友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the uncommercial traveller-第82部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



this white…lead; processes of stirring; separating; washing;

grinding; rolling; and pressing succeed。  Some of these are

unquestionably inimical to health; the danger arising from

inhalation of particles of lead; or from contact between the lead

and the touch; or both。  Against these dangers; I found good

respirators provided (simply made of flannel and muslin; so as to

be inexpensively renewed; and in some instances washed with scented

soap); and gauntlet gloves; and loose gowns。  Everywhere; there was

as much fresh air as windows; well placed and opened; could

possibly admit。  And it was explained that the precaution of

frequently changing the women employed in the worst parts of the

work (a precaution originating in their own experience or

apprehension of its ill effects) was found salutary。  They had a

mysterious and singular appearance; with the mouth and nose

covered; and the loose gown on; and yet bore out the simile of the

old Turk and the seraglio all the better for the disguise。



At last this vexed white…lead; having been buried and resuscitated;

and heated and cooled and stirred; and separated and washed and

ground; and rolled and pressed; is subjected to the action of

intense fiery heat。  A row of women; dressed as above described;

stood; let us say; in a large stone bakehouse; passing on the

baking…dishes as they were given out by the cooks; from hand to

hand; into the ovens。  The oven; or stove; cold as yet; looked as

high as an ordinary house; and was full of men and women on

temporary footholds; briskly passing up and stowing away the

dishes。  The door of another oven; or stove; about to be cooled and

emptied; was opened from above; for the uncommercial countenance to

peer down into。  The uncommercial countenance withdrew itself; with

expedition and a sense of suffocation; from the dull…glowing heat

and the overpowering smell。  On the whole; perhaps the going into

these stoves to work; when they are freshly opened; may be the

worst part of the occupation。



But I made it out to be indubitable that the owners of these lead…

mills honestly and sedulously try to reduce the dangers of the

occupation to the lowest point。



A washing…place is provided for the women (I thought there might

have been more towels); and a room in which they hang their

clothes; and take their meals; and where they have a good fire…

range and fire; and a female attendant to help them; and to watch

that they do not neglect the cleansing of their hands before

touching their food。  An experienced medical attendant is provided

for them; and any premonitory symptoms of lead…poisoning are

carefully treated。  Their teapots and such things were set out on

tables ready for their afternoon meal; when I saw their room; and

it had a homely look。  It is found that they bear the work much

better than men:  some few of them have been at it for years; and

the great majority of those I observed were strong and active。  On

the other hand; it should be remembered that most of them are very

capricious and irregular in their attendance。



American inventiveness would seem to indicate that before very long

white…lead may be made entirely by machinery。  The sooner; the

better。  In the meantime; I parted from my two frank conductors

over the mills; by telling them that they had nothing there to be

concealed; and nothing to be blamed for。  As to the rest; the

philosophy of the matter of lead…poisoning and workpeople seems to

me to have been pretty fairly summed up by the Irishwoman whom I

quoted in my former paper:  'Some of them gets lead…pisoned soon;

and some of them gets lead…pisoned later; and some; but not many;

niver; and 'tis all according to the constitooshun; sur; and some

constitooshuns is strong and some is weak。'  Retracing my footsteps

over my beat; I went off duty。







CHAPTER XXXVI … A FLY…LEAF IN A LIFE







Once upon a time (no matter when); I was engaged in a pursuit (no

matter what); which could be transacted by myself alone; in which I

could have no help; which imposed a constant strain on the

attention; memory; observation; and physical powers; and which

involved an almost fabulous amount of change of place and rapid

railway travelling。  I had followed this pursuit through an

exceptionally trying winter in an always trying climate; and had

resumed it in England after but a brief repose。  Thus it came to be

prolonged until; at length … and; as it seemed; all of a sudden …

it so wore me out that I could not rely; with my usual cheerful

confidence; upon myself to achieve the constantly recurring task;

and began to feel (for the first time in my life) giddy; jarred;

shaken; faint; uncertain of voice and sight and tread and touch;

and dull of spirit。  The medical advice I sought within a few

hours; was given in two words:  'instant rest。'  Being accustomed

to observe myself as curiously as if I were another man; and

knowing the advice to meet my only need; I instantly halted in the

pursuit of which I speak; and rested。



My intention was; to interpose; as it were; a fly…leaf in the book

of my life; in which nothing should be written from without for a

brief season of a few weeks。  But some very singular experiences

recorded themselves on this same fly…leaf; and I am going to relate

them literally。  I repeat the word:  literally。



My first odd experience was of the remarkable coincidence between

my case; in the general mind; and one Mr。 Merdle's as I find it

recorded in a work of fiction called LITTLE DORRIT。  To be sure;

