The Redemption Of These, If The Man Is Good For Anything,
Will Often Set Him On His Legs.
Thus, for example, I found a
cobbler one day surrounded by a starving family.
His story
was common enough, severe illness being the burden of it. He
was an intelligent little fellow, and, as far as one could
judge, full of good intentions. His wife seemed devoted to
him, and this was the best of vouchers. 'If he had but a
shilling or two to redeem his tools, and buy two or three old
cast-off shoes in the rag-market which he could patch up and
sell, he wouldn't ask anyone for a copper.'
We went together to the pawnbroker's, then to the rag-market,
and the little man trotted home with an armful of old boots
and shoes, some without soles, some without uppers; all, as I
should have thought, picked out of dust-bins and rubbish
heaps, his sunken eyes sparkling with eagerness and renovated
hope. I looked in upon him about three weeks later. The
family were sitting round a well provided tea-table, close to
a glowing fire, the cheeks of the children smeared with jam,
and the little cobbler hammering away at his last, too busy
to partake of the bowl of hot tea which his wife had placed
beside him.
The same sort of treatment was sometimes very successful with
a skilful workman - like a carpenter, for instance. Here a
double purpose might be served.
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