“Granny won’t get none of this,” she soliloquized, complacently1. “It’s all mine.”
Sitting on a doorstep she counted over the money with an entirely2 different feeling from what she had experienced when it was to be transferred to granny. Now it was all her own, and, though but fifty cents, it made her feel rich.
“What shall I do with it?” thought Tom.
She had a square meal in the middle of the day; but several hours had passed since then, and she felt hungry again; Tom did not see any necessity for remaining hungry, with fifty cents in her possession. She made her way, therefore, to another eating-house, where the prices were the same with those at the one before mentioned, and partook of another square 58meal, leaving out the pie. This reduced her capital to thirty cents. She felt that she ought to save this, to start in business upon in the morning. As a street-sweeper she required no capital except her broom; but though Tom was not troubled with pride, she preferred to sell papers, or take up some other street vocation3. Besides, she knew that as a street-sweeper on Broadway, she would be more likely to be discovered by the old woman whom she was now anxious to avoid.
After eating supper Tom went out into the streets, not knowing exactly how to spend her time. Usually, she had gone down into the court, or the street, and played with the children of her own and neighboring tenement4 houses. But now she did not care to venture back into the old locality.
So she strolled about the streets aimlessly, until she felt sleepy, and began to consider whereabouts to bestow5 herself for the night. She might have gone to the “Girls’ Lodging6 House,” if she had known of such an institution; but she had never 59heard of it. Chance brought her to a basement, on which was the sign,—
“LODGINGS—FIVE CENTS.”
This attracted Tom’s attention. If it had not been a cold night, she would have been willing to sleep out, which would have been cheaper; but it was a damp and chilly7 evening, and her dress was thin.
She went down some steps, and opened a door into a room very low-studded, and very dirty.
A stout9 woman, in a dirty calico loose-gown, was sitting in a chair, with a fat, unhealthy-looking baby in her lap.
“Where’s your lodgin’?” asked Tom.
“In back,” answered the woman, pointing to an inner room, partially11 revealed through a half-open door. It was dark, having no windows, and dirtier, if possible, than the front room. The floor was covered with straw, for beds and bedsteads were 60looked upon as unnecessary luxuries in this economical lodging-house.
“Is that the place?” asked Tom.
“Yes. Do you want to stop here to-night?”
Tom had not been accustomed to first-class hotels, still the accommodations at granny’s were rather better than this. However, the young Arab did not mind. She had no doubt she could sleep comfortably on the straw, and intimated her intention of stopping.
“Where’s your money?” asked the woman.
The invariable rule in this establishment was payment in advance, and, perhaps, considering the character of the customers, it was the safest rule that could be adopted.
Tom took out her money, and counted out five cents into the woman’s palm. She then put back the remainder in her pocket. If she had been less sleepy, she might have noticed the woman’s covetous12 glance, and been led to doubt the safety of her small fortune. But Tom was sleepy, and her main idea was to go to bed as soon as possible.
Tom’s preparation for bed did not take long. No undressing was required, for it was the custom here to sleep with the day’s clothes on. Tom stowed herself away in a corner, and in five minutes was asleep.
No sooner did her deep, regular breathing indicate slumber15, than the landlady began to indulge in various suspicious movements. She first put down her baby, and then taking a lantern,—the only light which could safely be carried into the lodging-room, on account of the straw upon the floor,—crept quietly into the inner room.
“She’s fast asleep,” she muttered.
She approached Tom with cautious step. She need not have been afraid to awaken16 her. Tom was a good sleeper17, and not likely to wake up, unless roughly awakened18, until morning.
Tom was lying on her side, with her face resting on one hand.
62The woman stooped down, and began to look for the pocket in which she kept her money; but it was in that part of her dress upon which she was lying. This embarrassed the woman somewhat, but an idea occurred to her. She took up a straw, and, bending over, gently tickled19 Tom’s ear. Tom shook her head, as a cat would under similar circumstances, and on its being repeated turned over, muttering, “Don’t, granny!”
This was what her dishonest landlady wanted. She thrust her hand into Tom’s pocket, and drew out the poor girl’s entire worldly treasure. Tom, unconscious of the robbery, slept on; and the woman went back to the front room to wait for more lodgers20. They began to come in about ten, and by twelve the room was full. It was a motley collection, and would have been a curious, though sad study, to any humane21 observer. They were most of them in the last stages of ill-fortune, yet among them was more than one who had once filled a respectable position in society. Here was a man of thirty-five, who ten years before had filled a good place, with a fair salary, in a city bank. But in an evil hour he helped himself to some of the 63funds of the bank. He lost his situation, and, though he escaped imprisonment22, found his prospects23 blasted. So he had gone down hill, until at length he found himself reduced to such a lodging-house as this, fortunate if he could command the small sum needful to keep him from a night in the streets.
Next him was stretched a man who was deserving still more pity, since his misfortunes sprang rather from a want of judgment24 than from his own fault. He was a scholar, with a fair knowledge of Latin and Greek, and some ability as a writer. He was an Englishman who had come to the city in the hope of making his acquisitions available, but had met with very poor encouragement. He found that both among teachers and writers the demand exceeded the supply, at least for those of moderate qualifications; and, having no influential25 friends, had sought for employment almost in vain. His small stock of money dwindled26, his suit became shabby, until he found himself, to his deep mortification27 and disgust, compelled to resort to such lodging-houses as this, where he was obliged to herd28 with the lowest and most abandoned class.
64Next to him lay a mechanic, once in profitable employment. But drink had been his ruin; and now he was a vagabond, spending the little money he earned, at rum-shops, except what was absolutely necessary for food.
There is no need of cataloguing the remainder of Meg Morely’s lodgers. Her low rates generally secured her a room-full, and a dozen, sometimes more, were usually packed away on the floor. On the whole she found it a paying business, though her charges were low. Sixty cents a day was quite a respectable addition to her income, and she had occupied the same place for two years already. Tom’s experience will show that she had other, and not quite so lawful29, ways of swelling30 her receipts, but she was cautious not to put them in practice, unless she considered it prudent31, as in the present instance.
It was seven o’clock when Tom awoke. She looked around her in bewilderment, thinking at first she must be in granny’s room. But a glance at the prostrate32 forms around her brought back the events of the day before, and gave her a realizing sense of her present situation.
65“I’ve had a good sleep,” said Tom to herself, stretching, by way of relief from her constrained33 position. “I guess it’s time to get up.”
She rubbed her eyes, and shook back her hair, and then rising, went into the front room. Her landlady was already up and getting breakfast.
“What time is it?” asked Tom.
“It’s just gone seven,” said Meg, looking sharply at Tom to see if she had discovered the loss of her money. “How did you sleep?”
“Tip-top.”
“Come ag’in.”
“All right!” said Tom. “Maybe I will.”
She climbed up the basement stairs to the street above, and began to think of what the day had in store for her. Her prospects were not brilliant certainly; but Tom on the whole felt in good spirits. She had thrown off the yoke34 of slavery. She was her own mistress now, and granny’s power was broken. Tom felt that she could get along somehow. She had confidence in herself, and was sure something would turn up for her.
“Now, what’ll I do first?” thought Tom.
66With twenty-five cents in her pocket, and a good appetite, breakfast naturally suggested itself.
She dove her hand into her pocket, but the face of the little Arab almost instantly expressed deep dismay.
Her money was gone!
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1
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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8
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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covetous
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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16
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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17
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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18
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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19
tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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lodgers
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| n.房客，租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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