers　who　have　got　regular　work　is　not　so　very　difficult。　　That　can　be　done；　and　is　being　done；　by　themselves。　　The　problem　that　we　have　to　face　is　the　regimentation；　the　organisation；　of　those　who　have　not　got　work；　or　who　have　only　irregular　work；　and　who　from　sheer　pressure　of　absolute　starvation　are　driven　irresistibly　into　cut…throat　competition　with　their　better　employed　brothers　and　sisters。　　Skin　for　skin；　all　that　a　man　hath；　will　he　give　for　his　life；　much　more；　then；　will　those　who　experimentally　know　not　God　give　all　that　they　might　hope　hereafter　to　havein　this　world　or　in　the　world　to　come。

There　is　no　gainsaying　the　immensity　of　the　problem。　　It　is　appalling　enough　to　make　us　despair。　　But　those　who　do　not　put　their　trust　in　man　alone；　but　in　One　who　is　Almighty；　have　no　right　to　despair。　To　despair　is　to　lose　faith；　to　despair　is　to　forget　God　Without　God　we　can　do　nothing　in　this　frightful　chaos　of　human　misery。　　But　with　God　we　can　do　all　things；　and　in　the　faith　that　He　has　made　in　His　image　all　the　children　of　men　we　face　even　this　hideous　wreckage　of　humanity　with　a　cheerful　confidence　that　if　we　are　but　faithful　to　our　own　high　calling　He　will　not　fail　to　open　up　a　way　of　deliverance。

I　have　nothing　to　say　against　those　who　are　endeavouring　to　open　up　a　way　of　escape　without　any　consciousness　of　God's　help。　　For　them　I　feel　only　sympathy　and　compassion。　　In　so　far　as　they　are　endeavouring　to　give　bread　to　the　hungry；　clothing　to　the　naked；　and　above　all；　work　to　the　workless；　they　are　to　that　extent　endeavouring　to　do　the　will　of　our　Father　which　is　in　Heaven；　and　woe　be　unto　all　those　who　say　them　nay！　　But　to　be　orphaned　of　all　sense　of　the　Fatherhood　of　God　is　surely　not　a　secret　source　of　strength。　　It　is　in　most　casesit　would　be　in　my　ownthe　secret　of　paralysis。　　If　I　did　not　feel　my　Father's　hand　in　the　darkness；　and　hear　His　voice　in　the　silence　of　the　night　watches　bidding　me　put　my　hand　to　this　thing；　I　would　shrink　back　dismayed；　but　as　it　is　I　dare　not。

How　many　are　there　who　have　made　similar　attempts　and　have　failed；　and　we　have　heard　of　them　no　more！　　Yet　none　of　them　proposed　to　deal　with　more　than　the　mere　fringe　of　the　evil　which；　God　helping　me；　I　will　try　to　face　in　all　its　immensity。　　Most　Schemes　that　are　put　forward　for　the　Improvement　of　the　Circumstances　of　the　People　are　either　avowedly　or　actually　limited　to　those　whose　condition　least　needs　amelioration。　The　Utopians；　the　economists；　and　most　of　the　philanthropists　propound　remedies；　which；　if　adopted　to…morrow；　would　only　affect　the　aristocracy　of　the　miserable。　　It　is　the　thrifty；　the　industrious；　the　sober；　the　thoughtful　who　can　take　advantage　of　these　plans。　But　the　thrifty；　the　industrious；　the　sober；　and　the　thoughtful　are　already　very　well　able　for　the　most　part　to　take　care　of　themselves。　No　one　will　ever　make　even　a　visible　dint　on　the　Morass　of　Squalor　who　does　not　deal　with　the　improvident；　the　lazy；　the　vicious；　a