PART	O
ONE	O
CHAPTER	O
I	O
THE	O
EARLY	O
MARRIED	O
LIFE	O
OF	O
THE	O
MORELS	O
“	O
THE	O
BOTTOMS	O
”	O
succeeded	O
to	O
“	O
Hell	O
Row	O
”	O
.	O

Hell	O
Row	O
was	O
a	O
block	O
of	O
thatched	O
,	O
bulging	O
cottages	O
that	O
stood	O
by	O
the	O
brookside	O
on	O
Greenhill	O
Lane	O
.	O

There	O
lived	O
the	O
colliers	O
who	O
worked	O
in	O
the	O
little	O
gin-pits	O
two	O
fields	O
away	O
.	O

The	O
brook	O
ran	O
under	O
the	O
alder	O
trees	O
,	O
scarcely	O
soiled	O
by	O
these	O
small	O
mines	O
,	O
whose	O
coal	O
was	O
drawn	O
to	O
the	O
surface	O
by	O
donkeys	O
that	O
plodded	O
wearily	O
in	O
a	O
circle	O
round	O
a	O
gin	O
.	O

And	O
all	O
over	O
the	O
countryside	O
were	O
these	O
same	O
pits	O
,	O
some	O
of	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
worked	O
in	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
Charles	O
II	O
,	O
the	O
few	O
colliers	O
and	O
the	O
donkeys	O
burrowing	O
down	O
like	O
ants	O
into	O
the	O
earth	O
,	O
making	O
queer	O
mounds	O
and	O
little	O
black	O
places	O
among	O
the	O
corn-fields	O
and	O
the	O
meadows	O
.	O

And	O
the	O
cottages	O
of	O
these	O
coal-miners	O
,	O
in	O
blocks	O
and	O
pairs	O
here	O
and	O
there	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
odd	O
farms	O
and	O
homes	O
of	O
the	O
stockingers	O
,	O
straying	O
over	O
the	O
parish	O
,	O
formed	O
the	O
village	O
of	O
Bestwood	O
.	O

Then	O
,	O
some	O
sixty	O
years	O
ago	O
,	O
a	O
sudden	O
change	EVENT
took	O
place	O
,	O
gin-pits	O
were	O
elbowed	O
aside	O
by	O
the	O
large	O
mines	O
of	O
the	O
financiers	O
.	O

The	O
coal	O
and	O
iron	O
field	O
of	O
Nottinghamshire	O
and	O
Derbyshire	O
was	O
discovered	EVENT
.	O

Carston	O
,	O
Waite	O
and	O
Co.	O
appeared	EVENT
.	O

Amid	O
tremendous	O
excitement	EVENT
,	O
Lord	O
Palmerston	O
formally	O
opened	EVENT
the	O
company	O
's	O
first	O
mine	O
at	O
Spinney	O
Park	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
edge	O
of	O
Sherwood	O
Forest	O
.	O

About	O
this	O
time	O
the	O
notorious	O
Hell	O
Row	O
,	O
which	O
through	O
growing	O
old	O
had	O
acquired	O
an	O
evil	O
reputation	O
,	O
was	O
burned	EVENT
down	O
,	O
and	O
much	O
dirt	O
was	O
cleansed	EVENT
away	O
.	O

Carston	O
,	O
Waite	O
&	O
Co.	O
found	O
they	O
had	O
struck	O
on	O
a	O
good	O
thing	O
,	O
so	O
,	O
down	O
the	O
valleys	O
of	O
the	O
brooks	O
from	O
Selby	O
and	O
Nuttall	O
,	O
new	O
mines	O
were	O
sunk	O
,	O
until	O
soon	O
there	O
were	O
six	O
pits	O
working	O
.	O

From	O
Nuttall	O
,	O
high	O
up	O
on	O
the	O
sandstone	O
among	O
the	O
woods	O
,	O
the	O
railway	O
ran	O
,	O
past	O
the	O
ruined	O
priory	O
of	O
the	O
Carthusians	O
and	O
past	O
Robin	O
Hood	O
's	O
Well	O
,	O
down	O
to	O
Spinney	O
Park	O
,	O
then	O
on	O
to	O
Minton	O
,	O
a	O
large	O
mine	O
among	O
corn-fields	O
;	O
from	O
Minton	O
across	O
the	O
farmlands	O
of	O
the	O
valleyside	O
to	O
Bunker	O
's	O
Hill	O
,	O
branching	O
off	O
there	O
,	O
and	O
running	O
north	O
to	O
Beggarlee	O
and	O
Selby	O
,	O
that	O
looks	O
over	O
at	O
Crich	O
and	O
the	O
hills	O
of	O
Derbyshire	O
:	O
six	O
mines	O
like	O
black	O
studs	O
on	O
the	O
countryside	O
,	O
linked	O
by	O
a	O
loop	O
of	O
fine	O
chain	O
,	O
the	O
railway	O
.	O

