FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14406, 13 July 1912, Page 3

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

* I POVERTY IX A YORKSHIRE 6EA- | PORT TOWN.

! Br luy Cole. i j ("Weekly IVfiso and R«feres.">. ! Seated by ''my am heartsomo inglo." i on one of the lato cold nights in May. j I was discussing tho evening paper. !■ ( tho accompaniment <r»t a pipo -and pint ! The bluo smoko curled upward, and v* I reflected on tho cablo news I foil into I a rovorie, and, from tho forms and J scenes- of long ago, conjured up a series of mental pictures of England as I knew it flfty years ago. Some of theso pictures, other NewZealanders may care to eep, and, lik«* myself, comparo with scenes among working folk in Now Zealand. I think they will shako hands heartily vi themselves as they go to bed. and (may be) -with a prayer of thankfulness to God, which is nono too common amongst us. Well, here arc a few of thorn—recollections of .my own experience:— MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD. A big stone house, -with a j good-sized garden in the neighbourhood of St. fewithin's Church. A largo'cellar, in which tho younger children played, in company with a tamp rabbit and a greyheaded jackdaw, tho latter of which Kept therein a store of stolen spoons and other portablo property. A dim mental photograph of the chief thoroughfare of the city, and a vivid remembrance of a- fiery accident by which I was dreadfully burned, and re- I ceived a lively foretaste of tho ulti- I mate fate of tho majority of mankind, ! as explained to mo later on by mv j spiritual mentors. Theso comprise my | earliest recollections of- my birth-place, j. a largo city in one of tho Eastern counties. From tho little picture the hguro of my mother is absent. Three littlo boys were awakened each morning about six o'clock and given their cold tub, and then, in winter, were tucked back to bed again for a quarter of an hour before rising for the day. My father officiated at these ceremonies. Wβ knew not the reason then, but I remember how wo enjoyed tho process, and fought' and squabbled as to which should bo taken first. Three years of happy childhood, and lo! the sceno changes. ' A RIFT WITHIN THE LUTE. "Marriages," wo are told, "are mado in Heaven." If this bo bo, the mak- ■ ers_ thereof may fairly be censured for their gross incompetence, and erratic judgment of the essential qualities necessary to conjugal felicity. Poets, i statesmen, philosophers, Novelists, have, alike with tho foolish and ignorant, i been the sport of chance in their matri- ; monial ventures. That of my pro- i genitors, also, was a huge irremediable , mistake, bringing naught but disaster \ and rnin in its train. Forty years and ■ more have closed over their mortal •, careers—their foibles and errors are , buried in the dust and silence of the j tomb. <f Let us speak no ill of tho . dead." Some kind of domestic earthquake, > however, had occurred. My father dis- 1 appeared, my elder brothers also —to sea —and the next sceno shows mc, ' with my mother and tho junior mem- ] bers of tho family, installed in a four- ■ roomed cottago in a large seaport in ! Yorkshire. j NO SUPERFLUITIES. 't Wo were as yet upon a superior i plane—still among tho aristocracy of i tho poor. For we were then possessed, I

us J aftenvnrds loarnt, of an income of somo thirty-five pounds a year, upon

which we managed to live decently, and with some show of respectability. How well I roinomber our well-brushed Sunday clothes and the snowy collars, religiously re-folded on Monday morning and consigned to darkness for another week! Our diet was of the simplest kind, lint wholesome and sufficient to keep us in good health and sharp appetite. Potatoes and fish, e.-oarso bread and black treacle, with brine-butter on Sundays. ■ formed our usual menu. Tea was a luxury only permitted to tho elder ones. Meat-joints were unknown among us. Pig-skin, boiled to a jelly, with a liberal allowance of peas, made a welcome addition to our dietary. Now and then a "pork cheese" looking like a section of a column of polish* , granite, and nearly as hard, helped to satisfy our carnivorous instincts. Yorkshire folks generally, and butchers particularly, could speak of its component parts with more or less enthusiasm, ns the Scotch of the haggis: like- which it is a nourishing dish. Our elders supped on gruel occasionally. This was one of our minor woes. How that aggravating savonr mounted the stairs and pervaded our nostrils, exciting our envy of grownups, and bidding defiance to Sleep! The early morning light would we three little urchins flying downstairs — a. rush and a scuffle for possession of tho porridge-pot—after which washing it seemed an unnecessary process. Friday, contrary to general opinion, was to us a day of good fortune, for did not its advent herald the "rat-tat" of tho postman, and the arrival of the letter bearing the "American postmark, which was to us as the Relief of Lucknow! A day of joyful anticipation— of the arrival of supplies—of hopes rising more quickly than the sun-baked bread in tho disused cradle! "With what a zest we inhaled the smells of. baking, ami watched the evolution of the coarse flour into the bonny loaves which beamed benevolently down upon us from the kitchen eholree! Saturday vm a day of realisation, bringing

