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sometimes part of the night painting venetian blinds or polishing coffins and taking them home； to say nothing of the lifting in of the corpses and afterwards acting as bearers。
As time went on； the number of small jobs increased； and as the days grew longer the men were allowed to put in a greater number of hours。 Most of the firms had some work； but there was never enough to keep all the men in the town employed at the same time。 It worked like this： Every firm had a certain number of men who were regarded as the regular hands。 When there was any work to do； they got the preference over strangers or outsiders。 When things were busy； outsiders were taken on temporarily。 When the work fell off； these casual hands were the first to be ‘stood still'。 If it continued to fall off； the old hands were also stood still in order of seniority； the older hands being preferred to strangers … so long； of course； as they were not old in the sense of being aged or inefficient。
This kind of thing usually continued all through the spring and summer。 In good years the men of all trades； carpenters； bricklayers； plasterers； painters and so on； were able to keep almost regularly at work； except in wet weather。
The difference between a good and bad spring and summer is that in good years it is sometimes possible to make a little overtime； and the periods of unemployment are shorter and less frequent than in bad years。 It is rare even in good years for one of the casual hands to be employed by one firm for more than one； two or three months without a break。 It is usual for them to put in a month with one firm； then a fortnight with another； then perhaps six weeks somewhere else； and often between there are two or three days or even weeks of enforced idleness。 This sort of thing goes on all through spring； summer and autumn。
Chapter 41
The Easter Offering。 The Beano Meeting
By the beginning of April； Rushton & Co。 were again working nine hours a day； from seven in the morning till five…thirty at night； and after Easter they started working full time from 6 A。M。 till 5。30 P。M。； eleven and a half hours … or； rather； ten hours； for they had to lose half an hour at breakfast and an hour at dinner。
Just before Easter several of the men asked Hunter if they might be allowed to work on Good Friday and Easter Monday； as； they said； they had had enough holidays during the winter； they had no money to spare for holiday…making； and they did not wish to lose two days' pay when there was work to be done。 Hunter told them that there was not sufficient work in to justify him in doing as they requested： things were getting very slack again； and Mr Rushton had decided to cease work from Thursday night till Tuesday morning。 They were thus prevented from working on Good Friday； but it is true that not more than one working man in fifty went to any religious service on that day or on any other day during the Easter festival。 On the contrary； this festival was the occasion of much cursing and blaspheming on the part of those whose penniless； poverty…stricken condition it helped to aggravate by enforcing unprofitable idleness which they lacked the means to enjoy。
During these holidays some of the men did little jobs on their own account and others put in the whole time … including Good Friday and Easter Sunday … gardening； digging and planting their plots of allotment ground。
When Owen arrived home one evening during the week before Easter； Frankie gave him an envelope which he had brought home from school。 It contained a printed leaflet：
CHURCH OF THE WHITED SEPULCHRE； MUGSBOROUGH
Easter 19
Dear Sir （or Madam）；
In accordance with the usual custom we invite you to join with us in presenting the Vicar； the Rev。 Habbakuk Bosher； with an Easter Offering； as a token of affection and regard。
Yours faithfully； A。 Cheeseman ｝ W。 Taylor ｝ Churchwardens
Mr Bosher's income from various sources connected with the church was over six hundred pounds a year； or about twelve pounds per week； but as that sum was evidently insufficient； his admirers had adopted this device for supplementing it。 Frankie said all the boys had one of these letters and were going to ask their fathers for some money to give towards the Easter offering。 Most of them expected to get twopence。
As the boy had evidently set his heart on doing the same as the other children； Owen gave him the twopence； and they afterwards learned that the Easter Offering for that year was one hundred and twenty…seven pounds； which was made up of the amounts collected from the parishioners by the children； the district visitors and the verger； the collection at a special Service； and donations from the feeble…minded old females elsewhere referred to。
By the end of April nearly all the old hands were back at work； and several casual hands had also been taken on； the Semi…drunk being one of the number。 In addition to these； Misery had taken on a number of what he called ‘lightweights'； men who were not really skilled workmen； but had picked up sufficient knowledge of the simpler parts of the trade to be able to get over it passably。 These were paid fivepence or fivepence…halfpenny； and were employed in preference to those who had served their time； because the latter wanted more money and therefore were only employed when absolutely necessary。 Besides the lightweights there were a few young fellows called improvers； who were also employed because they were cheap。
Crass now acted as colourman； having been appointed possibly because he knew absolutely nothing about the laws of colour。 As most of the work consisted of small jobs； all the paint and distemper was mixed up at the shop and sent out ready for use to the various jobs。
Sawkins or some of the other lightweights generally carried the heavier lots of colour or scaffolding； but the smaller lots of colour or such things as a pair of steps or a painter's plank were usually sent by the boy； whose slender legs had become quite bowed since he had been engaged helping the other philanthropists to make money for Mr Rushton。
Crass's work as colourman was simplified； to a certain extent； by the great number of specially prepared paints and distempers in all colours； supplied by the manufacturers ready for use。 Most of these new…fangled concoctions were regarded with an eye of suspicion and dislike by the hands； and Philpot voiced the general opinion about them one day during a dinner…hour discussion when he said they might appear to be all right for a time； but they would probably not last； because they was mostly made of kimicles。
One of these new…fashioned paints was called ‘Petrifying Liquid'； and was used for first…coating decaying stone or plaster work。 It was also supposed to be used for thinning up a certain kind of patent distemper； but when Misery found out that it was possible to thin the latter with water； the use of ‘Petrifying Liquid' for that purpose was discontinued。 This ‘Petrifying Liquid' was a source of much merr