Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-12-21
ny JAMES GREENWOOD, AUTHOR OF "a NIGHT
IN A woRKHoUsE,"

IN A woRKHoUsE."
Close observers of the habits and customs
of the lower order OF English wOrkmen
have recorded the singular facts that, as a
rule, the Sunday is by them regarded, not
as an entire, but as halfholiday. Nay,
cleanliness being kindred virtue with god
liness, it is indisputable that as regards the
fOrepart of Sunday, he is guilty of desecra-
tiOn, not out OF neglect and carelessness,
but deliberately and by design; for, whereas
all the working days OF the week he sits
down to breakfast with visage the brighter
for acquaintance with soap and water, and a
head of hair reclaimed from nocturnal tan
gle, the Sabbath breakiast-time finds him at
his own hearth grlmy and unkempt. lie
can afford to be untidy. His time is his
own, and he may do just what he plsases
with it, Not that il pleases him to wear
dirty face (no man can accuse him of that.
he washes his face, and arms and hands
every day, his feet once fortnight, or
oilener, ii cold necessitates their immersion
in hot water, and never summer passes
but he has Dip in tile Serpentine or the
iourpenny swimming baths); but, the fact
is, his everyday matutiual ablutions are In a
degree compulsory. 1t is one amongst the
Shop rules, and an infringement of il is
visited by fine of twopence; and yester-
days smut on his nose and yesterdays
stnbble still adorning his chin, are indubita-
bic symptoms that to-day he calls no man
his master. Throught the Sunday forenoon
although, II his every day employer was
to say, ZONES, il you like to bring that
parcel up to the house, thele's half IA crown
for your trouble" he would reject it with
scorn - he employs himself domesticully,
and works Ii ke niggor. lie will sole-and.
heel Polly's boots, put in broken windows,
make good defective drainage in the rear of
his premises, 'set'' Il copper, or dig whole
rods and perches of gardening round until
his blue ribbed shirt reeks with perspiration,
and all with the completest cheerlulncss,
ana until II is notified to HIM that dinner
viii be ready in twenty minutes.
From that moment he is changed man.
IN that announcement breaks on him the
irst gllmmering of Sunday dawning. With
lace growing each moment more sober, he
puts away his TOOLS and straight retires to
the privacy Of his chamber, from which lie
emerges just in time 10 sharpen the carving.
knife for an attack on the shoulder of nut
ton that Joe, the eldest born, has fetched
from tho bakehouse. But how changed d
man Is he from the cobbler, or tho digger. OF
the cOpper-setier OF half an hour agol iii.
hluc-rlbbed shirt is exchanged for whit,
ono with rigorous stand-up collar; his face
is clean and shiny his chin is as smooth a,
baby's; and he has oil ON his hair. Til,
time Of day has begun when he SHOULD
bring up his children in tho way the,
should go, and he sets about It with an un
compromising air that would have won fO
MN a name in the bygone times of Praise
God. .Bareboncs With strictcst impartiality
as regards cracking and gravy, he charge
ihs seven plates ranged on either side of tn
table, and behind each OF which appears
wlsllul face and IL pair of eyes that By an
uclpallOn have already eaten up every scra
OF the smoking ration, and then heSfathe
Jones that is--raps the table with the buck
norm halt of the carving knife, and serousl
commands Joe TO say grace; and glbly a
one who has it already at his tongues til
am, and whose mouth waters for what is
i,oliow, zoe complies His ejaculation of th
last syllable Of the word Thankful, " tha
concludes the prayer, is like the appicatio
OF tue match to the tOuch-holes OF row
cannon as regards the dumb Writers behin
'hs charged plates, and Instantly they hi