Homesthereare,wearesure,thatarenohomes:thehomeoftheverypoorman,andanotherwhichweshallspeaktopresently.Crowdedplacesofcheapentertainment,andthebenchesofale-houses,iftheycouldspeak,mightbearmournfultestimonytothefirst.Tothemtheverypoormanresortsforanimageofthehome,whichhecannotfindathome.Forastarvedgrate,andascantyfiring,thatisnotenoughtokeepalivethenaturalheatinthefingersofsomanyshiveringchildrenwiththeirmother,hefindsinthedepthofwinteralwaysablazinghearth,andahobtowarmhispittanceofbeerby.Insteadoftheclamoursofawife,madegauntbyfamishing,hemeetswithacheerfulattendancebeyondthemeritsofthetriflewhichhecanaffordtospend.Hehaspanionswhichhishomedenieshim,fortheverypoormanhasnovisitors.Hecanlookintothegoingsonoftheworld,andspeakalittletopolitics.Athometherearenopoliticsstirring,butthedomestic.Allinterests,realorimaginary,alltopicsthatshouldexpandthemindofman,andconnecthimtoasympathywithgeneralexistence,arecrushedintheabsorbingconsiderationoffoodtobeobtainedforthefamily.Beyondthepriceofbread,newsissenselessandimpertinent.Athomethereisnolarder.Herethereisatleastashowofplenty;andwhilehecookshisleanscrapofbutchersmeatbeforethemonbars,ormuncheshishumblercoldviands,hisrelishingbreadandcheesewithanonion,inacorner,wherenoonereflectsuponhispoverty,hehassightofthesubstantialjointprovidingforthelandlordandhisfamily.Hetakesaninterestinthedressingofit;andwhileheassistsinremovingthetrivetfromthefire,hefeelsthatthereissuchathingasbeefandcabbage,whichhewasbeginningtoforgetathome.Allthiswhilehedesertshiswifeandchildren.Butwhatwife,andwhatchildren?Prosperousmen,whoobjecttothisdesertion,imagetothemselvessomecleancontentedfamilylikethatwhich[p264]theygohometo.Butlookatthecountenanceofthepoorwiveswhofollowandpersecutetheirgoodmantothedoorofthepublic-house,whichheisabouttoenter,whensomethinglikeshamewouldrestrainhim,ifstrongermiserydidnotinducehimtopassthethreshold.Thatface,groundbywant,inwhicheverycheerful,everyconversablelineamenthasbeenlongeffacedbymisery,isthatafacetostayathomewithisitmoreawoman,orawildcat?alas!itisthefaceofthewifeofhisyouth,thatoncesmileduponhim.Itcansmilenolonger.Whatfortscanitshare?whatburthenscanitlighten?Oh,`tisafinethingtotalkofthehumblemealsharedtogether!Butwhatiftherebenobreadinthecupboard?Theinnocentprattleofhischildrentakesoutthestingofamanspoverty.Butthechildrenoftheverypoordonotprattle.Itisnoneoftheleastfrightfulfeaturesinthatcondition,thatthereisnochildishnessinitsdwellings.Poorpeople,saidasensibleoldnursetousonce,donotbringuptheirchildren;theydragthemup.Thelittlecarelessdarlingofthewealthiernursery,intheirhovelistransformedbetimesintoaprematurereflectingperson.Noonehastimetodandleit,noonethinksitworthwhiletocoaxit,tosootheit,totossitupanddown,tohumourit.Thereisnonetokissawayitstears.Ifitcries,itcanonlybebeaten.Ithasbeenprettilysaidthat"ababeisfedwithmilkandpraise."Butthealimentofthispoorbabewasthin,unnourishing;thereturntoitslittlebaby-tricks,andeffortstoengageattention,bitterceaselessobjurgation.Itneverhadatoy,orknewwhatacoralmeant.Itgrewupwithoutthelullabyofnurses,itwasastrangertothepatientfondle,thehushingcaress,theattractingnovelty,thecostlierplaything,orthecheaperoffhandcontrivancetodivertthechild;theprattlednonsense(bestsensetoit),thewiseimpertinences,thewholesomelies,theaptstoryinterposed,thatputsastoptopresentsufferings,andawakensthepassionofyoungwonder.Itwasneversungto——nooneevertoldtoitataleofthenursery.Itwasdraggedup,toliveortodieasithappened.Ithadnoyoungdreams.Itbrokeatonceintotheironrealitiesoflife.Achildexistsnotfortheverypoorasanobjectofdalliance;itisonlyanothermouthtobefed,apairoflittlehandstobebetimesinuredtolabour.Itistherival,tillitcanbetheco-operator,forfoodwiththeparent.Itisneverhismirth,hisdiversion,hissolace;itnevermakeshimyoungagain,withrecallinghisyoungtimes.Thechildrenoftheverypoorhavenoyoungtimes.Itmakestheveryhearttobleedtooverhearthecasualstreet-talkbetweenapoorwomanandherlittlegirl,awomanofthebettersortofpoor,inaconditionratherabovethesqualidbeingswhichwehavebeencontemplating.Itisnotoftoys,ofnurserybooks,ofsummer[p265]holidays(fittingthatage);ofthepromisedsight,orplay;ofpraisedsufficiencyatschool.Itisofmanglingandclear-starching,ofthepriceofcoals,orofpotatoes.Thequestionsofthechild,thatshouldhetheveryoutpouringsofcuriosityinidleness,aremarkedwithforecastandmelancholyprovidence.Ithasetoheawoman,beforeitwasachild.Ithaslearnedtogotomarket;itchaffers,ithaggles,itenvies,itmurmurs;itisknowing,acute,sharpened;itneverprattles.Hadwenotreasontosay,thatthehomeoftheverypoorisnohome?
