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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
their food。 Only a couple of weeks ago； an East End woman was in
trouble； because； in this fashion； being unable to bury it； she had kept her
dead child three weeks。
Now such a room as I have described is not home but horror； and the
men and women who flee away from it to the public…house are to be pitied；
not blamed。 There are 300；000 people； in London； divided into families
that live in single rooms； while there are 900；000 who are illegally housed
according to the Public Health Act of 1891a respectable recruiting…
ground for the drink traffic。
Then there are the insecurity of happiness； the precariousness of
existence； the well…founded fear of the futurepotent factors in driving
people to drink。 Wretchedness squirms for alleviation； and in the public…
house its pain is eased and forgetfulness is obtained。 It is unhealthy。
Certainly it is； but everything else about their lives is unhealthy； while this
brings the oblivion that nothing else in their lives can bring。 It even
exalts them； and makes them feel that they are finer and better； though at
the same time it drags them down and makes them more beastly than ever。
For the unfortunate man or woman； it is a race between miseries that ends
with death。
It is of no avail to preach temperance and teetotalism to these people。
The drink habit may be the cause of many miseries； but it is； in turn； the
effect of other and prior miseries。 The temperance advocates may preach
their hearts out over the evils of drink； but until the evils that cause people
to drink are abolished； drink and its evils will remain。
Until the people who try to help realise this； their well… intentioned
efforts will be futile； and they will present a spectacle fit only to set
Olympus laughing。 I have gone through an exhibition of Japanese art；
got up for the poor of Whitechapel with the idea of elevating them； of
begetting in them yearnings for the Beautiful and True and Good。
Granting （what is not so） that the poor folk are thus taught to know and
yearn after the Beautiful and True and Good； the foul facts of their
existence and the social law that dooms one in three to a public…charity
death； demonstrate that this knowledge and yearning will be only so much
of an added curse to them。 They will have so much more to forget than if
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
they had never known and yearned。 Did Destiny to…day bind me down to
the life of an East End slave for the rest of my years； and did Destiny grant
me but one wish； I should ask that I might forget all about the Beautiful
and True and Good； that I might forget all I had learned from the open
books； and forget the people I had known； the things I had heard； and the
lands I had seen。 And if Destiny didn't grant it； I am pretty confident that
I should get drunk and forget it as often as possible。
These people who try to help！ Their college settlements； missions；
charities； and what not； are failures。 In the nature of things they cannot
but be failures。 They are wrongly； though sincerely； conceived。 They
approach life through a misunderstanding of life； these good folk。 They
do not understand the West End； yet they come down to the East End as
teachers and savants。 They do not understand the simple sociology of
Christ； yet they come to the miserable and the despised with the pomp of
social redeemers。 They have worked faithfully； but beyond relieving an
infinitesimal fraction of misery and collecting a certain amount of data
which might otherwise have been more scientifically and less expensively
collected； they have achieved nothing。
As some one has said； they do everything for the poor except get off
their backs。 The very money they dribble out in their child's schemes has
been wrung from the poor。 They come from a race of successful and
predatory bipeds who stand between the worker and his wages； and they
try to tell the worker what he shall do with the pitiful balance left to him。
Of what use； in the name of God； is it to establish nurseries for women
workers； in which； for instance； a child is taken while the mother makes
violets in Islington at three farthings a gross； when more children and
violet…makers than they can cope with are being born right along？ This
violet…maker handles each flower four times； 576 handlings for three
farthings； and in the day she handles the flowers 6912 times for a wage of
ninepence。 She is being robbed。 Somebody is on her back； and a
yearning for the Beautiful and True and Good will not lighten her burden。
They do nothing for her； these dabblers； and what they do not do for the
mother； undoes at night； when the child comes home； all that they have
done for the child in the day。
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And one and all； they join in teaching a fundamental lie。 They do not
know it is a lie； but their ignorance does not make it more of a truth。 And
the lie they preach is 〃thrift。〃 An instant will demonstrate it。 In
overcrowded London； the struggle for a chance to work is keen； and
because of this struggle wages sink to the lowest means of subsistence。
To be thrifty means for a worker to spend less than his incomein other
words； to live on less。 This is equivalent to a lowering of the standard of
living。 In the competition for a chance to work； the man with a lower
standard of living will underbid the man with a higher standard。 And a
small group of such thrifty workers in any overcrowded industry will
permanently lower the wages of that industry。 And the thrifty ones will
no longer be thrifty； for their income will have been reduced till it balances
their expenditure。
In short； thrift negates thrift。 If every worker in England should heed
the preachers of thri