Not five minutes' walk from Mrs. Halliburton's house, and nearer to Helstonleigh, a turning out of the main road led you to quite a colony of workwomen—gloveresses, as they were termed in the local phraseology. It was a long, wide lane; the houses, some larger, some smaller, built on either side of it. A road quite wide enough for health if the inhabitants had only kept it as it ought to have been kept: but they did not do so. The highway was made a common receptacle for refuse. It was so much easier to open the kitchen door (most of the houses were entered at once by the kitchen), and to "chuck" things out, pêle-mêle, rather than be at the trouble of conveying them to the proper receptacle, the dust-bin at the back. Occasionally a solitary5 policeman would come, picking his way through the dirt and dust, and order it to be removed; upon which some slight improvement would be visible for a day or two. The name of this charming place was Honey Fair; though, in truth, it was redolent of nothing so pleasant as honey.
Of the occupants of these houses, the husbands and elder sons were all glove operatives; several of them in the manufactory of Mr. Ashley. The wives sewed the gloves at home. Many a similar colony to Honey Fair was there in Helstonleigh, but in hearing of one you hear of all. The trade was extensively pursued. A very few of the manufactories were of the extent that was Mr. Ashley's; and they gradually descended6 in size, until some comprised not half a score workmen, all told; but whose masters alike dignified7 themselves by the title of "manufacturer."
There flourished a shop in the general line in Honey Fair kept by a Mrs. Buffle, a great gossip. Her husband, a well-meaning, steady little man, mincing8 in his speech and gait, scrupulously9 neat and clean in his attire10, and thence called "the dandy," was chief workman at one of the smallest of the establishments. He had three men and two boys under him; and so he styled himself the "foreman." No one knew half so much of the affairs of their neighbours as did Mrs. Buffle; no one could tell of the ill-doings and shortcomings of Honey Fair as she could. Many a gloveress girl, running in at dusk for a halfpenny candle, did not receive it until she had first submitted to a lecture from Mrs. Buffle. Not that her custom was all of this ignoble11 description: some of the gentlemen's houses in the neighbourhood would deal with her in a chance way, when out of articles at home. Her wares12 were good; her home-cured bacon was particularly good. Amidst other olfactory13 treats indigenous14 to Honey Fair was that of pigs and pig-sties, kept by Mrs. Buffle.
Occasionally Mrs. Halliburton would go to this shop; it was nearer to her house than any other; and, in her small way, had been extensively patronised by her. Of all her customers, Mrs. Halliburton was the one who most puzzled Mrs. Buffle. In the first place, she never gossiped; in the second, though evidently a lady, she would carry her purchases home herself. The very servants from the very large houses, coming flaunting15 in their smart caps, would loftily order their pound of bacon or shillingsworth of eggs sent home for them. Mrs. Halliburton took hers away in her own hand; and this puzzled Mrs. Buffle. "But her pays ready money," observed that lady, when relating this to another customer, "so 'tain't my place to grumble16."
During the summer weather, whenever Jane had occasion to walk through Honey Fair, on her way to this shop, she would linger to admire the women at their open doors and windows, busy over their nice clean work. Rocking the cradle with one foot, or jogging the baby on their knees, to a tune17 of their own composing, their hands would be ever active at their employment. Some made the gloves; that is, seamed the fingers together and put in the thumbs, and these were called "makers18." Some welted, or hemmed19 the gloves round at the edge of the wrist; these were called "welters." Some worked the three ornamental20 lines on the back; and these were called "pointers." Some of the work was done in what was called a patent machine, whereby the stitches were rendered perfectly21 equal. And some of the stouter22 gloves were stitched together, instead of being sewn: stitching so beautifully regular and neat, that a stranger would look at it in admiration23. In short, there were different branches in the making and sewing of gloves, as there are in most trades.
It now struck Jane that she might find employment at this work until better times should come round. True, she had never worked at it; but she was expert with her needle, and it was easily acquired. She possessed24 a dry, cool hand, too; a great thing where sewing-silk, sometimes floss silk, has to be used. What cared she for lowering herself to the employment only dealt out to the poor? Was she not poor herself? And who knew her in Helstonleigh?
The day that Mr. Ashley removed the dreaded25 visitor from her house, Jane had occasion to speak to Elizabeth Carter, her young servant's mother. At dusk, putting aside the frock she was making for Anna, Jane proceeded to Honey Fair, in which perfumed locality Mrs. Carter lived. An agreement had been entered into that Betsy should still go to Mrs. Halliburton's to do the washing (after her own fashion, but Jane could not afford to be fastidious now), and also what was wanted in the way of scouring—Betsy being paid a trifle in return, and instructed in the mysteries of reading and writing.