I with h, the added joy of the cxpendi- ! tun- <;{ a penny ar, the confectioners. I THE SU>O>AY DINNER. J On Sunday-, we welcomed tho sound jof tho bcllft. which was synonymous J with unwonted preparations in tho J culinary department. Marshalled to church nncier die oyo of a watchfiil <>ead!e, wo *at as still and attentive an boys aro able, and merely carried a { oret pin or two to vary tho procecdi{.;s. Iho most intonating part of ho service, apart from fho music. wn.< .he final "Amen." If wo had been wandering m Dreamland for the previout twenty minutes, wo invariably •p.ivoko to tbe realities oi lifo at this juncture, without tho aid of the beadle's staff, liberally applied to outpates. With nimble foot and keen appetites wo sped homewards to the treat of the week—our Sunday dinner. No pot pourri, in otatoly vase, ever emitted .so grateful an odour! Tho air redolent- of marjoram and thyme, delicately combined with the pungent aroma of turnips and the more odoriferous onion, produced a perfume which Piesso and Lubiu, might envy. And yet, amid happy contentment, a, "'grisly" spectre sat at our board. A bead without a body, gaunt and hol-low-eyed, it glowered uncannily upon our little company, yet with an expression of meekness and resignation ijQ- tho inevitable fate of all denizens ■of tho field. We were not afraid of it, however, for though silent, wo knew it possessed a tongue, and though reputed silly, experience had taught us it was not devoid of brains! Boldly attacking it, we quickly absorbed them both,- leaving naught but the dry, j riven bonesMonday also dawned in fair plenij tude. Tuesday saw a visible shrinkage ■in our resources. Owipg to repeated I assaults in tho commissariat department, the next day wo wore placed on 'half-rations of bread and molasses. Tho Jatter item of stores was often ; tampered with in transit from the grocer's, b\' a method well-known to ! tho children of tho poor. Thursday frequently found us temporarily bosieged by General Want. The day was observed as a solemn fast, but w;> sorrowed not without hope, for, again "to-morrow would bo Friday!" THE COBBLER SCHOOLMASTER. This comparative opnlencc continued for about two years, when for a fee of twopence each weekly, my young ! brothers and self wero initiated* into ! the mysteries of pothooks and other rudiments of education. The "school" was kept by a Methodise cobbler, who eked out a living by teaching tho young idea how to shoot. It was held in tho afternoon, in .1 kitchen below tho pavement, and accommodated fifteen or twenty children. A good and kind old dominio he was, too. Memory unlocks her storehouse, and again I sco his spare and bent, figure. " his lyart haffeis, wearin , thin and bare." His well-worn swallowtailed coat, with tho shining brass buttons; tho " little faded flower" patterned waistcoat, liberally besprinlded with snuff. Drab shorts, terminating in long woollen stockings, and heavy shoes with metal buckles, completed ono of the quaint costumes of tho early 'fifties. Tho whole was surmounted by a dome-shaped head, which gavo n suspicion of greater capacity than opportunity. His most prominent feature was a large and benevolent-look-ing nose, upon which hung loosely a pair of round, horn-rimmed spectacles, suggestive of fatherly wisdom and authority. "With an eyo to our moral and spiritual welfare, he taught us many childish hymns and homilies of Dr. Among them was-one in

