the uncommercial traveller-第86部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



attainable；　and　although　there　was　still　considerable　curiosity　out

in　the　street　and　about　the　entrance；　the　general　tone　was　as　good

as　could　be；　and　the　customers　fell　easily　into　the　ways　of　the

place。　　It　was　clear　to　me；　however；　that　they　were　there　to　have

what　they　paid　for；　and　to　be　on　an　independent　footing。　　To　the

best　of　my　judgment；　they　might　be　patronised　out　of　the　building

in　a　month。　　With　judicious　visiting；　and　by　dint　of　being

questioned；　read　to；　and　talked　at；　they　might　even　be　got　rid　of

（for　the　next　quarter　of　a　century）　in　half　the　time。



This　disinterested　and　wise　movement　is　fraught　with　so　many

wholesome　changes　in　the　lives　of　the　working　people；　and　with　so

much　good　in　the　way　of　overcoming　that　suspicion　which　our　own

unconscious　impertinence　has　engendered；　that　it　is　scarcely

gracious　to　criticise　details　as　yet；　the　rather；　because　it　is

indisputable　that　the　managers　of　the　Whitechapel　establishment

most　thoroughly　feel　that　they　are　upon　their　honour　with　the

customers；　as　to　the　minutest　points　of　administration。　　But；

although　the　American　stoves　cannot　roast；　they　can　surely　boil　one

kind　of　meat　as　well　as　another；　and　need　not　always　circumscribe

their　boiling　talents　within　the　limits　of　ham　and　beef。　　The　most

enthusiastic　admirer　of　those　substantials；　would　probably　not

object　to　occasional　inconstancy　in　respect　of　pork　and　mutton：

or；　especially　in　cold　weather；　to　a　little　innocent　trifling　with

Irish　stews；　meat　pies；　and　toads　in　holes。　　Another　drawback　on

the　Whitechapel　establishment；　is　the　absence　of　beer。　　Regarded

merely　as　a　question　of　policy；　it　is　very　impolitic；　as　having　a

tendency　to　send　the　working　men　to　the　public…house；　where　gin　is

reported　to　be　sold。　　But；　there　is　a　much　higher　ground　on　which

this　absence　of　beer　is　objectionable。　　It　expresses　distrust　of

the　working　man。　　It　is　a　fragment　of　that　old　mantle　of　patronage

in　which　so　many　estimable　Thugs；　so　darkly　wandering　up　and　down

the　moral　world；　are　sworn　to　muffle　him。　　Good　beer　is　a　good

thing　for　him；　he　says；　and　he　likes　it；　the　Depot　could　give　it

him　good；　and　he　now　gets　it　bad。　　Why　does　the　Depot　not　give　it

him　good？　　Because　he　would　get　drunk。　　Why　does　the　Depot　not　let

him　have　a　pint　with　his　dinner；　which　would　not　make　him　drunk？

Because　he　might　have　had　another　pint；　or　another　two　pints；

before　he　came。　　Now；　this　distrust　is　an　affront；　is　exceedingly

inconsistent　with　the　confidence　the　managers　express　in　their

hand…bills；　and　is　a　timid　stopping…short　upon　the　straight

highway。　　It　is　unjust　and　unreasonable；　also。　　It　is　unjust；

because　it　punishes　the　sober　man　for　the　vice　of　the　drunken　man。

It　is　unreasonable；　because　any　one　at　all　experienced　in　such

things　knows　that　the　drunken　workman　does　not　get　drunk　where　he

goes　to　eat　and　drink；　but　where　he　goes　to　drink　…　expressly　to

drink。　　To　suppose　that　the　working　man　cannot　state　this　question

to　himself　quite　as　plainly　as　I　state　it　here；　is　to　suppose　that

he　is　a　baby；　and　is　again　to　tell　him　in　the　old　wearisome；

condescending；　patronising　way　that　he　must　be　goody…poody；　and　do

as　he　is　toldy…poldy；　and　not　be　a　manny…panny　or　a　voter…poter；

but　fold　his　handy…pandys；　and　be　a　childy…pildy。



I　found　from　the　accounts　of　the　Whitechapel　Self…Supporting

Cooking　Depot；　that　every　article　sold　in　it；　even　at　the　prices　I

