not far off," she said, "only
where father wouldn't be likely to search us out, and I'd do for Billy
and for her too what I could. She cried, but she saw it was best. Billy
was just a bag of bones and all over strap marks. He'd have to mud-lark
just the same, but he'd have more to eat and no beatings, and he'd
always hung to me from the time he was born. So that is the way I did,
and, bit by bit, I got a comfortable place, and had Billy in school, and
kept us both, and did well. But then the wages began to go down, and
every week they got lower till, where I'd earned twelve shillings a week
sometimes, I was down to half and less than half that. I tried stitching
for the sweaters a while, but I'd no machine, and they had more hands
than they wanted everywhere, and I went back to the sacks. And at last
they dismissed a lot too, and I went here and there and everywhere for
another chance, and not one,--not one anywhere. I pawned everything, bit
by bit, till we'd nothing left but some rags and straw to sleep upon,
and the rent far behind; and then I went home when we were turned out,
and that father took for his chance, and was worse than ever.

"And so, when there was no work anywhere, though I was ready for
anything, I didn't care what, and I saw we were just taking the bread
from mother's mouth (though it's little enough she wanted), then I told
Billy to stay with her, and I went out and to the Square and sat down
with the rest, and wondered if I ought to sit there and wait to be dead,
or if I hadn't the right to do it quicker and just try the river. But I
saw all those I was with just as bad off and worse, and some with
babies, and so I didn't know what to do, but just to wait there. What
can we do? They say the Queen is going to order work so that the men can
get wages; but they don't say if she is going to do anything for the
women. She's a woman; but then I suppose a Queen couldn't any way know,
except by hearsay, that women really starve; and women do for men first
anyhow. But I will work any way at anything, if only you'll find it for
me to do--if only you will."

For one of the fifty-three thousand work and place have been found. For
the rest is still the cry: "I will work any way at anything, if only
you'll find it for me to do; if only you will."

CHAPTER III.

THE SWEATING SYSTEM IN GENERAL.

"History repeats itself," is a very hackneyed phrase, yet, for want of
any better or more expressive one,