Ninny was always the family remembrancer in these small household economies, for a lamp could not be burned wastefully, and so a careful record was kept as to how long a lamp had been burning. After a little discussion, it was decided that it would be best to have tea by firelight only, and light the lamp for father as soon as he had washed himself.
This was done down in the little back yard, and when it was over, the lamp was lighted, and he sat down to the perusal of his paper.
It was a rare treat for him to have a whole newspaper for his own reading, and he was soon deeply interested in what he read.
When his wife came in from her day's work, he could hardly wait for her to sit down before he began to talk about the things which had taken his attention in the paper.
"I say, mother, the House of Lords is having an inquiry into the sweating system," he said, speaking quite eagerly.
The poor woman was very tired, and did not feel much interest in what her husband was talking about, but she said with a little show of interest, "What do you mean, Tom?"
"Mean! Well, you'd know if you worked in the docks, where the foreman does nothing for his money but hunt us along, yelling, 'Shove up there, shove up!' And make twenty of us do the work of sixty, of course getting the other forty men's money for himself besides his own wages."
"Why, how's that managed, father?" asked Winny quickly.
While Mrs. Chaplin forgot her weariness as she said, "Tell us what you mean, Tom,—what this sweating is."
"Well, look here, this is how we men get served—for we have it at the docks as bad as anywhere. We'll say a ship comes in to-morrow morning, a tea ship perhaps. The labour-master goes and looks at her, and says to the foreman, 'You'll want sixty for that job.'