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with the heart of a lion； I thought； this is the type that on occasion rears
barricades and shows the world that men have not forgotten how to die。
But up spoke my other companion； a man of twenty…eight； who eked
out a precarious existence in a sweating den。
〃I'm a 'earty man； I am；' he announced。 〃Not like the other chaps at
my shop； I ain't。 They consider me a fine specimen of manhood。 W'y； d'
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ye know； I weigh ten stone！〃
I was ashamed to tell him that I weighed one hundred and seventy
pounds； or over twelve stone； so I contented myself with taking his
measure。 Poor； misshapen little man！ His skin an unhealthy colour；
body gnarled and twisted out of all decency； contracted chest； shoulders
bent prodigiously from long hours of toil； and head hanging heavily
forward and out of place！ A 〃'earty man；' 'e was！〃
〃How tall are you？〃
〃Five foot two；〃 he answered proudly； 〃an' the chaps at the shop 。 。 。 〃
〃Let me see that shop；〃 I said。
The shop was idle just then； but I still desired to see it。 Passing
Leman Street； we cut off to the left into Spitalfields； and dived into
Frying…pan Alley。 A spawn of children cluttered the slimy pavement； for
all the world like tadpoles just turned frogs on the bottom of a dry pond。
In a narrow doorway； so narrow that perforce we stepped over her； sat a
woman with a young babe； nursing at breasts grossly naked and libelling
all the sacredness of motherhood。 In the black and narrow hall behind
her we waded through a mess of young life； and essayed an even narrower
and fouler stairway。 Up we went； three flights； each landing two feet by
three in area； and heaped with filth and refuse。
There were seven rooms in this abomination called a house。 In six of
the rooms； twenty…odd people； of both sexes and all ages； cooked； ate；
slept； and worked。 In size the rooms averaged eight feet by eight； or
possibly nine。 The seventh room we entered。 It was the den in which
five men 〃sweated。〃 It was seven feet wide by eight long； and the table
at which the work was performed took up the major portion of the space。
On this table were five lasts； and there was barely room for the men to
stand to their work； for the rest of the space was heaped with cardboard；
leather； bundles of shoe uppers； and a miscellaneous assortment of
materials used in attaching the uppers of shoes to their soles。
In the adjoining room lived a woman and six children。 In another
vile hole lived a widow； with an only son of sixteen who was dying of
consumption。 The woman hawked sweetmeats on the street； I was told；
and more often failed than not to supply her son with the three quarts of
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milk he daily required。 Further； this son； weak and dying； did not taste
meat oftener than once a week； and the kind and quality of this meat
cannot possibly be imagined by people who have never watched human
swine eat。
〃The w'y 'e coughs is somethin' terrible；〃 volunteered my sweated
friend； referring to the dying boy。 〃We 'ear 'im 'ere； w'ile we're workin'；
an' it's terrible； I say； terrible！〃
And； what of the coughing and the sweetmeats； I found another
menace added to the hostile environment of the children of the slum。
My sweated friend； when work was to be had； toiled with four other
men in his eight…by…seven room。 In the winter a lamp burned nearly all
the day and added its fumes to the over…loaded air； which was breathed；
and breathed； and breathed again。
In good times； when there was a rush of work； this man told me that he
could earn as high as 〃thirty bob a week。〃Thirty shillings！ Seven dollars
and a half！
〃But it's only the best of us can do it；〃 he qualified。 〃An' then we
work twelve； thirteen； and fourteen hours a day； just as fast as we can。
An' you should see us sweat！ Just running from us！ If you could see us；
it'd dazzle your eyestacks flyin' out of mouth like from a machine。
Look at my mouth。〃
I looked。 The teeth were worn down by the constant friction of the
metallic brads； while they were coal…black and rotten。
〃I clean my teeth；〃 he added； 〃else they'd be worse。〃
After he had told me that the workers had to furnish their own tools；
brads； 〃grindery；〃 cardboard； rent； light； and what not； it was plain that his
thirty bob was a diminishing quantity。
〃But how long does the rush season last； in which you receive this
high wage of thirty bob？〃 I asked。
〃Four months；〃 was the answer； and for the rest of the year； he
informed me； they average from 〃half a quid〃 to a 〃quid〃 a week； which is
equivalent to from two dollars and a half to five dollars。 The present week
was half gone； and he had earned four bob； or one dollar。 And yet I was
given to understand that this was one of the better grades of sweating。
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I looked out of the window； which should have commanded the back
yards of the neighbouring buildings。 But there were no back yards； or；
rather； they were covered with one…storey hovels； cowsheds； in which
people lived。 The roofs of these hovels were covered with deposits of
filth； in some places a couple of feet deepthe contributions from the back
windows of the second and third storeys。 I could make out fish and meat
bones； garbage； pestilential rags； old boots； broken earthenware； and all
the general refuse of a human sty。
〃This is the last year of this trade； they're getting machines to do away
with us；〃 said the sweated one mournfully； as we stepped over the woman
with the breasts grossly naked and waded anew through the cheap young
life。
We next visited the municipal dwellings erected by the London County
Council on the site of the slums where lived Arthur Morrison's 〃Child of
the Jago。〃 While the buildings housed more people than before； it was
much healthier。 But the dwellings were inhabited by the better…class
workmen and artisans。 The slum people had simply drifted on to crowd
other slums or to form new slums。
〃An' now；〃 said the sweated one； the 'earty man who worked so fast as
to dazzle one's eyes； 〃I'll show you one of London's lungs。 This is
Spitalfields Garden。〃 And he mouthed the word 〃garden〃 with scorn。
The shadow of Christ's Church falls across Spitalfields Garden； and in
the shadow of Christ's Church； at three o'clock in the afternoon； I saw a
sight I never wish to see again。 There are no flowers in this garden；
which is smaller than my own rose garden at home。 Grass only grows here；
and it is surrounded by a sharp…spiked iron fencing； as are all the parks of
London Town； so that homeless men and women may not come in at night
and sleep upon it。
As we entered the garden； an old woman； between fifty and sixty；
passed us； striding with sturdy intention if somewhat rickety action； with
two bulky bundles； covered with sacking； slung fore and aft upon her。
She was a woman tramp； a houseless soul； too independent to drag her
failing carcass through the workhouse door。 Like the snail； she carried her
home with her。 In the two sacking… covered bundles were her household
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goods； her wardrobe； linen； and dear feminine possessions。
We went up the narrow gravelled walk。 On the benches on either
side arrayed a mass of miserable and distorted humanity； the sight of
which would have impelled Dore to more diabolical flights of fancy than
he ever succeeded i