My mother has been in the streets selling
all her lifetime. Her uncle learnt her the
markets and she learnt me. When business
grew bad, she said to me, "Now you shall
take care on the stall, and I'll go and
work out charing."
>> note 2 The
way she learnt me the markets was to judge of the weight of the baskets of
apples, and then said she, "Always bate
>> note 3 'em
down, a'most a half." I always liked the street-life well, that
was if I was selling. I have mostly kept a stall myself, but I've known
gals as walk about with apples, as have told me that the weight of the baskets
is sich that the neck cricks, and when the load is took off, it's just
as if you'd a stiff neck, and the head feels as light as a feather. The
gals begins working very early at our work; the parents makes them go out
when a'most babies. There's a little gal, I'm sure she an't
more than half-past seven, that stands selling water-cresses next my stall,
and mother was saying, "Only look here, how that little one has to get
her living afore she a'most knows what a penn'orth means."
There's six on us in family, and father
and mother makes eight. Father used to do
odd jobs with the gas-pipes in the streets,
and when work was slack we had very hard
times of it. Mother always liked being with
us at home, and used to manage to keep us
employed out of mischief — she'd
give us an old gown to make into pinafores
for children and such like! She's been
very good to us, has mother, and so's
father. She always liked to hear us read
to her whilst she was washing or such like!
And then we big ones had to learn the little
ones. But when father's work got slack,
if she had no employment charing, she'd
say, "Now I'll go and buy a bushel
of apples," and then she'd turn
out and get a penny that way. I suppose by
sitting in the stall from nine in the morning
till the shops shuts up — say ten o-clock
at night, I can earn about 1s.6d. a day.
* * *
I dare say there ain't ten out of a
hundred gals what's living with men,
what's been married Church of England
fashion. I know plenty myself but I don't,
indeed, think it right. It seems to me that
the gals is fools to be 'ticed away,
but, in coorse, they needn't go without
they likes. This is why I don't think
it's right. Perhaps a man will have a
few words with his gal, and he'll say, "Oh!
I ain't obligated to keep her!" and
then he'll turn her out: and then where's
that poor gal to go? * * *
Only last night father was talking about
religion. We often talks about religion.
Father has told me that God made the world,
and I've heard him talk about the first
man and woman as was made and lived — it
must be more than a hundred years ago — but
I don't like to speak on what I don't
know. Father, too, has told me about our
Saviour what was nailed on a cross to suffer
for such people as we is. Father has told
us, too, about his giving a great many poor
people a penny loaf and a bit of fish each,
which proves him to have been a very kind
gentleman. The Ten Commandments was made
by him, I've heerd say, and he performed
them too among other miracles. Yes! this
is part of what our Saviour tells us. We
are to forgive everybody, and do nobody no
injury. I don't think I could forgive
an enemy if she injured me very much; I'm
sure I don't know why I couldn't,
unless it is that I'm poor, and learnt
to do it. * * * They says in the Bible that
the world was made in six days: the beasts,
the birds, the fish, and all. * * * There
was only one house at that time as was made,
and that was the Ark for Adam and Eve and
their family. It seems very wonderful indeed
how all this world was done so quick. I should
have thought that England alone would have
took double the time; shouldn't you,
sir? But then it says in the Bible, God Almighty's
a just and true God, and in coorse time would
be nothing to him. When a good person is
dying, we says, "The Lord has called
upon him, and he must go," but I can't
think what it means, unless it is that an
angel comes — like when we're a-dreaming — and
tells the party he's wanted in heaven.
I know where heaven is; it's above the
clouds, and they're placed there to prevent
us seeing into it. That's where all the
good people go, but I'm afeerd * * *
there's very few costers among the angels — 'specially
those as deceives poor gals.
No, I don't think this world could well
go on for ever. There's a great deal
of ground in it, certainly, and it seems
very strong at present; but they say there's
to be a flood on the earth, and earthquakes,
and that will destroy it. * * * If we cheats
in the streets, I know we shan't go to
Heaven; but it's very hard upon us, for
if we didn't cheat we couldn't live,
profits is so bad. It's the same with
the shops, and I suppose the young men there
won't go to Heaven neither; but if people
won't give the money, both costers and
tradesmen must cheat, and that's very
hard. Why look at apples! Customers want
them for less than they cost us, and so we
are forced to shove in bad ones as well as
good ones; and if we're to suffer for
that, it does seem to me dreadful cruel.