Cost and standard of living -- England -- London; London (England) -- Economic conditions; Working class -- England -- London
1.30.—Nurse baby and clear away and wash up dinner things. Sweep and
scrub floor and passage, clean grate; every other week do stairs.
2.30.—Wash myself and little girl, and take children out till four.
4.0.—Get tea and nurse baby.
4.30.—Clear away, and get husband’s tea; wait for him till he comes in;
very uncertain, between five and seven o’clock; go on making frock till
he does.
6.0.—Put children to bed.
6.30.—Wash up husband’s tea things, if he has finished. As soon as he has
finished, he changes and goes out.
8.0.—Go up The Walk for shopping for next day, leaving children in bed.
9.0.—Mend husband’s clothes, and go on with frock till ten.
10.0.—Nurse baby and make both children comfortable for the night.
11.0.—If husband has come in, go to bed.
This is not a hard day as things go in Lambeth. The noticeable thing
about it is its loneliness. Mrs. O. knows nothing of her neighbours, and,
until the visitor insisted on the children’s getting out every afternoon,
and agitated for the boots, Mrs. O. never took them out. She did her
shopping at night in order that her old slippers might not be seen. She
sat indoors and mended and made clothes in her neat room, while her pale
little girl amused herself as best she could and the baby lay on the
bed. The husband merely ate and slept at home. He was a particularly
respectable and steady man, who kept his clothes neat and his person
scrupulously clean. His wife ministered to him in every way she could,
but saw nothing of him. He took no interest in the little daughter, but
was proud of the boy, and it was by means of the boy’s need of fresh air
that he was persuaded to allow his wife to save for her boots. For her he
did not consider them necessary, as he was in favour of women staying at
home and minding the house.
The next day is that of a woman who lives in one room in buildings,
with her husband and four children. She is rather self-assertive and
talkative, very clean, rougher in her manner of speaking to her children
than most of the mothers, but very affectionate to both children and
husband. Her old mother, whom she partially feeds, is a great deal with
her, and helps in the household work. Her day is rather an easy one for
Lambeth. The eldest child is eight years old, and the baby is a few
months. As the room is in “buildings,” she has water on the same level,
so has not to carry it up or down stairs.
4.30.—Wake husband, who has to be at work about five o’clock. He is
carman for an L.C.C. contractor. Get him off if possible without waking
the four children. He has a cup of tea before going, but breakfasts away
from home. If baby wakes, nurse him.
7.0.—Nurse baby.
7.15.—Get up and light fire, wake children, wash two eldest ones. Get
breakfast for self and children.
8.0.—Breakfast.
8.30.—Tidy two children for school and start them off at 8.45.
9.0.—Clear away and wash up; wash and dress boy of three; bathe and dress
baby.
10.0.—Nurse baby and put him to bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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