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！
r anything of that sort： and she was to take plenty of nourishing food； beef tea； chicken； a little wine and so on。 He did not suggest a trip round the world in a steam yacht or a visit to Switzerland … perhaps he thought they might not be able to afford it。 Sometimes she was so ill that she had to observe one at least of the doctor's instructions … to lie down： and then she would worry and fret because she was not able to do the housework and because Owen had to prepare his own tea when he came home at night。 On one of these occasions it would have been necessary for Owen to stay at home from work if it had not been for Mrs Easton； who came for several days in succession to look after her and attend to the house。
Fortunately； Owen's health was better since the weather had become warmer。 For a long time after the attack of haemorrhage he had while writing the show…card he used to dread going to sleep at night for fear it should recur。 He had heard of people dying in their sleep from that cause。 But this terror gradually left him。 Nora knew nothing of what occurred that night： to have told her would have done no good； but on the contrary would have caused her a lot of useless anxiety。 Sometimes he doubted whether it was right not to tell her； but as time went by and his health continued to improve he was glad he had said nothing about it。
Frankie had lately resumed his athletic exercises with the flat iron： his strength was returning since Owen had been working regularly； because he had been having his porridge and milk again and also some Parrish's Food which a chemist at Windley was selling large bottles of for a shilling。 He used to have what he called a ‘party' two or three times a week with Elsie； Charley and Easton's baby as the guests。 Sometimes； if Mrs Owen were not well； Elsie used to stay in with her after tea and do some housework while the boys went out to play； but more frequently the four children used to go together to the park to play or sail boats on the lake。 Once one of the boats was becalmed about a couple of yards from shore and while trying to reach it with a stick Frankie fell into the water； and when Charley tried to drag him out he fell in also。 Elsie put the baby down on the bank and seized hold of Charley and while she was trying to get him out； the baby began rolling down； and would probably have tumbled in as well if a man who happened to be passing by had not rushed up in time to prevent it。 Fortunately the water at that place was only about two feet deep； so the boys were not much the worse for their ducking。 They returned home wet through； smothered with mud； and feeling very important； like boys who had distinguished themselves。
After this； whenever she could manage to spare the time； Ruth Easton used to go with the children to the park。 There was a kind of summer…house near the shore of the lake； only a few feet away from the water's edge； surrounded and shaded by trees； whose branches arched over the path and drooped down to the surface of the water。 While the children played Ruth used to sit in this arbour and sew； but often her work was neglected and forgotten as she gazed pensively at the water； which just there looked very still； and dark； and deep； for it was sheltered from the wind and over…shadowed by the trees that lined the banks at the end of the lake。
Sometimes； if it happened to be raining； instead of going out the children used to have some games in the house。 On one such occasion Frankie produced the flat iron and went through the exercise； and Charley had a go as well。 But although he was slightly older and taller than Frankie he could not lift the iron so often or hold it out so long as the other； a failure that Frankie attributed to the fact that Charley had too much tea and bread and butter instead of porridge and milk and Parrish's Food。 Charley was so upset about his lack of strength that he arranged with Frankie to come home with him the next day after school to see his mother about it。 Mrs Linden had a flat iron； so they gave a demonstration of their respective powers before her。 Mrs Easton being also present； by request； because Frankie said that the diet in question was suitable for babies as well as big children。 He had been brought up on it ever since he could remember； and it was almost as cheap as bread and butter and tea。
The result of the exhibition was that Mrs Linden promised to make porridge for Charley and Elsie whenever she could spare the time； and Mrs Easton said she would try it for the baby also。
Chapter 43
The Good Old Summer…time
All through the summer the crowd of ragged…trousered philanthropists continued to toil and sweat at their noble and unselfish task of making money for Mr Rushton。
Painting the outsides of houses and shops； washing off and distempering ceilings； stripping old paper off walls； painting and papering rooms and staircases； building new rooms or other additions to old houses or business premises； digging up old drains； repairing leaky roofs and broken windows。
Their zeal and enthusiasm in the good cause was unbounded。 They were supposed to start work at six o'clock； but most of them were usually to be found waiting outside the job at about a quarter to that hour； sitting on the kerbstones or the doorstep。
Their operations extended all over the town： at all hours of the day they were to be seen either going or returning from ‘jobs'； carrying ladders； planks； pots of paint； pails of whitewash； earthenware； chimney pots； drainpipes； lengths of guttering； closet pans； grates； bundles of wallpaper； buckets of paste； sacks of cement； and loads of bricks and mortar。 Quite a common spectacle … for gods and men … was a procession consisting of a handcart loaded up with such materials being pushed or dragged through the public streets by about half a dozen of these Imperialists in broken boots and with battered； stained； discoloured bowler hats； or caps splashed with paint and whitewash； their stand…up collars dirty； limp and crumpled； and their rotten second…hand misfit clothing saturated with sweat and plastered with mortar。
Even the assistants in the grocers' and drapers' shops laughed and ridiculed and pointed the finger of scorn at them as they passed。
The superior classes … those who do nothing … regarded them as a sort of lower animals。 A letter appeared in the Obscurer one week from one of these well…dressed loafers； complaining of the annoyance caused to the better…class visitors by workmen walking on the pavement as they passed along the Grand Parade in the evening on their way home from work； and suggesting that they should walk in the roadway。 When they heard of the letter a lot of the workmen adopted the suggestion and walked in the road so as to avoid contaminating the idlers。
This letter was followed by others of a somewhat similar kind； and one or two written in a patronizing strain in defence of the working classes by persons who evidently knew nothing about them。 There was also a letter from an individual who signed himself ‘Morpheus' complaining that he was often awakened out of his beauty sleep in the middle of the night by the clattering noise of the