Workhouse Characters, and other sketches of the life of the poor.Nevinson, Margaret Wynne
General
Workhouse Characters, and other sketches of the life of the poor.
Nevinson, Margaret Wynne
London (England) -- Social conditions; Poor -- England -- London; Workhouses -- England -- London
"No, I haven't got no clothes but these workhouse things, but Matron
keeps a hat and jacket to lend to girls who ain't got none. Oh! it is
beautiful to see the sun shining, and the shops, and the horses, and the
ladies walking about, and the dear little children. I love children.
Often when the Labour Mistress wasn't about I ran up to the nursery to
kiss the babies. Juliet's third misfortune is a lovely boy with curls. I
haven't been out of doors for three months--the young women mayn't go
out in the workhouse, only the old people--so you can guess I like it:
but the air makes me hungry. We had our gruel at seven this morning. We
don't have no tea for breakfast, but girls do in situations, I know, and
as much sugar as they like--at least, in most places. Thank you, ma'am,
I should love a bun. I love cakes. Yes; I have a cold in my head, and I
ain't got no pocket-handkerchief. I've lost it, and it wasn't very
grand. An old bit of rag I call it. It would be so kind of you to buy me
one, ma'am. I know it looks bad to go to see ladies without one. I ain't
an ignorant girl; the kind lady who takes an interest in my case always
said so. Isn't that barrel-organ playing beautiful! It makes me want to
dance, only I don't know how. Daisy White--she that pinched the silk
petticoat--can dance beautiful; some of us sing tunes in the Young
Women's Room, and she'd dance. I love music--that's why I liked the
Cartholic Home best; the nuns sang lovely in the chapel.
"Is this the house? Ain't it lovely! I never saw such a beautiful
droring-room in all my life. Just look at the carpet and the flowers and
the pictures! Ain't that a beautiful one, ma'am, with the trees and the
water running down the rocks, and the old castle at the back! The nuns
at the Cartholic Home once took us an excursion by train to a place just
like that, and whilst we were having our tea the old castle turned
sudden all yellow in the sun--just like Jerusalem the Golden.
"Do you think the lady will have me, ma'am? I shan't never want to run
away here. I will be a good girl, ma'am; I promise I will be good."
IN THE PHTHISIS WARD
Why, O my God, hast Thou forsaken Me?
Not so My mother; for behold and see,
She steadfast stands! O Father, shall it be
That she abides when Thou forsakest Me?
Three days of frost had brought the customary London fog--dense, yellow,
and choking. Londoners groped their way about with set, patient faces,
breaking out, however, into wild jubilation in the bowels of the earth,
where the comparative purity and brightness of the atmosphere of the
Tube railway seemed to rush to their heads like cheap champagne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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