Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell (fiction novels to read .txt) 📕

incomes are the lowest, they are compelled to buy the most expensive

articles - that is, the lowest-priced articles. Everybody knows that

good clothes, boots or furniture are really the cheapest in the end,

although they cost more money at first; but the working classes can

seldom or never afford to buy good things; they have to buy cheap

rubbish which is dear at any price.

Six weeks previously Owen bought a pair of second-hand boots for three

shillings and they were now literally falling to pieces. Nora’s shoes

were in much the same condition, but, as she said, it did not matter

so much about hers because there was no need for her to go out if the

weather were not fine.

In addition to the articles already mentioned, they had to spend

fourpence for half a gallon of paraffin oil, and to put sixpence into

the slot of the gas-stove. This reduced the money to five and

sevenpence farthing, and of this it was necessary to spend a shilling

on potatoes and other vegetables.

They both needed some new underclothing, for what they had was so old

and worn that it was quite useless for the purpose it was supposed to

serve; but there was no use thinking of these things, for they had now

only four shillings and sevenpence farthing left, and all that would

be needed for toys. They had to buy something special for Frankie for

Christmas, and it would also be necessary to buy something for each of

the children who were coming to the party on the following Monday.

Fortunately, there was no meat to buy, for Nora had been paying into

the Christmas Club at the butcher’s as well as at the grocer’s. So

this necessary was already paid for.

They stopped to look at the display of toys at Sweater’s Emporium.

For several days past Frankie had been talking of the wonders

contained in these windows, so they wished if possible to buy him

something here. They recognized many of the things from the

description the boy had given of them, but nearly everything was so

dear that for a long time they looked in vain for something it would

be possible to buy.

`That’s the engine he talks so much about,’ said Non, indicating a

model railway locomotive; that one marked five shillings.’

`It might just as well be marked five pounds as far as we’re

concerned,’ replied Owen.

As they were speaking, one of the salesmen appeared at the back of the

window and, reaching forward, removed the engine. It was probably the

last one of the kind and had evidently just been sold. Owen and Nora

experienced a certain amount of consolation in knowing that even if

they had the money they would not have been able to buy it.

After lengthy consideration, they decided on a clockwork engine at a

shilling, but the other toys they resolved to buy at a cheaper shop.

Nora went into the Emporium to get the toy and whilst Owen was waiting

for her Mr and Mrs Rushton came out. They did not appear to see Owen,

who observed that the shape of one of several parcels they carried

suggested that it contained the engine that had been taken from the

window a little while before.

When Nora returned with her purchase, they went in search of a cheaper

place and after a time they found what they wanted. For sixpence they

bought a cardboard box that had come all the way from Japan and

contained a whole family of dolls - father, mother and four children

of different sizes. A box of paints, threepence: a sixpenny tea

service, a threepenny drawing slate, and a rag doll, sixpence.

On their way home they called at a greengrocer’s where Owen had

ordered and paid for a small Christmas tree a few weeks before; and as

they were turning the corner of the street where they lived they met

Crass, half-drunk, with a fine fat goose slung over his shoulder by

its neck. He greeted Owen jovially and held up the bird for their

inspection.

`Not a bad tanner’s-worth, eh?’ he hiccoughed. `This makes two we’ve

got. I won this and a box of cigars - fifty - for a tanner, and the

other one I got out of the Club at our Church Mission ‘all: threepence

a week for twenty-eight weeks; that makes seven bob. But,’ he added,

confidentially,`‘you couldn’t buy ‘em for that price in a shop, you

know. They costs the committee a good bit more nor that - wholesale;

but we’ve got some rich gents on our committee and they makes up the

difference,’ and with a nod and a cunning leer he lurched off.

Frankie was sleeping soundly when they reached home, and so was the

kitten, which was curled up on the quilt on the foot of the bed.

After they had had some supper, although it was after eleven o’clock,

Owen fixed the tree in a large flowerpot that had served a similar

purpose before, and Nora brought out from the place where it had been

stored away since last Christmas a cardboard box containing a lot of

glittering tinsel ornaments - globes of silvered or gilded or painted

glass, birds, butterflies and stars. Some of these things had done

duty three Christmases ago and although they were in some instances

slightly tarnished most of them were as good as new. In addition to

these and the toys they had bought that evening they had a box of

bon-bons and a box of small coloured wax candles, both of which had

formed part of the things they got from the grocer’s with the

Christmas Club money; and there were also a lot of little coloured

paper bags of sweets, and a number of sugar and chocolate toys and

animals which had been bought two or three at a time for several weeks

past and put away for this occasion. There was something suitable for

each child that was coming, with the exception of Bert White; they had

intended to include a sixpenny pocket knife for him in their purchases

that evening, but as they had not been able to afford this Owen

decided to give him an old set of steel paining combs which he knew

the lad had often longed to possess. The tin case containing these

tools was accordingly wrapped in some red tissue paper and hung on the

tree with the other things.

They moved about as quietly as possible so as not to disturb those who

were sleeping in the rooms beneath, because long before they were

finished the people in the other parts of the house had all retired to

rest, and silence had fallen on the deserted streets outside. As they

were putting the final touches to their work the profound stillness of

the night was suddenly broken by the voices of a band of carol-singers.

The sound overwhelmed them with memories of other and happier times,

and Nora stretched out her hands impulsively to Owen, who drew her

close to his side.

They had been married just over eight years, and although during all

that time they had never been really free from anxiety for the future,

yet on no previous Christmas had they been quite so poor as now.

During the last few years periods of unemployment had gradually become

more frequent and protracted, and the attempt he had made in the early

part of the year to get work elsewhere had only resulted in plunging

them into even greater poverty than before. But all the same there

was much to be thankful for: poor though they were, they were far

better off than many thousands of others: they still had food and

shelter, and they had each other and the boy.

Before they went to bed Owen carried the tree into Frankie’s bedroom

and placed it so that he would be able to see it in all its glittering

glory as soon as he awoke on Christmas morning.