which th«» lino occurred, ''And .ibore tho rest this noto shall swell." "This

j note shall swell was repeated threo i times.. Not comprehending the mean I ing, but guided by the sound, and with our masters olfactory organ before us, others beside niysolf trolled out ihe lino in childish faith and simplicity: "And above tho rest his nost« shall swell, his nose shall swell. " cto. I must have been dux of tho school. I think. At any rate 1 was a great .favourite of tho old man. and recall with pride the winning of two prizes. Tho first was a stick of slut-e- pencil, tho other, at tho holiday '• break-up,"' a, whole, veritable ha'-penny, followed by an exhortation to my companions to profit by my diligence, which they did. The wealth was quickly «-x----ehanged for two long, fat carrots, upon which half-a-dozen sets of gleaming toeth and lively stomachs wore soon engaged with interest and satisfaction. HARD TIALES. In tlie iK-xt seeue, a dark shadow has crept over our horizon. The littlo school and the kindly old pedagogue havo disappeared from view. longer we hear tho postman's checrv rat-tnt, but -watch his approach with a sinking of tho heart, and sigh wearily as Jio passes on his way. Instead, w<» hear the moro frequent knock of' tho landlord, not always enquiring f or otlr health. Tho daily fare becomes more and more meagre. The fireplace that had blinked so honnily now yawns with exhaustion, and is fed sparingly on such articles of furniture as can be disjxmsod with or are unsaleable. Familiar articles of furniture gradually vanish in sympathy with the mute or clamorous appeals of the stomach. Blank spaces show dismally where our magnificent sec of japanned tea-trays lately reposed, reflecting the ruddy glow of the firelight. To our child-minds they were tho embodiment of art, objects of ""bigotry and virtue" it were to meddle with. *"

It is winter—British -winter. The •wild blast has left ils haunt in the j 2sortii Sea. and comes hooting, and

howling, and whistling past. biiin;; viciously j 111.» tho bones of ]*yjr, ill-fln-i h.m'unity. iliu-iiu'l aro now our merry f-onp-i and ch:!di:-h bushier. ;><>. seated on tho. Hoor. v. c iirten to ii:- vagaries, and gnzft v. it!) j:aiiic<l surprise tic tlufigure of o'ij- mother in tin; solitary chair, shivering over the dying embers. Her tncf> i> parrly bidden by h"r reniaii)!ji.i; shawl, which is I.ialuiv dr.T.vu round, her hood and shoulders. \nxer, anxiety, and the of dofj'n;c ;im marifest in Ikt fountptiancf , . Xom nnci thr-n ri t«.,'ir fa 11.-? o;i the lioarch. ns her cyos turn to tho ivi.sltHi. cnciiiihiit; fr.ctv* lie.'ieat l '. fnintlv iJiun;ino<l by tho dull, yel:o«- (lamp of tho ri!«h!i::!:t rnnd servi"" !>;if to ricennf.iato our desolation. Dimly v.o wonder v.-Jiat it ail portoixl*. Tho shadow has de-oponed intr.i tho g.ntherirp: c'oud, soon to envrl.-.po u> in fclio !>lnr!c nii;::i of unspcak'iblo poverty nr.d hopeless m;s(?rv. T'ncornprehr'ndinc,', iro nro yci painfully oor,?rions of the one av.-f-jl fact. "SUPPLIES H.WE STOPPED." Cold and hungry, wo rrcop to our bed , ;, to ".steep our senses in forgyt/ulncss."

THE NETHER HELL

Xot till many years afterwards did wo learn the cause of tho domestic catastrophe which was to plunge us into the foul Gehenna of Poverty, tho lowest depths of which we had not rciohed.

Or the life of tins succeediiig two years Memory hokk out a confused jumble of little moving pictures. One, of a row of inonn-ionements. in a narrow cobble-paved street, littered with garbage, in tho gutters of which wo sailed our miniature clippers, or fought for possession of a vagrant, battered apple. Of a good-natured smith and a glowing forge opposite, where, on bitter days, wo wcro invited, and enjoyed for a brief spell, the unwonted luxury of a good fire. How we loved the smell of tho sizzling, horn —and joyed in the privilege of blowing the bellows! Of tho mighty ribbon of silvery light, streaming in tho cerulean blue of tho heavens—brighter than the moon at the full—the comet of "iiS. Old women stood at their doors gazing with i'oar and trembling. Many were converted temporarily, and looked for an early advent of the Judgment Day, and :i postdblo off-chnnco of escape from the clutches of Satan.

Cottage, pr.iyor-mectings wore held in .some of the houses, and I remember being beguiled into them several times under promise ot something to eat, which had become a rather remote contingency. Real, ranting, red-hot affairs they were, r.-hcro. like Job's warhorse, I sniffed - 'the battle afar off, and hoard tho thunder of tho captains and the shouting ,, as they valiantly fought the Devil.