Mr。 Merdle was a swindler; forger; and thief; and my calling had

been of a less harmful (and less remunerative) nature; but it was

all one for that。



Here is Mr。 Merdle's case:



'At first; he was dead of all the diseases that ever were known;

and of several bran…new maladies invented with the speed of Light

to meet the demand of the occasion。  He had concealed a dropsy from

infancy; he had inherited a large estate of water on the chest from

his grandfather; he had had an operation performed upon him every

morning of his life for eighteen years; he had been subject to the

explosion of important veins in his body after the manner of

fireworks; he had had something the matter with his lungs; he had

had something the matter with his heart; he had had something the

matter with his brain。  Five hundred people who sat down to

breakfast entirely uninformed on the whole subject; believed before

they had done breakfast; that they privately and personally knew

Physician to have said to Mr。 Merdle; 〃You must expect to go out;

some day; like the snuff of a candle;〃 and that they knew Mr。

Merdle to have said to Physician; 〃A man can die but once。〃  By

about eleven o'clock in the forenoon; something the matter with the

brain; became the favourite theory against the field; and by twelve

the something had been distinctly ascertained to be 〃Pressure。〃



'Pressure was so entirely satisfactory to the public mind; and

seemed to make every one so comfortable; that it might have lasted

all day but for Bar's having taken the real state of the case into

Court at half…past nine。  Pressure; however; so far from being

overthrown by the discovery; became a greater favourite than ever。

There was a general moralising upon Pressure; in every street。  All

the people who had tried to make money and had not been able to do

it; said; There you were!  You no sooner began to devote yourself

to the pursuit of wealth; than you got Pressure。  The idle people

improved the occasion in a similar manner。  See; said they; what

you brought yourself to by work; work; work!  You persisted in

working; you overdid it; Pressure came on; and you were done for!

This consideration was very potent in many quarters; but nowhere

more so than among the young clerks and partners who had never been

in the slightest danger of overdoing it。  These; one and all

declared; quite piously; that they hoped they would never forget

the warning as long as they lived; and that their conduct might be

so regulated as to keep off Pressure; and preserve them; a comfort

to their friends; for many years。'



Just my case … if I had only known it … when I was quietly basking

in the sunshine in my Kentish meadow!



But while I so rested; thankfully recovering every hour; I had

experiences more odd than this。  I had experiences of spiritual

conceit; for which; as giving me a new warning against that curse

of mankind; I shall always feel grateful to the supposition that I

was too far gone to protest against playing sick lion to any stray

donkey with an itching hoof。  All sorts of people seemed to become

vicariously religious at my expense。  I received the most

uncompromising warning that I was a Heathen:  on the conclusive

authority of a field preacher; who; like the most of his ignorant

and vain and daring class; could not construct a tolerable sentence

in his native tongue or pen a fair letter。  This inspired

individual called me to order roundly; and knew in the freest and

easiest way where I was going to; and what would become of me if I

failed to fashion myself on his bright example; and was on terms of

blasphemous confidence with the Heavenly Host。  He was in the

secrets of my heart; and in the lowest soundings of my soul … he! …

and could read the depths of my nature better than his A B C; and

could turn me inside out; like his own clammy glove。  But what is

far more extraordinary than this … for such dirty water as this

could alone be drawn from such a shallow and muddy source … I found

from the information of a beneficed clergyman; of whom I never

heard and whom I never saw; that I had not; as I rather supposed I

had; lived a life of some reading; contemplation; and inquiry; that

I had not studied; as I rather supposed I had; to inculcate some

Christian lessons in books; that I had never tried; as I rather

supposed I ha
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!