To	O
accommodate	O
the	O
regiments	O
of	O
miners	O
,	O
Carston	O
,	O
Waite	O
and	O
Co.	O
built	EVENT
the	O
Squares	O
,	O
great	O
quadrangles	O
of	O
dwellings	O
on	O
the	O
hillside	O
of	O
Bestwood	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
brook	O
valley	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
site	O
of	O
Hell	O
Row	O
,	O
they	O
erected	EVENT
the	O
Bottoms	O
.	O

The	O
Bottoms	O
consisted	O
of	O
six	O
blocks	O
of	O
miners	O
'	O
dwellings	O
,	O
two	O
rows	O
of	O
three	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
dots	O
on	O
a	O
blank-six	O
domino	O
,	O
and	O
twelve	O
houses	O
in	O
a	O
block	O
.	O

This	O
double	O
row	O
of	O
dwellings	O
sat	O
at	O
the	O
foot	O
of	O
the	O
rather	O
sharp	O
slope	O
from	O
Bestwood	O
,	O
and	O
looked	O
out	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
attic	O
windows	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
slow	O
climb	O
of	O
the	O
valley	O
towards	O
Selby	O
.	O

The	O
houses	O
themselves	O
were	O
substantial	O
and	O
very	O
decent	O
.	O

One	O
could	O
walk	O
all	O
round	O
,	O
seeing	O
little	O
front	O
gardens	O
with	O
auriculas	O
and	O
saxifrage	O
in	O
the	O
shadow	O
of	O
the	O
bottom	O
block	O
,	O
sweet-williams	O
and	O
pinks	O
in	O
the	O
sunny	O
top	O
block	O
;	O
seeing	O
neat	O
front	O
windows	O
,	O
little	O
porches	O
,	O
little	O
privet	O
hedges	O
,	O
and	O
dormer	O
windows	O
for	O
the	O
attics	O
.	O

But	O
that	O
was	O
outside	O
;	O
that	O
was	O
the	O
view	O
on	O
to	O
the	O
uninhabited	O
parlours	O
of	O
all	O
the	O
colliers	O
'	O
wives	O
.	O

The	O
dwelling-room	O
,	O
the	O
kitchen	O
,	O
was	O
at	O
the	O
back	O
of	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
facing	O
inward	O
between	O
the	O
blocks	O
,	O
looking	O
at	O
a	O
scrubby	O
back	O
garden	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
at	O
the	O
ash-pits	O
.	O

And	O
between	O
the	O
rows	O
,	O
between	O
the	O
long	O
lines	O
of	O
ash-pits	O
,	O
went	O
the	O
alley	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
children	O
played	O
and	O
the	O
women	O
gossiped	O
and	O
the	O
men	O
smoked	O
.	O

So	O
,	O
the	O
actual	O
conditions	O
of	O
living	O
in	O
the	O
Bottoms	O
,	O
that	O
was	O
so	O
well	O
built	O
and	O
that	O
looked	O
so	O
nice	O
,	O
were	O
quite	O
unsavoury	O
because	O
people	O
must	O
live	O
in	O
the	O
kitchen	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
kitchens	O
opened	O
on	O
to	O
that	O
nasty	O
alley	O
of	O
ash-pits	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Morel	O
was	O
not	O
anxious	O
to	O
move	O
into	O
the	O
Bottoms	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
already	O
twelve	O
years	O
old	O
and	O
on	O
the	O
downward	O
path	O
,	O
when	O
she	O
descended	EVENT
to	O
it	O
from	O
Bestwood	O
.	O

But	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
best	O
she	O
could	O
do	O
.	O

Moreover	O
,	O
she	O
had	O
an	O
end	O
house	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
blocks	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
had	O
only	O
one	O
neighbour	O
;	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
side	O
an	O
extra	O
strip	O
of	O
garden	O
.	O

