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from Jubilee Street on the Mile End Road。
〃Cawn yer let me 'ave somethin' for this； daughter？ Anythin'； Hi
don't mind。 Hi 'aven't 'ad a bite the blessed dy； an' Hi'm that fynt 。 。 。 〃
She was an old woman； clad in decent black rags； and in her hand she
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held a penny。 The one she had addressed as 〃daughter〃 was a careworn
woman of forty； proprietress and waitress of the house。
I waited； possibly as anxiously as the old woman； to see how the
appeal would be received。 It was four in the afternoon； and she looked
faint and sick。 The woman hesitated an instant； then brought a large plate
of 〃stewed lamb and young peas。〃 I was eating a plate of it myself； and it
is my judgment that the lamb was mutton and that the peas might have
been younger without being youthful。 However； the point is； the dish was
sold at sixpence； and the proprietress gave it for a penny； demonstrating
anew the old truth that the poor are the most charitable。
The old woman； profuse in her gratitude； took a seat on the other side
of the narrow table and ravenously attacked the smoking stew。 We ate
steadily and silently； the pair of us； when suddenly； explosively and most
gleefully； she cried out to me； …
〃Hi sold a box o' matches！ Yus；〃 she confirmed； if anything with
greater and more explosive glee。 〃Hi sold a box o' matches！ That's 'ow
Hi got the penny。〃
〃You must be getting along in years；〃 I suggested。
〃Seventy…four yesterday；〃 she replied； and returned with gusto to her
plate。
〃Blimey； I'd like to do something for the old girl； that I would； but this
is the first I've 'ad to…dy；〃 the young fellow alongside volunteered to me。
〃An' I only 'ave this because I 'appened to make an odd shilling washin'
out； Lord lumme！ I don't know 'ow many pots。〃
〃No work at my own tryde for six weeks；〃 he said further； in reply to
my questions； 〃nothin' but odd jobs a blessed long wy between。〃
One meets with all sorts of adventures in coffee…house； and I shall not
soon forget a Cockney Amazon in a place near Trafalgar Square； to whom
I tendered a sovereign when paying my score。 （By the way； one is
supposed to pay before he begins to eat； and if he be poorly dressed he is
compelled to pay before he eats）。
The girl bit the gold piece between her teeth； rang it on the counter；
and then looked me and my rags witheringly up and down。
〃Where'd you find it？〃 she at length demanded。
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〃Some mug left it on the table when he went out； eh； don't you think？〃
I retorted。
〃Wot's yer gyme？〃 she queried； looking me calmly in the eyes。
〃I makes 'em；〃 quoth I。
She sniffed superciliously and gave me the change in small silver； and
I had my revenge by biting and ringing every piece of it。
〃I'll give you a ha'penny for another lump of sugar in the tea；〃 I said。
〃I'll see you in 'ell first；〃 came the retort courteous。 Also； she
amplified the retort courteous in divers vivid and unprintable ways。
I never had much talent for repartee； but she knocked silly what little I
had； and I gulped down my tea a beaten man； while she gloated after me
even as I passed out to the street。
While 300；000 people of London live in one…room tenements； and
900；000 are illegally and viciously housed； 38；000 more are registered as
living in common lodging…housesknown in the vernacular as 〃doss…
houses。〃 There are many kinds of doss…houses； but in one thing they are
all alike； from the filthy little ones to the monster big ones paying five per
cent。 and blatantly lauded by smug middle…class men who know but one
thing about them； and that one thing is their uninhabitableness。 By this I
do not mean that the roofs leak or the walls are draughty； but what I do
mean is that life in them is degrading and unwholesome。
〃The poor man's hotel；〃 they are often called； but the phrase is
caricature。 Not to possess a room to one's self； in which sometimes to sit
alone； to be forced out of bed willy…nilly； the first thing in the morning； to
engage and pay anew for a bed each night； and never to have any privacy；
surely is a mode of existence quite different from that of hotel life。
This must not be considered a sweeping condemnation of the big
private and municipal lodging…houses and working…men's homes。 Far
from it。 They have remedied many of the atrocities attendant upon the
irresponsible small doss…houses； and they give the workman more for his
money than he ever received before； but that does not make them as
habitable or wholesome as the dwelling…place of a man should be who
does his work in the world。
The little private doss…houses； as a rule； are unmitigated horrors。 I have
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slept in them； and I know； but let me pass them by and confine myself to
the bigger and better ones。 Not far from Middlesex Street； Whitechapel；
I entered such a house； a place inhabited almost entirely by working men。
The entrance was by way of a flight of steps descending from the side…
walk to what was properly the cellar of the building。 Here were two
large and gloomily lighted rooms； in which men cooked and ate。 I had
intended to do some cooking myself； but the smell of the place stole away
my appetite； or； rather； wrested it from me； so I contented myself with
watching other men cook and eat。
One workman； home from work； sat down opposite me at the rough
wooden table； and began his meal。 A handful of salt on the not over…
clean table constituted his butter。 Into it he dipped his bread； mouthful
by mouthful； and washed it down with tea from a big mug。 A piece of
fish completed his bill of fare。 He ate silently； looking neither to right
nor left nor across at me。 Here and there； at the various tables； other men
were eating； just as silently。 In the whole room there was hardly a note
of conversation。 A feeling of gloom pervaded the ill…lighted place。
Many of them sat and broode