have known it, so covered in grime was she. He guessed that her previous game had been mud pies, or digging up drains, or something equally filthy and said, chidingly, ‘If I give anybody a clack, it’ll be you, you mucky little tyke. Just you get into the yard and have a swill under the tap before our mam sets eyes on you, and play nicely with Annie here or she’ll leave youto your own devices and you wouldn’t like that, would you?’
Phyllis, who was a sociable child and hated her own company, pulled a face at him, extending her tongue so far that Ben goggled at the length of it. ‘Take care the wind doesn’t change,’ he said warningly. ‘Come on, Philly, and I’ll give you a hand to get the muck off you before Mam calls us for our dinners.’ Phyllis hauled her tongue in board and followed her brother through the door in the wall into their own tiny yard, calling back over her shoulder to Annie, as though they had never disagreed, that she would see her in the afternoon.
Ben led his small sister across to the tap and filled the cracked china bowl which stood beneath it. Despite Phyllis’s objections, he washed her hands and face, then rinsed her hair and rubbed it dry on the towel which hung from a nail on the nearby wall. Needless to say, the operation was accompanied by wails and grumbles from Phyllis, but Ben reminded her that their mother would have employed soap and a scrub brush on someone so filthy, and presently brother and sister, both considerably cleaner and wetter, crossed the tiny, cobbled yard and entered the kitchen. Though it was May and a sunny day, the fire blazed up cheerfully, for it was the only means of cooking that Mrs Bailey had. Right now she was dishing up from a blackened pot into six enamel dishes whilst Ben’s older brothers, Dick and Ted, seated themselves at the wooden table, looking expectantly towards the food. Dick was twenty-three and a handsome young man. He had toffee-brown hair with a suspicion of a curl, golden-brown eyes and a long humorous mouth. He was a marine joiner at Cammell Laird’s, making beautiful furniture andfittings for the ships which the yard built; the only member of the family bringing in good, regular money and though he had had several girlfriends, he had formed no permanent relationship. Ben thought this a rattling good thing, since his mother had once confided, as they searched for bargains in Paddy’s market, that she did not know what the family would do without Dick’s wages.
‘I know he wouldn’t lerrus go short if he could possibly help it,’ she had told Ben. ‘But when a young fellow weds, he needs every penny he earns for a home of his own and the upkeep of his family. Of course I know he’ll marry some day,’ she added hastily, ‘and I hope he finds a real good girl to wed, honest to God I do. But until it happens, I’m that grateful for our Dick’s help. And then Teddy’s not doing badly. I know an apprentice doesn’t get paid much, but he’s well thought of is our Teddy. By the time Dick finds himself a wife, I dare say Teddy will be earning a real wage.’
‘When our Millie was first married, she used to give me pocket money,’ Ben said wistfully. ‘But that were before the twins were born. I guess things get harder when you have kids, eh, Mam?’
His mother had agreed, with a sigh, that once you had children things did indeed become more difficult, but then a friend had hailed her and the conversation had moved on to other things. It had made Ben aware, however, of how dependent his parents were on their children’s earnings, and from that time on he had been anxious to help in any way he could.
Now, Mrs Bailey looked up and smiled as her two youngest children came across the room towards her. She was a tiny, skinny woman with frizzy light-brown hair rapidly turning grey, rather protrudingteeth and short-sighted eyes which gazed at the world through cracked and constantly mended spectacles. She was, as usual, clad
Phyllis, who was a sociable child and hated her own company, pulled a face at him, extending her tongue so far that Ben goggled at the length of it. ‘Take care the wind doesn’t change,’ he said warningly. ‘Come on, Philly, and I’ll give you a hand to get the muck off you before Mam calls us for our dinners.’ Phyllis hauled her tongue in board and followed her brother through the door in the wall into their own tiny yard, calling back over her shoulder to Annie, as though they had never disagreed, that she would see her in the afternoon.
Ben led his small sister across to the tap and filled the cracked china bowl which stood beneath it. Despite Phyllis’s objections, he washed her hands and face, then rinsed her hair and rubbed it dry on the towel which hung from a nail on the nearby wall. Needless to say, the operation was accompanied by wails and grumbles from Phyllis, but Ben reminded her that their mother would have employed soap and a scrub brush on someone so filthy, and presently brother and sister, both considerably cleaner and wetter, crossed the tiny, cobbled yard and entered the kitchen. Though it was May and a sunny day, the fire blazed up cheerfully, for it was the only means of cooking that Mrs Bailey had. Right now she was dishing up from a blackened pot into six enamel dishes whilst Ben’s older brothers, Dick and Ted, seated themselves at the wooden table, looking expectantly towards the food. Dick was twenty-three and a handsome young man. He had toffee-brown hair with a suspicion of a curl, golden-brown eyes and a long humorous mouth. He was a marine joiner at Cammell Laird’s, making beautiful furniture andfittings for the ships which the yard built; the only member of the family bringing in good, regular money and though he had had several girlfriends, he had formed no permanent relationship. Ben thought this a rattling good thing, since his mother had once confided, as they searched for bargains in Paddy’s market, that she did not know what the family would do without Dick’s wages.
‘I know he wouldn’t lerrus go short if he could possibly help it,’ she had told Ben. ‘But when a young fellow weds, he needs every penny he earns for a home of his own and the upkeep of his family. Of course I know he’ll marry some day,’ she added hastily, ‘and I hope he finds a real good girl to wed, honest to God I do. But until it happens, I’m that grateful for our Dick’s help. And then Teddy’s not doing badly. I know an apprentice doesn’t get paid much, but he’s well thought of is our Teddy. By the time Dick finds himself a wife, I dare say Teddy will be earning a real wage.’
‘When our Millie was first married, she used to give me pocket money,’ Ben said wistfully. ‘But that were before the twins were born. I guess things get harder when you have kids, eh, Mam?’
His mother had agreed, with a sigh, that once you had children things did indeed become more difficult, but then a friend had hailed her and the conversation had moved on to other things. It had made Ben aware, however, of how dependent his parents were on their children’s earnings, and from that time on he had been anxious to help in any way he could.
Now, Mrs Bailey looked up and smiled as her two youngest children came across the room towards her. She was a tiny, skinny woman with frizzy light-brown hair rapidly turning grey, rather protrudingteeth and short-sighted eyes which gazed at the world through cracked and constantly mended spectacles. She was, as usual, clad
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