And	O
,	O
having	O
an	O
end	O
house	O
,	O
she	O
enjoyed	O
a	O
kind	O
of	O
aristocracy	O
among	O
the	O
other	O
women	O
of	O
the	O
“	O
between	O
”	O
houses	O
,	O
because	O
her	O
rent	O
was	O
five	O
shillings	O
and	O
sixpence	O
instead	O
of	O
five	O
shillings	O
a	O
week	O
.	O

But	O
this	O
superiority	O
in	O
station	O
was	O
not	O
much	O
consolation	O
to	O
Mrs.	O
Morel	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
thirty-one	O
years	O
old	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
been	O
married	O
eight	O
years	O
.	O

A	O
rather	O
small	O
woman	O
,	O
of	O
delicate	O
mould	O
but	O
resolute	O
bearing	O
,	O
she	O
shrank	EVENT
a	O
little	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
contact	EVENT
with	O
the	O
Bottoms	O
women	O
.	O

She	O
came	EVENT
down	O
in	O
the	O
July	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
September	O
expected	O
her	O
third	O
baby	O
.	O

Her	O
husband	O
was	O
a	O
miner	O
.	O

They	O
had	O
only	O
been	O
in	O
their	O
new	O
home	O
three	O
weeks	O
when	O
the	O
wakes	EVENT
,	O
or	O
fair	EVENT
,	O
began	O
.	O

Morel	O
,	O
she	O
knew	O
,	O
was	O
sure	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
holiday	O
of	O
it	O
.	O

He	O
went	EVENT
off	O
early	O
on	O
the	O
Monday	O
morning	O
,	O
the	O
day	O
of	O
the	O
fair	EVENT
.	O

The	O
two	O
children	O
were	O
highly	O
excited	O
.	O

William	O
,	O
a	O
boy	O
of	O
seven	O
,	O
fled	EVENT
off	O
immediately	O
after	O
breakfast	EVENT
,	O
to	O
prowl	O
round	O
the	O
wakes	O
ground	O
,	O
leaving	EVENT
Annie	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
only	O
five	O
,	O
to	O
whine	EVENT
all	O
morning	O
to	O
go	O
also	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Morel	O
did	O
her	O
work	EVENT
.	O

She	O
scarcely	O
knew	O
her	O
neighbours	O
yet	O
,	O
and	O
knew	O
no	O
one	O
with	O
whom	O
to	O
trust	O
the	O
little	O
girl	O
.	O

So	O
she	O
promised	EVENT
to	O
take	O
her	O
to	O
the	O
wakes	O
after	O
dinner	O
.	O

William	O
appeared	EVENT
at	O
half-past	O
twelve	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
a	O
very	O
active	O
lad	O
,	O
fair-haired	O
,	O
freckled	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
touch	O
of	O
the	O
Dane	O
or	O
Norwegian	O
about	O
him	O
.	O

“	O
Can	O
I	O
have	O
my	O
dinner	O
,	O
mother	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
cried	EVENT
,	O
rushing	EVENT
in	O
with	O
his	O
cap	O
on	O
.	O

“	O
'Cause	O
it	O
begins	O
at	O
half-past	O
one	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
says	EVENT
so	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
You	O
can	O
have	O
your	O
dinner	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
it	O
's	O
done	O
,	O
”	O
replied	EVENT
the	O
mother	O
.	O

“	O
Is	O
n't	O
it	O
done	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
cried	EVENT
,	O
his	O
blue	O
eyes	O
staring	EVENT
at	O
her	O
in	O
indignation	O
.	O

“	O
Then	O
I	O
'm	O
goin	O
'	O
be-out	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
You	O
'll	O
do	O
nothing	O
of	O
the	O
sort	O
.	O

It	O
will	O
be	O
done	O
in	O
five	O
minutes	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
only	O
half-past	O
twelve	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
They	O
'll	O
be	O
beginnin	O
'	O
,	O
”	O
the	O
boy	O
half	O
cried	EVENT
,	O
half	O
shouted	EVENT
.	O

“	O
You	O
wo	O
n't	O
die	O
if	O
they	O
do	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
mother	O
.	O