OX THE QUAY

Hero is another—of a little follow of live or cix years old, watchful and alert, wandering irresponsibly about the quays and decks of the great northern eeaport. Hunger, after his first experience, lias sharpened his faculties. His eyes, in search of aught that is edible, are as keen as tho nose of a greyhound, and, given opportunity, the l'aivs of meum and tuum trouble him not. Ho has been sent out to get his living— how ho can. Sans boots, sans coat, sans everything almost but a liberal allowance of dirt. His apologies for garments are. however, thoroughly ventilated. An old canvas bag is clung over his shoulder, containing a few scraps of bread, chips, old rop'o, decayed fruit, or cabbage stumps—anything eatable or conioustib'e. Hags, bonos or other uneonsidered trifles sometimes provide a copper or two. He tramps many miles in the. day. and. goes 'vhonic - ' about dark to his miserable kennel, peering through the I steamy windows of the cook-shops on his way. sniffing the vapours of pork and peas-pudding, hot taters and sausages, and other bags of mystery, which rise like incense to his nostrils. Arrived home, his "bay" is turned out along with that of h:s brothers, the contents apportioned, and the coppers, if any, promptly commandeered. A fire, if possible, is lighted, and experiences recounted while it lasts, and soon j they lie down to sleep. SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MARKET. j One of the most intiful .sights of poverty among the submerged poor might be seen in the great Marketplace on most nights, but especially Saturday. Changes, especially of a beneficial character, come slowly in Britain, and I daresay wiiat I am about ! to describe may still be seen. The last night of the week was like a big fair. If old King William, on his prancing j .steed. had been flesh instead of brass, his heart mijjht have glowed -with patriotic pride- in his poopie as he surveyed the scene. The thronged sidewalks wero od-red with innumerable.

barrows and etalls, and tho roaring naphtha lamps swayed and flared with the wind. The pattor of ehctp-jaeks— profound students of the cupidity of human nature—and the vendors of cabbages and confectionery, of blacking and butcher's moat, made the air raucous with their cries. Prominent amongst them could be seen a tall figure, in snowy cap and apron, arme;l with a largo i'ork, and doing a good business. Ho was a purveyor of tho tasty trip© and succulent "trotter." His grimy patrons needed not knives or forks. Gripping their purchases between finger and thumb, they gnawed at them, letting the bones fall from their mouths as they stripped them. Below wns a small crowd of boys, each with a bns slnn<i round his" neck, eagerly gathering tip tho bone*, and wistfully eyeing the * trotter as it pot small by deifies and beautifully If??. Occasionally, in response to a subdi:cd chorus of "Give's a bit!" come prodigal would throw away half of his purchase, which would be promptly seized and disposed of by the nearest

-yun-r-ier. They would linger on till -.botit eleven, then shoulder their bags .md £o i'.or.:o. On Sunday tho bonco •.vcro "runrtxl over again, and stripped of every atom of u;eat. and finally :ov.Aii their way to the marine store iij return for a iartlung or two. Fittv '-ears aao the study of microbes and Sncteria did not bulk largely in scientific research, and was- of less im--•crtance to famished stomachs. Pro>nbly vr.any diseases were spread by .uch nvjsr.s. SrXDAY DINNER AL FRESCO.

On Sunday the churches were bnsilv engaged in proclaiming the wondrous ovo of God to Man, and the offer of shining robes, barns. and other :ew;*aws to suffering humanity at -,omo future ii::ie. The comparative cjuiet of the hour was a favourable opnortunity for tho invasion of backvnrds of the "respectable i-oor."' The -.lust-bins at that" hour were generally visrmomitcd with tiic refuse of thi? Inner in preparation. Pea-shells, tho 'iar.ng< of atmh s, turnips, or oranges, or any other icraps of fowl, wero eagerly smv;ht and devoured. The ■;<vst of the d ; -, v , vas m ostl" spent on tho quay, in the- endeavour to cultivate the friendship of any ship's cook wo might meet. In a hue issue of tho "Evening News" is an account of a

