按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
You cannot obtain coffee in such a place for love or money。 True； you
may call for coffee； and you will have brought you something in a cup
purporting to be coffee； and you will taste it and be disillusioned； for
coffee it certainly is not。
And what is true of the coffee is true of the coffee…house。 Working…
men； in the main； frequent these places； and greasy； dirty places they are；
without one thing about them to cherish decency in a man or put self…
respect into him。 Table…cloths and napkins are unknown。 A man eats in
the midst of the debris left by his predecessor； and dribbles his own scraps
about him and on the floor。 In rush times； in such places； I have positively
waded through the muck and mess that covered the floor； and I have
managed to eat because I was abominably hungry and capable of eating
anything。
This seems to be the normal condition of the working…man； from the
zest with which he addresses himself to the board。 Eating is a necessity；
and there are no frills about it。 He brings in with him a primitive
voraciousness； and； I am confident； carries away with him a fairly healthy
appetite。 When you see such a man； on his way to work in the morning；
order a pint of tea； which is no more tea than it is ambrosia； pull a hunk of
dry bread from his pocket； and wash the one down with the other； depend
128
… Page 129…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
upon it； that man has not the right sort of stuff in his belly； nor enough of
the wrong sort of stuff； to fit him for big day's work。 And further； depend
upon it； he and a thousand of his kind will not turn out the quantity or
quality of work that a thousand men will who have eaten heartily of meat
and potatoes； and drunk coffee that is coffee。
As a vagrant in the 〃Hobo〃 of a California jail； I have been served
better food and drink than the London workman receives in his coffee…
houses； while as an American labourer I have eaten a breakfast for
twelvepence such as the British labourer would not dream of eating。 Of
course； he will pay only three or four pence for his； which is； however； as
much as I paid； for I would be earning six shillings to his two or two and a
half。 On the other hand； though； and in return； I would turn out an
amount of work in the course of the day that would put to shame the
amount he turned out。 So there are two sides to it。 The man with the
high standard of living will always do more work and better than the man
with the low standard of living。
There is a comparison which sailormen make between the English and
American merchant services。 In an English ship； they say； it is poor grub；
poor pay； and easy work； in an American ship； good grub； good pay； and
hard work。 And this is applicable to the working populations of both
countries。 The ocean greyhounds have to pay for speed and steam； and
so does the workman。 But if the workman is not able to pay for it； he
will not have the speed and steam； that is all。 The proof of it is when the
English workman comes to America。 He will lay more bricks in New York
than he will in London； still more bricks in St。 Louis； and still more bricks
when he gets to San Francisco。 ｛3｝ His standard of living has been
rising all the time。
Early in the morning； along the streets frequented by workmen on the
way to work； many women sit on the side…walk with sacks of bread beside
them。 No end of workmen purchase these； and eat them as they walk
along。 They do not even wash the dry bread down with the tea to be
obtained for a penny in the coffee…houses。 It is incontestable that a man
is not fit to begin his day's work on a meal like that； and it is equally
incontestable that the loss will fall upon his employer and upon the nation。
129
… Page 130…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
For some time； now； statesmen have been crying； 〃Wake up； England！〃
It would show more hard…headed common sense if they changed the tune
to 〃Feed up； England！〃
Not only is the worker poorly fed； but he is filthily fed。 I have stood
outside a butcher…shop and watched a horde of speculative housewives
turning over the trimmings and scraps and shreds of beef and mutton
dog…meat in the States。 I would not vouch for the clean fingers of these
housewives； no more than I would vouch for the cleanliness of the single
rooms in which many of them and their families lived； yet they raked； and
pawed； and scraped the mess about in their anxiety to get the worth of
their coppers。 I kept my eye on one particularly offensive…looking bit of
meat； and followed it through the clutches of over twenty women； till it
fell to the lot of a timid…appearing little woman whom the butcher bluffed
into taking it。 All day long this heap of scraps was added to and taken
away from； the dust and dirt of the street falling upon it； flies settling on it；
and the dirty fingers turning it over and over。
The costers wheel loads of specked and decaying fruit around in the
barrows all day； and very often store it in their one living and sleeping
room for the night。 There it is exposed to the sickness and disease； the
effluvia and vile exhalations of overcrowded and rotten life； and next day
it is carted about again to be sold。
The poor worker of the East End never knows what it is to eat good；
wholesome meat or fruitin fact； he rarely eats meat or fruit at all； while
the skilled workman has nothing to boast of in the way of what he eats。
Judging from the coffee…houses； which is a fair criterion； they never know
in all their lives what tea； coffee； or cocoa tastes like。 The slops and
water…witcheries of the coffee… houses； varying only in sloppiness and
witchery； never even approximate or suggest what you and I are
accustomed to drink as tea and coffee。
A little incident comes to me； connected with a coffee…house not far
from Jubilee Street on the Mile End Road。
〃Cawn yer let me 'ave somethin' for this； daughter？ Anythin'； Hi
don't mind。 Hi 'aven't 'ad a bite the blessed dy； an' Hi'm that fynt 。 。 。 〃
She was an old woman； clad in decent black rags； and in her hand she
130
… Page 131…
THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
held a penny。 The one she had addressed as 〃daughter〃 was a careworn
woman of forty； proprietress and waitress of the house。
I waited； possibly as anxiously as the old woman； to see how the
appeal would be received。 It was four in the afternoon； and she looked
faint and sick。 The woman hesitated an instant； then brought a large plate
of 〃stewed lamb and young peas。〃 I was eating a plate of it myself； and it
is my judgment that the lamb was mutton and that the peas might have
been younger without being youthful。 However； the point is； the dish was
sold at sixpence； and the proprietress gave it for a penny； demonstrating
anew the old truth that the poor are the most charitable。
The old woman； profuse in her gratitude； took a seat on the other side
of the narrow table and ravenously attacked the smoking stew。 We ate
steadily and silently； the pair of us； when suddenly； explosively and most
gleefully； she cried out to me； …
〃Hi sold a box o' matches！ Yus；〃 she confirmed； if anything with
greater and more explosive glee。 〃Hi sold a box o' matches！ That's 'ow
Hi got the penny。〃
〃You must be getting along in years；〃 I suggested。
〃Seventy…four yesterday；〃 she replied； and returned with gusto to her
plate。
〃Blimey； I'd like to do something for the old girl； that I would； but this
is the first I've 'ad to…dy；〃 the young fellow alongside volunteered to me。
〃An' I only 'ave this because I 'appened to make an odd shill