“	O
Besides	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
only	O
half-past	O
twelve	O
,	O
so	O
you	O
've	O
a	O
full	O
hour	O
.	O
”	O

The	O
lad	O
began	O
hastily	O
to	O
lay	EVENT
the	O
table	O
,	O
and	O
directly	O
the	O
three	O
sat	EVENT
down	O
.	O

They	O
were	O
eating	EVENT
batter-pudding	O
and	O
jam	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
boy	O
jumped	EVENT
off	O
his	O
chair	O
and	O
stood	EVENT
perfectly	O
stiff	O
.	O

Some	O
distance	O
away	O
could	O
be	O
heard	O
the	O
first	O
small	O
braying	EVENT
of	O
a	O
merry-go-round	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
tooting	EVENT
of	O
a	O
horn	O
.	O

His	O
face	O
quivered	EVENT
as	O
he	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
his	O
mother	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
told	EVENT
you	O
!	O
”	O

he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
running	EVENT
to	O
the	O
dresser	O
for	O
his	O
cap	O
.	O

“	O
Take	O
your	O
pudding	O
in	O
your	O
hand	O
--	O
and	O
it	O
's	O
only	O
five	O
past	O
one	O
,	O
so	O
you	O
were	O
wrong	EVENT
--	O
you	O
have	O
n't	O
got	O
your	O
twopence	O
,	O
”	O
cried	EVENT
the	O
mother	O
in	O
a	O
breath	O
.	O

The	O
boy	O
came	EVENT
back	O
,	O
bitterly	O
disappointed	O
,	O
for	O
his	O
twopence	O
,	O
then	O
went	EVENT
off	O
without	O
a	O
word	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
want	O
to	O
go	O
,	O
I	O
want	O
to	O
go	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Annie	O
,	O
beginning	O
to	O
cry	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Well	O
,	O
and	O
you	O
shall	O
go	O
,	O
whining	EVENT
,	O
wizzening	EVENT
little	O
stick	O
!	O
”	O

said	EVENT
the	O
mother	O
.	O

And	O
later	O
in	O
the	O
afternoon	O
she	O
trudged	EVENT
up	O
the	O
hill	O
under	O
the	O
tall	O
hedge	O
with	O
her	O
child	O
.	O

The	O
hay	O
was	O
gathered	EVENT
from	O
the	O
fields	O
,	O
and	O
cattle	O
were	O
turned	EVENT
on	O
to	O
the	O
eddish	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
warm	O
,	O
peaceful	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Morel	O
did	O
not	O
like	O
the	O
wakes	EVENT
.	O

There	O
were	O
two	O
sets	O
of	O
horses	O
,	O
one	O
going	EVENT
by	O
steam	O
,	O
one	O
pulled	EVENT
round	O
by	O
a	O
pony	O
;	O
three	O
organs	O
were	O
grinding	EVENT
,	O
and	O
there	O
came	O
odd	O
cracks	EVENT
of	O
pistol-shots	EVENT
,	O
fearful	O
screeching	EVENT
of	O
the	O
cocoanut	O
man	O
's	O
rattle	O
,	O
shouts	EVENT
of	O
the	O
Aunt	O
Sally	O
man	O
,	O
screeches	EVENT
from	O
the	O
peep-show	O
lady	O
.	O

The	O
mother	O
perceived	EVENT
her	O
son	O
gazing	EVENT
enraptured	O
outside	O
the	O
Lion	O
Wallace	O
booth	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
pictures	O
of	O
this	O
famous	O
lion	O
that	O
had	O
killed	EVENT
a	O
negro	O
and	O
maimed	O
for	O
life	O
two	O
white	O
men	O
.	O

She	O
left	EVENT
him	O
alone	O
,	O
and	O
went	EVENT
to	O
get	O
Annie	O
a	O
spin	O
of	O
toffee	O
.	O

Presently	O
the	O
lad	O
stood	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
her	O
,	O
wildly	O
excited	O
.	O

“	O
You	O
never	O
said	O
you	O
was	O
coming	O
--	O
is	O
n't	O
the	O
'	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
things	O
?	O

--	O
that	O
lion	O
's	O
killed	O
three	O
men	O
--	O
I	O
've	O
spent	EVENT
my	O
tuppence	O
--	O
an	O
'	O
look	O
here	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
pulled	EVENT
from	O
his	O
pocket	O
two	O
egg-cups	O
,	O
with	O
pink	O
moss-roses	O
on	O
them	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
got	EVENT
these	O
from	O
that	O
stall	O
where	O
y'	O
ave	O
ter	O
get	O
them	O
marbles	O
in	O
them	O
holes	O
.	O

