Rag and Tag; or, a plea for the waifs and strays of Old England

Front matter

THE VISIT TO THE BURTON FAMILY. p. I41- S. RAG AND TAG; OR, A PLEA FOR THE WAIFS AND STRAYS OF OLD ENGLAND, By MRS. EDMUND JUX0N WHITTAKER, Author of "Hilda and Hildebrand," " Tlie Return from India" "Little Nellie," etc. London ; W. PARTRIDGE & Co., 9, PATERNOSTERROW. Geo. Watson & Co., Printers, 28, Charles Street, Farringdon Road. TO THOSE WHO DESIRE THE LUXURY OF DOING GOOD, THESE PAGES ARE AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. %m asr * ye wmi® imi W TE MÆ& W WHEW LUKE. VI. 31. CONTENTS. Chapter I. PAGE THE WAIFS IN CHARGE - - - ' - - g Chapter II. RAG AND TAG'S ESCAPE FROM " THE DREAD- FULS" 31 Chapter III. NEW CLOTHES - ( - - - - - - CONTENTS. VIII Chapter IV. PAGE THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION - - - 65 Chapter V. RAG AND TAG SEE THE SICK CHILDRExN - 92 Chapter VI. *< LONG NOSE " STARVING - - - - - 104 Chapter VII.

LIZZIE'S FIRST HAPPY CHRISTMAS - - 118 Chapter VIII. THE UNEXPECTED PRESENT - - - - 125 Chapter IX. MR. AND MRS. WEBSTER VISIT JOHN AND MRS. BURTON- ...... I35 Chapter X. A NEW HOME RAG AND TAG.

Chapter I The Waifs In Charge

In a miserable part of London, far away from all the fashionable quarters and thoroughfares, yet almost close to a large railway station, is a long, wretched-looking street, with here and there shops on either side — if indeed shops such places can be called — consisting of boards resting on the pavement covered with old boots, shoes, pieces of tin, leather, backs of books, empty medicine bottles, pill boxes, dirty cord, string, decayed apples, hard dusty-looking dry figs, nuts, sour oranges, salt herrings, broken pots and pans, knives with broken blades, and lots of handles without blades, rusty bird-cages, old mouse-traps, old clothes, old pieces of soap picked up from the dust-heap, ends of cigars, matches, old pipes, and many other articles of about much the same value are displayed for sale ; whilst the owners of all this hetero geneous stock, with their family, live, or rather exist, in a dreary cellar, only seeing the light of day, or getting a breath of fresher air, as they scramble up from the dark- Rag.

B The Miserable Cellar. 10 ness withisi, standing either on a box, or if fortunate enough to possess one, a tumble-down chair, whilst they push their heads through the aperture left between their dwelling-place and the next storey, as they look eagerly out for purchasers of their stores. Now if you had been passing up or down this street about two o'clock one cold October day not quite a year ago, you would I am sure have hurried along, anxious to get out of such wretched quarters, unless you had stopped for a moment or two attracted by two little heads and small white faces peering above the board in front of one of these miserable cellars, longing to catch the attention of the passers by, and with much difficulty stretching out their bony red hands as they endeavoured to place what they considered the most tempting of their goods in a more prominent and enticing position.

Ragged, dirty, ill-conditioned looking little creatures they were, but as quick, earnest, and sharp in their desire after gain as many double their age. " Rag," whispered the brother to the sister, " look at that 'oman a'miring of our apples ; just shove 'em a bit more round, so as to show the betterer side. — No," catching hold of her hand, " don't go an' turn 'em jist under her nose ; she sees what ye're arter an' off she goes ; yer not half sharp to-day — what's up ? " " Nothin's up as I know of, 'cept I'm that hungry I could eat anythin', an' we mustn't meddle with all this ; it's for other folks an' not for us-" Here the poor little drawn face puckered up. ". Don't, don't look i' that fashion, Rag. What iver are yer arter ? Here, munch that," and the boy drew a " Old Rubbage." 11 crust of bread from some part of his very tattered clothes.

" Why, where did you get it ? Is it your breakfast, Tag, not eaten ? " " Niver you mind — eat it, an' ax no questins " " But you'll want your dinner right down bad ; here, let's go shares," and the thin little fingers quickly tore the bread in half. " Well, yes, I be's a bit empty like, so I'll take your a'wice. An' I say, let's take an apple each ; we can tell 'em to-night, if they're wide awake enough to count 'em, as some 'un prigged 'em." " We tried that once afore, an' worn't we beat just ! It hurts my soldgers even yet to think of it," and the poor little shoulders screwed themselves together. " Niver mind ; who's afraid ? — here goes," and Tag boldly bit into one of the disagreeable-looking apples. " I tell yer what, Rag, a thought has com'd into my head; it com'd when I saw yer soldgers go up like that ; but it's a great big thought, an' we ain't got werry much time at this moment — let us try first an' sell all this 'ere old rubbage, then I'll tell yer."

" Old rubbage ! " interrupted Rag in an awe-stricken voice ; " it's beautiful goods." " No it ain't — I tell you I know betterer ; if ye had see'd what I once see'd, you'd know if this was rubbage or not. I tell yer what, Rag," and the child bent his closely-cropped head close to his companion ; " all this 'ere is nothin' but odds an' ends swept away from places where the parties are too grand even to look at 'em, an' the ' dreadful ones ' pick 'em up for nothin' at all." The Sale of Cord. 12 Rag's open eyes and mouth expressed a good deal, but she said nothing. That her mind had been wonderfully enlightened within the last few moments by Master Tag's bold announcement was shown by her deliberately choosing out a very decayed uncomfortable-looking fig, and exclaiming, " There you goes for a nasty bad thing as you are !

" suddenly gave it a fillip with her second finger and thumb, which sent it flying high up in the air across the pavement into the street much to her own and Tag's delight. " Well done ! " he laughed ; " that wor a rare good shot ; yer nearly hit that old genelman on the nose ; he looks quite scared yet. But mind what yer arter ; don't go an' get too venturesome all of a heap ; 'member the soldgers " " What 'tracks your 'tension, young man ? " inquired Miss Rag pompously of a small urchin about ten years old, who was kneeling on the pavement looking at and fingering some of the dirty cord lying in a heap on the board. "Fingers off, if you please." " Father wants a pennorth of that cord," and he threw a copper down ; " and he says if he gets good measure, there'll be some more wanted." " Let's see," said Tag, and he nudged Rag.

" I'm the seller of this ; give us hold of your scissors, missis ; " and taking up the rusty old pair that hung round Rag's neck, after much sawing and hacking he got the cord severed, and sent the boy away quite content with his bargain. " Tag," said Rag, with an air of grave rebuke as she wound the remnant up again, "you must not go on at that rate. What will the ' dreadful ones ' say if they A II. RAG AND TAG IN CHARGE. The Old Pair of Shoes. 15 are able to 'square up ' to-night, and find so little got for all this 'ere beautiful — rubbage ! " and Rag smiled, a pitiful yet half-amused little smile. "That's not quite such rubbage — that's pretty fair," remarked Tag, feeling the cord ; " it's this, and this, and this," pointing to the various goods before them, " which in the grand parts would be kicked out.

Now that old pair of shoes " " But those are splendid, