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somewhere over in the deeper darkness came another voice； orating
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angrily：
〃Talk o' the country bein' good for tommy ＇food＇； I'd like to see it。 I
jest came up from Dover； an' blessed little tommy I got。 They won't gi' ye
a drink o' water； they won't； much less tommy。〃
〃There's mugs never go out of Kent；〃 spoke a second voice； 〃they live
bloomin' fat all along。〃
〃I come through Kent；〃 went on the first voice； still more angrily； 〃an'
Gawd blimey if I see any tommy。 An' I always notices as the blokes as
talks about 'ow much they can get； w'en they're in the spike can eat my
share o' skilly as well as their bleedin' own。〃
〃There's chaps in London；〃 said a man across the table from me； 〃that
get all the tommy they want； an' they never think o' goin' to the country。
Stay in London the year 'round。 Nor do they think of lookin' for a kip
＇place to sleep＇； till nine or ten o'clock at night。〃
A general chorus verified this statement
〃But they're bloomin' clever； them chaps；〃 said an admiring voice。
〃Course they are；〃 said another voice。 〃But it's not the likes of me an'
you can do it。 You got to be born to it； I say。 Them chaps 'ave ben
openin' cabs an' sellin' papers since the day they was born； an' their fathers
an' mothers before 'em。 It's all in the trainin'； I say； an' the likes of me an'
you 'ud starve at it。〃
This also was verified by the general chorus； and likewise the
statement that there were 〃mugs as lives the twelvemonth 'round in the
spike an' never get a blessed bit o' tommy other than spike skilly an'
bread。〃
〃I once got arf a crown in the Stratford spike；〃 said a new voice。
Silence fell on the instant； and all listened to the wonderful tale。 〃There
was three of us breakin' stones。 Winter…time； an' the cold was cruel。
T'other two said they'd be blessed if they do it； an' they didn't； but I kept
wearin' into mine to warm up； you know。 An' then the guardians come；
an' t'other chaps got run in for fourteen days； an' the guardians； w'en they
see wot I'd been doin'； gives me a tanner each； five o' them； an' turns me
up。〃
The majority of these men； nay； all of them； I found； do not like the
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spike； and only come to it when driven in。 After the 〃rest up〃 they are
good for two or three days and nights on the streets； when they are driven
in again for another rest。 Of course； this continuous hardship quickly
breaks their constitutions； and they realise it； though only in a vague way；
while it is so much the common run of things that they do not worry about
it。
〃On the doss；〃 they call vagabondage here； which corresponds to 〃on
the road〃 in the United States。 The agreement is that kipping； or dossing；
or sleeping； is the hardest problem they have to face； harder even than that
of food。 The inclement weather and the harsh laws are mainly
responsible for this； while the men themselves ascribe their homelessness
to foreign immigration； especially of Polish and Russian Jews； who take
their places at lower wages and establish the sweating system。
By seven o'clock we were called away to bathe and go to bed。 We
stripped our clothes； wrapping them up in our coats and buckling our belts
about them； and deposited them in a heaped rack and on the floora
beautiful scheme for the spread of vermin。 Then； two by two； we entered
the bathroom。 There were two ordinary tubs； and this I know： the two
men preceding had washed in that water； we washed in the same water；
and it was not changed for the two men that followed us。 This I know；
but I am also certain that the twenty…two of us washed in the same water。
I did no more than make a show of splashing some of this dubious
liquid at myself； while I hastily brushed it off with a towel wet from the
bodies of other men。 My equanimity was not restored by seeing the back
of one poor wretch a mass of blood from attacks of vermin and retaliatory
scratching。
A shirt was handed mewhich I could not help but wonder how many
other men had worn； and with a couple of blankets under my arm I
trudged off to the sleeping apartment。 This was a long； narrow room；
traversed by two low iron rails。 Between these rails were stretched； not
hammocks； but pieces of canvas； six feet long and less than two feet wide。
These were the beds； and they were six inches apart and about eight inches
above the floor。 The chief difficulty was that the head was somewhat
higher than the feet； which caused the body constantly to slip down。
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Being slung to the same rails； when one man moved； no matter how
slightly； the rest were set rocking； and whenever I dozed somebody was
sure to struggle back to the position from which he had slipped； and arouse
me again。
Many hours passed before I won to sleep。 It was only seven in the
evening； and the voices of children； in shrill outcry； playing in the street；
continued till nearly midnight。 The smell was frightful and sickening；
while my imagination broke loose； and my skin crept and crawled till I
was nearly frantic。 Grunting； groaning； and snoring arose like the sounds
emitted by some sea monster； and several times； afflicted by nightmare；
one or another； by his shrieks and yells； aroused the lot of us。 Toward
morning I was awakened by a rat or some similar animal on my breast。
In the quick transition from sleep to waking； before I was completely
myself； I raised a shout to wake the dead。 At any rate； I woke the living；
and they cursed me roundly for my lack of manners。
But morning came； with a six o'clock breakfast of bread and skilly；
which I gave away； and we were told off to our various tasks。 Some were
set to scrubbing and cleaning； others to picking oakum