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I want to eat these days。 But it's too late。 It can't make up for what I
didn't have to eat when I was a kiddy。 Dad came up to London from the
Fen Country。 Mother died； and there were six of us kiddies and dad
living in two small rooms。 〃He had hard times； dad did。 He might have
chucked us； but he didn't。 He slaved all day； and at night he came home
and cooked and cared for us。 He was father and mother； both。 He did
his best； but we didn't have enough to eat。 We rarely saw meat； and then
of the worst。 And it is not good for growing kiddies to sit down to a
dinner of bread and a bit of cheese； and not enough of it。
〃And what's the result？ I am undersized； and I haven't the stamina of
my dad。 It was starved out of me。 In a couple of generations there'll be
no more of me here in London。 Yet there's my younger brother； he's
bigger and better developed。 You see； dad and we children held together；
and that accounts for it。〃
〃But I don't see；〃 I objected。 〃I should think； under such conditions；
that the vitality should decrease and the younger children be born weaker
and weaker。〃
〃Not when they hold together；〃 he replied。 〃Whenever you come
along in the East End and see a child of from eight to twelve； good…sized；
well…developed； and healthy…looking； just you ask and you will find that it
is the youngest in the family； or at least is one of the younger。 The way
of it is this： the older children starve more than the younger ones。 By
the time the younger ones come along； the older ones are starting to work；
and there is more money coming in； and more food to go around。〃
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
He pulled down his sleeve； a concrete instance of where chronic semi…
starvation kills not； but stunts。 His voice was but one among the myriads
that raise the cry of the hunger wail in the greatest empire in the world。
On any one day； over 1；000；000 people are in receipt of poor…law relief in
the United Kingdom。 One in eleven of the whole working…class receive
poor…law relief in the course of the year； 37；500；000 people receive less
than 12 pounds per month； per family； and a constant army of 8；000；000
lives on the border of starvation。
A committee of the London County school board makes this
declaration： 〃At times； WHEN THERE IS NO SPECIAL DISTRESS；
55；000 children in a state of hunger； which makes it useless to attempt to
teach them； are in the schools of London alone。〃 The italics are mine。
〃When there is no special distress〃 means good times in England； for the
people of England have come to look upon starvation and suffering； which
they call 〃distress；〃 as part of the social order。 Chronic starvation is
looked upon as a matter of course。 It is only when acute starvation
makes its appearance on a large scale that they think something is unusual
I shall never forget the bitter wail of a blind man in a little East End
shop at the close of a murky day。 He had been the eldest of five children；
with a mother and no father。 Being the eldest； he had starved and worked
as a child to put bread into the mouths of his little brothers and sisters。
Not once in three months did he ever taste meat。 He never knew what it
was to have his hunger thoroughly appeased。 And he claimed that this
chronic starvation of his childhood had robbed him of his sight。 To
support the claim； he quoted from the report of the Royal Commission on
the Blind； 〃Blindness is more prevalent in poor districts； and poverty
accelerates this dreadful affliction。〃
But he went further； this blind man； and in his voice was the bitterness
of an afflicted man to whom society did not give enough to eat。 He was
one of an enormous army of blind in London； and he said that in the blind
homes they did not receive half enough to eat。 He gave the diet for a
day：…
Breakfast0。75 pint of skilly and dry bread。 Dinner 3 oz。 meat。
1 slice of bread。 0。5 lb。 potatoes。 Supper 0。75 pint of
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
skilly and dry bread。
Oscar Wilde； God rest his soul； voices the cry of the prison child；
which； in varying degree； is the cry of the prison man and woman：…
〃The second thing from which a child suffers in prison is hunger。 The
food that is given to it consists of a piece of usually bad… baked prison
bread and a tin of water for breakfast at half…past seven。 At twelve
o'clock it gets dinner； composed of a tin of coarse Indian meal stirabout
（skilly）； and at half…past five it gets a piece of dry bread and a tin of water
for its supper。 This diet in the case of a strong grown man is always
productive of illness of some kind； chiefly of course diarrhoea； with its
attendant weakness。 In fact； in a big prison astringent medicines are served
out regularly by the warders as a matter of course。 In the case of a child；
the child is； as a rule； incapable of eating the food at all。 Any one who
knows anything about children knows how easily a child's digestion is
upset by a fit of crying； or trouble and mental distress of any kind。 A
child who has been crying all day long； and perhaps half the night； in a
lonely dim…lit cell； and is preyed upon by terror； simply cannot eat food of
this coarse； horrible kind。 In the case of the little child to whom Warder
Martin gave the biscuits； the child was crying with hunger on Tuesday
morning； and utterly unable to eat the bread and water served to it for its
breakfast。 Martin went out after the breakfasts had been served and
bought the few sweet biscuits for the child rather than see it starving。 It
was a beautiful action on his part； and was so recognised by the child； who；
utterly unconscious of the regulations of the Prison Board； told one of the
senior wardens how kind this junior warden had been to him。 The result
was； of course； a report and a dismissal。〃
Robert Blatchford compares the workhouse