have　quoted；　yields　a　certain　small　profit！　　Individual　speculators

are　of　course　already　in　the　field；　and　are　of　course　already

appropriating　the　name。　　The　classes　for　whose　benefit　the　real

depots　are　designed；　will　distinguish　between　the　two　kinds　of

enterprise。







CHAPTER　XXVI　…　CHATHAM　DOCKYARD







There　are　some　small　out…of…the…way　landing　places　on　the　Thames

and　the　Medway；　where　I　do　much　of　my　summer　idling。　　Running　water

is　favourable　to　day…dreams；　and　a　strong　tidal　river　is　the　best

of　running　water　for　mine。　　I　like　to　watch　the　great　ships

standing　out　to　sea　or　coming　home　richly　laden；　the　active　little

steam…tugs　confidently　puffing　with　them　to　and　from　the　sea…

horizon；　the　fleet　of　barges　that　seem　to　have　plucked　their　brown

and　russet　sails　from　the　ripe　trees　in　the　landscape；　the　heavy

old　colliers；　light　in　ballast；　floundering　down　before　the　tide；

the　light　screw　barks　and　schooners　imperiously　holding　a　straight

course　while　the　others　patiently　tack　and　go　about；　the　yachts

with　their　tiny　hulls　and　great　white　sheets　of　canvas；　the　little

sailing…boats　bobbing　to　and　fro　on　their　errands　of　pleasure　or

business；　and　…　as　it　is　the　nature　of　little　people　to　do　…　making

a　prodigious　fuss　about　their　small　affairs。　　Watching　these

objects；　I　still　am　under　no　obligation　to　think　about　them；　or

even　so　much　as　to　see　them；　unless　it　perfectly　suits　my　humour。

As　little　am　I　obliged　to　hear　the　plash　and　flop　of　the　tide；　the

ripple　at　my　feet；　the　clinking　windlass　afar　off；　or　the　humming

steam…ship　paddles　further　away　yet。　　These；　with　the　creaking

little　jetty　on　which　I　sit；　and　the　gaunt　high…water　marks　and

low…water　marks　in　the　mud；　and　the　broken　causeway；　and　the　broken

bank；　and　the　broken　stakes　and　piles　leaning　forward　as　if　they

were　vain　of　their　personal　appearance　and　looking　for　their

reflection　in　the　water；　will　melt　into　any　train　of　fancy。

Equally　adaptable　to　any　purpose　or　to　none；　are　the　posturing

sheep　and　kine　upon　the　marshes；　the　gulls　that　wheel　and　dip

around　me；　the　crows　（well　out　of　gunshot）　going　home　from　the　rich

harvest…fields；　the　heron　that　has　been　out　a…fishing　and　looks　as

melancholy；　up　there　in　the　sky；　as　if　it　hadn't　agreed　with　him。

Everything　within　the　range　of　the　senses　will；　by　the　aid　of　the

running　water；　lend　itself　to　everything　beyond　that　range；　and

work　into　a　drowsy　whole；　not　unlike　a　kind　of　tune；　but　for　which

there　is　no　exact　definition。



One　of　these　landing…places　is　near　an　old　fort　（I　can　see　the　Nore

Light　from　it　with　my　pocket…glass）；　from　which　fort　mysteriously

emerges　a　boy；　to　whom　I　am　much　indebted　for　additions　to　my

scanty　stock　of　knowledge。　　He　is　a　young　boy；　with　an　intelligent

face　burnt　to　a　dust　colour　by　the　summer　sun；　and　with　crisp　hair

of　the　same　hue。　　He　is　a　boy　in　whom　I　have　perceived　nothing

incompatible　with　habits　of　studious　inquiry　and　meditation；　unless

an　evanescent　black　eye　（I　was　delicate　of　inquiring　how

occasioned）　should　be　so　considered。　　To　him　am　I　indebted　for

ability　to　identify　a　Custom…house　boat　at　any　distance；　and　for

acquaintance　with　all　the　forms　and　ceremonies　observed　by　a

homeward…bound　Indiaman　coming　up　the　river；　when　the　Custom…house

officers　go　aboard　her。　　But　for　him；　I　might　never　have　heard　of

'the　dumb…ague；'　respecting　which　malady　I　am　now　learned。　　Had　I

never　sat　at　his　feet；　I　might　have　finished　my　mortal　career　and

never　known　that　when　I　see　a　white　horse　on　a　barge