The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists [129]
dear frens hi ham so glad tonight as I can stand 'ere tonight and say as hall my sins is hunder the blood tonight and wot 'E's done for me 'E can do for you tonight. If you'll honly do as I done and just acknowledge yourself a lost sinner -'
`Yes! that's the honly way!' shouted Nimrod.
`Amen,' cried all the other believers.
`- If you'll honly come to 'im tonight in the same way as I done you'll see wot 'E's done for me 'E can do for you. Ho my dear frens, don't go puttin' it orf from day to day like a door turnin' on its 'inges, don't put orf to some more convenient time because you may never 'ave another chance. 'Im that bein' orfen reproved 'ardeneth 'is neck shall be suddenly cut orf and that without remedy. Ho come to 'im tonight, for 'Is name's sake and to 'Im we'll give hall the glory. Amen.'
`Amen,' said the believers, fervently, and then the man who was dressed in the long garment entreated all those who were not yet true believers - and doers - of the word to join earnestly and MEANINGLY in the singing of the closing hymn, which he was about to read out to them.
The Semi-drunk obligingly conducted as before, and the crowd faded away with the last notes of the music.
Chapter 24
Ruth
As has already been stated, hitherto Slyme had passed the greater number of his evenings at home, but during the following three weeks a change took place in his habits in this respect. He now went out nearly every night and did not return until after ten o'clock. On meeting nights he always changed his attire, dressing himself as on Sundays, but on the other occasions he went out in his week-day clothes. Ruth often wondered where he went on those nights, but he never volunteered the information and she never asked him.
Easton had chummed up with a lot of the regular customers at the `Cricketers', where he now spent most of his spare time, drinking beer, telling yarns or playing shove-ha'penny or hooks and rings. When he had no cash the Old Dear gave him credit until Saturday. At first, the place had not had much attraction for him, and he really went there only for the purpose of `keeping in' with Crass: but after a time he found it a very congenial way of passing his evenings ...
One evening, Ruth saw Slyme meet Crass as if by appointment and as the two men went away together she returned to her housework wondering what it meant.
Meantime, Crass and Slyme proceeded on their way down town. It was about half past six o'clock: the shops and streets were brilliantly lighted, and as they went along they saw numerous groups of men talking together in a listless way. Most of them were artisans and labourers out of employment and evidently in no great hurry to go home. Some of them had neither tea nor fire to go to, and stayed away from home as long as possible so as not to be compelled to look upon the misery of those who were waiting for them there. Others hung about hoping against all probability that they might even yet - although it was so late - hear of some job to be started somewhere or other.
As they passed one of these groups they recognized and nodded to Newman and old Jack Linden, and the former left the others and came up to Crass and Slyme, who did not pause, so Newman walked along with them.
`Anything fresh in, Bob?' he asked.
`No; we ain't got 'ardly anything,' replied Crass. `I reckon we shall finish up at "The Cave" next week, and then I suppose we shall all be stood orf. We've got several plumbers on, and I believe there's a little gas-fitting work in, but next to nothing in our line.'
`I suppose you don't know of any other firm what's got anything?'
`No, I don't, mate. Between you and me, I don't think any of 'em has; they're all in about the same fix.'
`I've not done anything since I left, you know,' said Newman, `and we've just about got as far as we can get, at home.'
Slyme and Crass said nothing in reply to this. They wished that Newman would take himself off, because they did not want him to know where they were going.
However, Newman continued
`Yes! that's the honly way!' shouted Nimrod.
`Amen,' cried all the other believers.
`- If you'll honly come to 'im tonight in the same way as I done you'll see wot 'E's done for me 'E can do for you. Ho my dear frens, don't go puttin' it orf from day to day like a door turnin' on its 'inges, don't put orf to some more convenient time because you may never 'ave another chance. 'Im that bein' orfen reproved 'ardeneth 'is neck shall be suddenly cut orf and that without remedy. Ho come to 'im tonight, for 'Is name's sake and to 'Im we'll give hall the glory. Amen.'
`Amen,' said the believers, fervently, and then the man who was dressed in the long garment entreated all those who were not yet true believers - and doers - of the word to join earnestly and MEANINGLY in the singing of the closing hymn, which he was about to read out to them.
The Semi-drunk obligingly conducted as before, and the crowd faded away with the last notes of the music.
Chapter 24
Ruth
As has already been stated, hitherto Slyme had passed the greater number of his evenings at home, but during the following three weeks a change took place in his habits in this respect. He now went out nearly every night and did not return until after ten o'clock. On meeting nights he always changed his attire, dressing himself as on Sundays, but on the other occasions he went out in his week-day clothes. Ruth often wondered where he went on those nights, but he never volunteered the information and she never asked him.
Easton had chummed up with a lot of the regular customers at the `Cricketers', where he now spent most of his spare time, drinking beer, telling yarns or playing shove-ha'penny or hooks and rings. When he had no cash the Old Dear gave him credit until Saturday. At first, the place had not had much attraction for him, and he really went there only for the purpose of `keeping in' with Crass: but after a time he found it a very congenial way of passing his evenings ...
One evening, Ruth saw Slyme meet Crass as if by appointment and as the two men went away together she returned to her housework wondering what it meant.
Meantime, Crass and Slyme proceeded on their way down town. It was about half past six o'clock: the shops and streets were brilliantly lighted, and as they went along they saw numerous groups of men talking together in a listless way. Most of them were artisans and labourers out of employment and evidently in no great hurry to go home. Some of them had neither tea nor fire to go to, and stayed away from home as long as possible so as not to be compelled to look upon the misery of those who were waiting for them there. Others hung about hoping against all probability that they might even yet - although it was so late - hear of some job to be started somewhere or other.
As they passed one of these groups they recognized and nodded to Newman and old Jack Linden, and the former left the others and came up to Crass and Slyme, who did not pause, so Newman walked along with them.
`Anything fresh in, Bob?' he asked.
`No; we ain't got 'ardly anything,' replied Crass. `I reckon we shall finish up at "The Cave" next week, and then I suppose we shall all be stood orf. We've got several plumbers on, and I believe there's a little gas-fitting work in, but next to nothing in our line.'
`I suppose you don't know of any other firm what's got anything?'
`No, I don't, mate. Between you and me, I don't think any of 'em has; they're all in about the same fix.'
`I've not done anything since I left, you know,' said Newman, `and we've just about got as far as we can get, at home.'
Slyme and Crass said nothing in reply to this. They wished that Newman would take himself off, because they did not want him to know where they were going.
However, Newman continued