Christmas Eve
who held on to her skirt and peered curiously at the visitors. Mrs Newman was about thirty, and her appearance confirmed the statement of Philpot that she had only just recovered from an illness: she was very white and thin and dejected looking. When Philpot explained the object of their visit and handed her the money, the poor woman burst into tears, and the two smaller children, thinking that this piece of paper betokened fresh calamity, began to cry also. They remembered that all their troubles had been preceded by the visits of men who brought pieces of paper, and it was rather difficult to reassure them.
That evening after Frankie was asleep, Owen and Nora went out to do their Christmas marketing. They had not much money to spend, for Owen had brought home only seventeen shillings.
There was a great deal to be done with this seventeen shillings. First of all there was the rent—seven shillings. That left ten. Then there was the week's bread bill—one and threepence. They had a pint of milk every day, chiefly for the boy's sake; that came to one and two. Then there was one and eight for a hundred-weight of coal that had been bought on credit. Fortunately there were no groceries to buy, for the things they had obtained with their Christmas club money would be more than sufficient for the ensuing week.
Frankie's stockings were all broken and beyond mending, so it was positively necessary to buy him another pair for fivepence three farthings. These stockings were not much good; a pair at double the price would have been much cheaper, for they would have lasted three or four times longer; but they were out of the question. It was just the same with the coal: if they had been able to afford it they could have bought a ton of the same class of coal for twenty six shillings, but buying it as they did, by the hundred-weight, they had to pay at the rate of thirty three shillings and fourpence a ton. It was just the same with nearly everything else. This is how the working classes are robbed. Although their incomes are the lowest, they are compelled to buy the most expensive articles: that is, the lowest priced articles. Everybody knows that good clothes, boots or furniture are really the cheapest in the end although they cost more money at first; but the working classes can seldom afford to buy good things: they have to buy cheap rubbish which is dear at any price.
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