CHAPTER XXI
Christmas Eve
For the rest of the week Owen continued to work down at the yard with Sawkins, Crass and Slyme, painting some of the ladders, steps and other plant belonging to the firm.
Every day some of the men who had been 'stood off' called at the yard to ask if any other 'jobs' had 'come in'. From these callers they heard all the news. Old Jack Linden had not succeeded in getting anything to do at the trade since he was discharged from Rushton's, and it was reported that he was trying to earn a little money by hawking bloaters from house to house. As for Philpot, he said that he had been round to nearly all the firms in the town and none of them had any work to speak of.
Newman, the man who was sacked for taking too much pains with his work, had been arrested and sentenced to a month's imprisonment because he had not been able to pay his poor rates, and the Board of Guardians were allowing his wife three shillings a week to maintain herself and the three children. She had told Philpot that the landlord was threatening to turn them into the street, and would have seized their furniture and sold it if it had been worth the expense of the sale.
'I feel ashamed of meself,' Philpot added, in confidence to Owen, 'when I think of all the money I chuck away on beer. If it wasn't for that I shouldn't be in such a hole meself now, and I might be able to lend 'em a 'elpin' 'and.'
'It ain't so much that I likes the beer, you know,' he continued, 'it's the company. When you ain't got no 'ome, in a manner o' speakin', like me, the pub's about the only place where you can get a little enjoyment. But you ain't very welcome there unless you spends your money.'
'Is the three shillings all they have to live on?'
'I think she goes out charin' when she can get it,' replied
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