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struggled manfully at casual employment of all sorts； his wife and four
children starving before his eyes。 He starved himself； and grew weak；
and fell ill。 This was three months ago； and then there was absolutely no
food at all。 They made no complaint； spoke no word； but poor folk know。
The housewives of Batavia Road sent them food； but so respectable were
the Cavillas that the food was sent anonymously； mysteriously； so as not to
hurt their pride。
The thing had happened。 He had fought； and starved； and suffered
for eighteen months。 He got up one September morning； early。 He
opened his pocket…knife。 He cut the throat of his wife； Hannah Cavilla；
aged thirty…three。 He cut the throat of his first…born； Frank； aged twelve。
He cut the throat of his son； Walter； aged eight。 He cut the throat of his
daughter； Nellie； aged four。 He cut the throat of his youngest…born；
Ernest； aged sixteen months。 Then he watched beside the dead all day until
the evening； when the police came； and he told them to put a penny in the
slot of the gas… meter in order that they might have light to see。
Frank Cavilla stood in court； dressed in a much worn grey suit； and
wearing no collar。 He was a good…looking man； with a mass of black hair；
dark； expressive eyes； delicately chiselled nose and chin； and wavy； fair
moustache。
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CHAPTER XXIIITHE
CHILDREN
〃Where home is a hovel； and dull we grovel； Forgetting the world is
fair。〃
There is one beautiful sight in the East End； and only one； and it is
the children dancing in the street when the organ…grinder goes his round。
It is fascinating to watch them； the new…born； the next generation； swaying
and stepping； with pretty little mimicries and graceful inventions all their
own； with muscles that move swiftly and easily； and bodies that leap airily；
weaving rhythms never taught in dancing school。
I have talked with these children； here； there； and everywhere； and
they struck me as being bright as other children； and in many ways even
brighter。 They have most active little imaginations。 Their capacity for
projecting themselves into the realm of romance and fantasy is remarkable。
A joyous life is romping in their blood。 They delight in music； and motion；
and colour； and very often they betray a startling beauty of face and form
under their filth and rags。
But there is a Pied Piper of London Town who steals them all away。
They disappear。 One never sees them again； or anything that suggests
them。 You may look for them in vain amongst the generation of grown…
ups。 Here you will find stunted forms； ugly faces； and blunt and stolid
minds。 Grace； beauty； imagination； all the resiliency of mind and muscle；
are gone。 Sometimes； however； you may see a woman； not necessarily
old； but twisted and deformed out of all womanhood； bloated and drunken；
lift her draggled skirts and execute a few grotesque and lumbering steps
upon the pavement。 It is a hint that she was once one of those children
who danced to the organ…grinder。 Those grotesque and lumbering steps
are all that is left of the promise of childhood。 In the befogged recesses
of her brain has arisen a fleeting memory that she was once a girl。 The
crowd closes in。 Little girls are dancing beside her； about her； with all
the pretty graces she dimly recollects； but can no more than parody with
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
her body。 Then she pants for breath； exhausted； and stumbles out through
the circle。 But the little girls dance on。
The children of the Ghetto possess all the qualities which make for
noble manhood and womanhood； but the Ghetto itself； like an infuriated
tigress turning on its young； turns upon and destroys all these qualities；
blots out the light and laughter； and moulds those it does not kill into
sodden and forlorn creatures； uncouth； degraded； and wretched below the
beasts of the field。
As to the manner in which this is done； I have in previous chapters
described it at length； here let Professor Huxley describe it in brief：…
〃Any one who is acquainted with the state of the population of all
great industrial centres； whether in this or other countries； is aware that
amidst a large and increasing body of that population there reigns
supreme 。 。 。 that condition which the French call la misere； a word for
which I do not think there is any exact English equivalent。 It is a
condition in which the food； warmth； and clothing which are necessary for
the mere maintenance of the functions of the body in their normal state
cannot be obtained； in which men； women； and children are forced to
crowd into dens wherein decency is abolished； and the most ordinary
conditions of healthful existence are impossible of attainment； in which
the pleasures within reach are reduced to brutality and drunkenness； in
which the pains accumulate at compound interest in the shape of
starvation； disease； stunted development； and moral degradation； in which
the prospect of even steady and honest industry is a life of unsuccessful
battling with hunger； rounded by a pauper's grave。〃
In such conditions； the outlook for children is hopeless。 They die like
flies； and those that survive； survive because they possess excessive
vitality and a capacity of adaptation to the degradation with which they are
surrounded。 They have no home life。 In the dens and lairs in which
they live they are exposed to all that is obscene and indecent。 And as
their minds are made rotten； so are their bodies made rotten by bad
sanitation； overcrowding； and underfeeding。 When a father and mother
live with three or four children in a room where the children take turn
about in sitting up to drive the rats away from the sleepers； when those
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children never have enough to eat and are preyed upon and made
miserable and weak by swarming vermin； the sort of men and women the
survivors will make can readily be imagined。
〃Dull despair and misery Lie about them from their birth； Ugly
curses； uglier mirth； Are their earliest lullaby。〃
A man and a woman marry and set up housekeeping in one room。
Their income does not increase with the years； though their family does；
and the man is exceedingly lucky if he can keep his health and his job。 A
baby comes； and then another。 This means that more room should be
obtained； but these little mouths and bodies mean additional expense and
make it absolutely impossible to get more spacious quarters。 More
babies come。 There is not room in which to turn around。 The
youngsters run the streets； and by the time they are twelve or fourteen the
room…issue comes to a head； and out they go on the streets for good。 The
boy； if he be lucky； can manage to make the common lodging…houses； and
he may have any one of several ends。 But the girl of fourteen or fifteen；
forced in this manner to leave the one room called home； and able to earn
at the best a paltry five or six shillings per week； can have but one end。
And the bitter end of that one end is such as that of the woman whose
body the police found this morning in a doorway in Dorset Street；
Whitechapel。 Homeless； shelterless； sick； with no one with her in her last
hour； she had died in the night of exposure。 She was sixty…two years old
and a match vendor。 She died as