"oor oropturc who can scarcely find herself in clothes on the miserable ton thousand rounds allowed for that purpose, and can only MTonl shoos at £oW a pair, and parasols at three hundred! "WHO ENTER HERK, LEAVE HOPE BEHIND.' , Oif tho broad, main thoroughfare was ;; lonj. narrow, ;md d.rty street paved v.uli cobbles. At one corner ; stood a venerable temple of God, its I walls dingy mid moss-grown. The long I hand;; of ilie clock in tin? tower above, • moving with slow precision, inarkod ! time to thi- ccasele.s* procession of i Life unto Heath and oblivion. On ! the otiicr corner v.-as a ;:alace of tho devil, bright and attractive with light I reflected ironi taany minors. Coiiio I with rue i:;i this street and note thp ; I condition!, under which lived, not one. I J not hundreds or thousands, but tens of ■ I thousands oi British subjects, whoso ill- | reunited labour helped to swell tlv> (vi'-At-nl 7!at:oi:al wealth, who scarcc-'y , owii'.'d .such a tlr.njr as a .soul, and were expected to sh'iw :i l'ervid patriotiMT ami cJieerluily to lay down their live in defence of the nation. Corn-.' ! and sco- how they wcf" , I'crmitted to ■ Hvo—->avo t j l( , , nri i-v,; f jO f- ,] S 2d up tho i narrow street referred to. Drunken j sailors come lurching alon" i.fio narrow I footway, and we meet with many I flaunting. tawdry women. whoso occupation has been forced upon them Ij v prim necessity. Presently wo coii:o U> a network ot courts and I alloys. Entering under an .archway, wo n:akc> our way into one of these, n. long. "!.>lind"' alley, swarir.:ng with niched, hall-naked children. Dirt and disorder everywhere. On each side, a row of hou&os. three or four storeys lu'kli. blackened with and smoke, admitting no sunlicht except at noon, when, or. a. warm day, tho smells cry I out. with a loud voice from attio to i biiseracat. Tho ground floor tenants often take the , whole house, and mako their livin:; by sub-letting. They urn tho aristocrats of the alley, and many of them live in tho bloated luxury of three rooms decently furnished, and thrco meals a day. -Most of tbo doors j aro ojien. and lead to a common stairway, a peculiarity of which is, Lhat tho higher you po up, tho moro you "conic down, , ' tho upper rooms being occupied by tho very poorest of tho poor. Bedraggled females aro lounging about, gossiping and nrguiur; with moro or less friendliness or hentecl temper. Fights are frequent, in the courtyard among women, as well as men. Ono of tho upper rooms of ono of these dens was occupied by n. woman and three children, friends of my boy-days. Two other daughters, when out of ."places," were there as well. Tbo solo furniture whs a bed," a ricketty table, a broken chair, a, kettle, and a few pieces of crockery. The bed was occupied by tho mother and two daughters. The three boys slept on tho floor. Occasionally, when the finances would allow it, a. bundle of straw was bought for their benefit; but as it was gradually requisitioned for tho purpose of boiling the kettle, they were often without nny, and huddled together on the bare boards, covered with tho ikirts of the women. Their mother got an occasional job at charing; tho boys foraged and bep.ged. Tho girls brought home, their scanty wages, and whatever they could purloin in the way of food, which wasn't much. A fast for a day or two was quite common. When tho girlr. wore at service, sometimes a mile or two away, some of tho children would be pent to them to get the refuse of tho family tea-pot, which was brought home and boiled up again for their mother. To all this misery was added thp knock of tho landlord on Monday moraine;, and the firm demand for rent. The scared family hushed whilo the mother feebly equivocated, and listened with trepidation to his bounce and threat to turn them on the street. Footwear was n mro luxury. Occasionally they cot fin old pair of fyiots at some of their bogEhiß places. Tho human animal, however, is capable of adapting itself to its environment to some extent. Kindly Nature came to their assistance, and ,i. n .l (!.„ ;m- .-, flii , "' , " broad sole of born, making them callous to ever; thing but tho biting sleet. U XWELCOME VIS! TORS. They had few visitors, but suffered from too much company nevertheless. The rooms wero verminous and their smell gave evidence of it. Ugh! You shudder. No doubt; but in tho absence of facilities for cleanliness, how could it be otherwise? They could not -et f bath, unless they fell overthe quay! Under such horrible conditions this family remained for several years, when, by 'a sudden turn of the wheel of Fortune, they wero rescued and restored to wholesome life and decency, and several of them at the present time tire fillinp; responsible positions. Fifty years h.ive. passed since the time of which 1 write, but a lump rises in my throat, and tears well to my eyes, when 1 think of tho soul-wither-ing, degrading poverty which blighted the lives of so many hundreds of thousands of TJ.itish workers —the outcome of backward social and economic conditions in a land teeming with wealth, many of the possessors of which rival in mad extravagance and luxury the old Roman emperors. But the dawn of a new era is surely approaching, ideals and aspirations which, forty years ago, wore scouted as idle chimeras and chiotic dreams, are rapidly corning within tho range of practical' politics. The sleeping giant. Labour, has awakened from the apathetic torpor in which he has lain for several centuries and is now steadily and insistently pressing forward to the goal—the realisation of his legitimate position in the work and welldoing of the world and its workers. There have never in the history o; the "British Parliament been so many earnest men seeking social reform as nt present. -'The people that wa.Kpd in darkness have seen a great liizht." It i s yet afar off. but we are ever drawing nearer the period when the h»nt and leaders of men shall be found, difiiusing the principles of right and justice, guided by the dictates of knowledge, experience, and eommonser.sp.