An	O
'	O
I	O
got	EVENT
these	O
two	O
in	O
two	O
goes	O
-	O
'	O
aepenny	O
a	O
go-they	O
've	O
got	O
moss-roses	O
on	O
,	O
look	O
here	O
.	O

I	O
wanted	O
these	O
.	O
”	O

She	O
knew	O
he	O
wanted	O
them	O
for	O
her	O
.	O

“	O
H	O
'm	O
!	O
”	O

she	O
said	EVENT
,	O
pleased	O
.	O

“	O
They	O
ARE	O
pretty	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
Shall	O
you	O
carry	O
'em	O
,	O
'cause	O
I	O
'm	O
frightened	O
o	O
'	O
breakin	O
'	O
'em	O
?	O
”	O

He	O
was	O
tipful	O
of	O
excitement	EVENT
now	O
she	O
had	O
come	EVENT
,	O
led	EVENT
her	O
about	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
showed	EVENT
her	O
everything	O
.	O

Then	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
peep-show	O
,	O
she	O
explained	EVENT
the	O
pictures	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
story	O
,	O
to	O
which	O
he	O
listened	EVENT
as	O
if	O
spellbound	O
.	O

He	O
would	O
not	O
leave	O
her	O
.	O

All	O
the	O
time	O
he	O
stuck	EVENT
close	O
to	O
her	O
,	O
bristling	O
with	O
a	O
small	O
boy	O
's	O
pride	O
of	O
her	O
.	O

For	O
no	O
other	O
woman	O
looked	O
such	O
a	O
lady	O
as	O
she	O
did	O
,	O
in	O
her	O
little	O
black	O
bonnet	O
and	O
her	O
cloak	O
.	O

She	O
smiled	EVENT
when	O
she	O
saw	O
women	O
she	O
knew	O
.	O

When	O
she	O
was	O
tired	EVENT
she	O
said	EVENT
to	O
her	O
son	O
:	O
“	O
Well	O
,	O
are	O
you	O
coming	O
now	O
,	O
or	O
later	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Are	O
you	O
goin	O
'	O
a	O
'	O
ready	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
cried	EVENT
,	O
his	O
face	O
full	O
of	O
reproach	O
.	O

“	O
Already	O
?	O

It	O
is	O
past	O
four	O
,	O
I	O
know	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
What	O
are	O
you	O
goin	O
'	O
a	O
'	O
ready	O
for	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
lamented	EVENT
.	O

“	O
You	O
need	O
n't	O
come	O
if	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
want	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
said	EVENT
.	O

And	O
she	O
went	EVENT
slowly	O
away	O
with	O
her	O
little	O
girl	O
,	O
whilst	O
her	O
son	O
stood	O
watching	EVENT
her	O
,	O
cut	EVENT
to	O
the	O
heart	O
to	O
let	O
her	O
go	O
,	O
and	O
yet	O
unable	O
to	O
leave	O
the	O
wakes	O
.	O

As	O
she	O
crossed	EVENT
the	O
open	O
ground	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
the	O
Moon	O
and	O
Stars	O
she	O
heard	EVENT
men	O
shouting	EVENT
,	O
and	O
smelled	EVENT
the	O
beer	O
,	O
and	O
hurried	EVENT
a	O
little	O
,	O
thinking	EVENT
her	O
husband	O
was	O
probably	O
in	O
the	O
bar	O
.	O

At	O
about	O
half-past	O
six	O
her	O
son	O
came	EVENT
home	O
,	O
tired	O
now	O
,	O
rather	O
pale	O
,	O
and	O
somewhat	O
wretched	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
miserable	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
know	O
it	O
,	O
because	O
he	O
had	O
let	EVENT
her	O
go	EVENT
alone	O
.	O

Since	O
she	O
had	O
gone	EVENT
,	O
he	O
had	O
not	O
enjoyed	O
his	O
wakes	EVENT
.	O

“	O
Has	O
my	O
dad	O
been	O
?	O
”	O

he	O
asked	EVENT
.	O

“	O
No	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
the	O
mother	O
.	O