Thereisyetanotherhome,whichweareconstrainedtodenytobeone.Ithasalarder,whichthehomeofthepoormanwants;itsfiresideconveniences,ofwhichthepoordreamnot.Butwithallthis,itisnohome.Itis——thehouseofthemanthatisinfestedwithmanyvisitors.Maywehebrandedfortheveriestchurl,ifwedenyourhearttothemanynoble-heartedfriendsthatattimesexchangetheirdwellingforourpoorroof!Itisnotofgueststhatweplain,butofendless,purposelessvisitants;droppersin,astheyarecalled.Wesometimeswonderfromwhatskythefall.Itistheveryerrorofthepositionofourlodging;itshoroscopywasillcalculated,beingjustsituateinamedium——aplaguysuburbanmid-space——fittedtocatchidlersfromtownorcountry.Weareolderthanwewere,andageiseasilyputoutofitsway.Wehavefewersandsinourglasstoreckonupon,andwecannotbrooktoseethemdropinendlesslysucceedingimpertinences.Atourtimeoflife,tobealonesometimesisasneedfulassleep.Itistherefreshingsleepoftheday.Thegrowinginfirmitiesofagemanifestthemselvesinnothingmorestrongly,thaninaninveteratedislikeofinterruption.Thethingwhichwearedoing,wewishtobepermittedtodo.Wehaveneithermuchknowledgenordevices;buttherearefewerintheplacetowhichwehasten.Wearenotwillinglyputoutofourway,evenatagameofnine-pins.Whileyouthwas,wehadvastreversionsintimefuture;wearereducedtoapresentpittance,andobligedtoeconomiseinthatarticle.Webleedawayourmomentsnowashardlyasourducats.Wecannotbeartohaveourthinwardrobeeatenandfrettedintobymoths.Wearewillingtobarterourgoodtimewithafriend,whogivesusinexchangehisown.Hereinisthedistinctionbetweenthegenuineguestandthevisitant.Thislattertakesyourgoodtime,andgivesyouhisbadinexchange.Theguestisdomestictoyouasyourgoodcat,orhouseholdbird;thevisitantisyourfly,thatflapsinatourwindow,andoutagain,leavingnothingbutasenseofdisturbanceandvictualsspoiled.Theinferiorfunctionsoflifebegintomoveheavily.Wecannotconcoctourfoodwithinterruptions.Ourchiefmeal,tobenutritive,mustbesolitary.Withdifficulty[p266]wecaneatbeforeaguest;andneverunderstoodwhattherelishofpublicfeastingmeant.Meatshavenosapor,nordigestionfairplay,inacrowd.Theunexpectedinginofavisitantstopsthemachine.Thereisapunctualgenerationwhotimetheircallstotheprecisemencementofyourdining-hour——nottoeat——buttoseeyoueat.Ourknifeandforkdropinstinctively,andwefeelthatwehaveswallowedourlatestmorsel.Othersagainshowtheirgenius,aswehavesaid,inknockingthemomentyouhavejustsatdowntoabook.Theyhaveapeculiarpassionatingsneer,withwhichthey"hopethattheydonotinterruptyourstudies."Thoughtheyflutteroffthenextmoment,tocarrytheirimpertinencestotheneareststudentthattheycancalltheirfriend,thetoneofthebookisspoiled;weshuttheleaves,and,withDanteslovers,readnomorethatday.Itwerewelliftheeffectofintrusionweresimplyco-extensivewithitspresence;butitmarsallthegoodhoursafterwards.Thesescratchesinappearanceleaveanorificethatclosesnothastily."Itisaprostitutionofthebraveryoffriendship,"saysworthyBishopTaylor,"tospendituponimpertinentpeople,whoare,itmaybe,loadstotheirfamilies,butcannevereasemyloads."Thisisthesecretoftheirgaddings,theirvisits,andmorningcalls.Theytoohavehomes,whichare——nohomes.
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