ave a built-up platform for the Sunday School children, like a grandstand going almost up to th' ceiling, I heard Miss Thompson, who has the first class of girls in the Sunday School, say there'd be over a thousand pounds in new Sunday clothes sitting on that platform! And times are what they are! But you can't stop them. They're mad for clothes. And boys the same. The lads spend every penny on themselves, clothes, smoking, drinking in the Miners" Welfare, jaunting off to Sheffield two or three times a week. Why, it's another world. And they fear nothing, and they respect nothing, the young don't. The older men are that patient and good, really, they let the women take everything. And this is what it leads to. The women are positive demons. But the lads aren't like their dads. They're sacrificing nothing, they aren't: they're all for self. If you tell them they ought to be putting a bit by, for a home, they say: That'll keep, that will, I'm goin' t' enjoy myself while I can. Owt else'll keep! Oh, they're rough an' selfish, if you like. Everything falls on the older men, an' it's a bad outlook all round.” Clifford began to get a new idea of his own village. The place had always frightened him, but he had thought it more or less stable. Now—? "Is there much Socialism, Bolshevism, among the people?" he asked.

“我想，您准听说了，奥尔索普小姐上周出嫁的事。谁能想到呢！奥尔索普小姐，老鞋匠詹姆斯·奥尔索普的女儿。他们在派伊农场盖了栋房子。老人家去年摔死了，他虽然已经83岁高龄，但手脚却像小伙子那般利落。去年冬天，孩子们在贝斯特伍德山铺了条冰道，把老詹姆斯摔了个四脚朝天，大腿也折了，这要了他的命，可怜的老家伙，真是可惜呀。他把全部财产都留给了泰蒂，儿子们一毛钱也没得到。至于泰蒂，我可是了解的，比大我五年——去年秋天满53岁了。要知道，他们可都是虔诚的教徒。她在主日学校教书30年，直到父亲寿终正寝。那之后，她跟肯布鲁克来的某个家伙过从甚密，我不晓得您是否认识他，是个红鼻子老头，打扮得很是光鲜，名叫威尔科克，在哈里森木场干活。他得有65岁，或者更老些，可看到他俩勾肩搭背，甚至在大门口拥吻，准会觉得他们像对小情侣。真的，她坐在他腿上，通过正对着派伊农场公路的那扇凸窗，谁都可以看得清清楚楚。他几个儿子都40好几了，两年前刚刚丧妻。要是能的话，老詹姆斯·奥尔索普准会从坟墓里爬出来，他生前对女儿管教可严呢！现在，他俩结了婚，搬到肯布鲁克去了，据说她整天穿着睡衣四处闲逛，真是丢人现眼。一把年纪了，还不知廉耻，成何体统呀！为啥他们比年轻人更恶劣，更令人作呕呢。我认为都是电影惹的祸。可又不能不去看。我总在说，多看些具有教育意义的好影片，千万离剧情片和爱情片远些。无论如何也不能让孩子