"'Taint26 no profit," observed Mrs. Carter to a crony, "but 'taint no loss. Her won't do nothing at home, let me cry after her as I will. Out her goes, gampusing to this house, gampusing to that; but not a bit of work'll her stick to at home. If these new folks can keep her to work a bit, so much the better; it'll be getting her hand in; and better still, if they teaches her to read and write. Her wouldn't learn nothing from the school-missis."
Not a very favourable27 description of Miss Betsy. But, what the girl chiefly wanted was a firm hand over her. Her temper and disposition28 were good; but she was an only child, and her mother, though possessing a firm hand, and a firm tongue, too, in general—none more so in Honey Fair—had spoilt and indulged Miss Betsy until her authority was gone.
After her business was over this evening with Mrs. Carter, Jane, who wanted some darning cotton, turned into Mrs. Buffle's shop. That priestess was in her accustomed place behind the counter. She curtseyed twice, and spoke29 in a low, subdued30 tone, in deference31 to the widow's cap and bonnet—to the deep mourning altogether, which Mrs. Buffle's curiosity had not had the gratification of beholding32 before.
"Would you like it fine or coarse, mum? Here's both. 'Taint a great assortment33, but it's the best quality. I don't have much call for darning cotton, mum; the folks round about is always at their gloving work."
"But they must mend their stockings," observed Jane.
"Not they," returned Mrs. Buffle. "They'd go in naked heels, mum, afore they'd take a needle and darn 'em up. They have took to wear them untidy boots to cover the holes, and away they go with 'em unlaced; tongue hanging, and tag trailing half a mile behind 'em. Great big slatterns, they be!"
"They seem always at work," remarked Jane.
"Always at work!" repeated Mrs. Buffle. "You don't know much of 'em, mum, or you'd not say it. They'll play one day, and work the next; that's their work. It's only a few of the steady ones that'll work regular, all the week through."
"What could a good, steady workwoman earn a week at the glove-making?"
"That depends, mum, upon how close she stuck to it," responded Mrs. Buffle.
"I mean, sitting closely."
"Oh, well," debated Mrs. Buffle carelessly, "she might earn ten shillings a week, and do it comfortable."
Ten shillings a week! Jane's heart beat hopefully. Upon ten shillings a week she might manage to exist, to keep her children from starvation, until better days arose. She, impelled34 by necessity, could sit longer and closer, too, than perhaps those women did. Mrs. Buffle continued, full of inward gratulation that her silent customer had come round to gossip at last.
"They be the improvidentest things in the world, mum, these gloveress girls. Sundays they be dressed up as grand as queens, flowers inside their bonnets35, and ribbuns out, a-setting the churches and chapels36 alight with their finery; and then off for walks with their sweethearts, all the afternoon and evening. Mondays is mostly spent in waste, gathering37 of themselves at each other's houses, talking and laughing, or, may be, off to the fields again—anything for idleness. Tuesdays is often the same, and then the rest of the week they has to scout38 over their work, to get it in on the Saturday. Ah! you don't know 'em, mum."
Jane paid for her darning cotton and came away, much to Mrs. Buffle's regret. "Ten shillings a week," kept ringing in her ears.
点击收听单词发音
1 abounded | |
v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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3 toiling | |
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 ); 艰难缓慢地移动,跋涉 | |
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4 accomplishment | |
n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能 | |
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5 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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6 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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7 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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8 mincing | |
adj.矫饰的;v.切碎;切碎 | |
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9 scrupulously | |
adv.一丝不苟地;小心翼翼地,多顾虑地 | |
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10 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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11 ignoble | |
adj.不光彩的,卑鄙的;可耻的 | |
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12 wares | |
n. 货物, 商品 | |
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13 olfactory | |
adj.嗅觉的 | |
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14 indigenous | |
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的 | |
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15 flaunting | |
adj.招摇的,扬扬得意的,夸耀的v.炫耀,夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 );有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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16 grumble | |
vi.抱怨;咕哝;n.抱怨,牢骚;咕哝,隆隆声 | |
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17 tune | |
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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18 makers | |
n.制造者,制造商(maker的复数形式) | |
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19 hemmed | |
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围 | |
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20 ornamental | |
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物 | |
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21 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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22 stouter | |
粗壮的( stout的比较级 ); 结实的; 坚固的; 坚定的 | |
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23 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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24 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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25 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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26 taint | |
n.污点;感染;腐坏;v.使感染;污染 | |
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27 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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28 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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29 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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30 subdued | |
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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31 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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32 beholding | |
v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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33 assortment | |
n.分类,各色俱备之物,聚集 | |
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34 impelled | |
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 bonnets | |
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子 | |
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36 chapels | |
n.小教堂, (医院、监狱等的)附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 );(在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的)礼拜仪式 | |
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37 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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38 scout | |
n.童子军,侦察员;v.侦察,搜索 | |
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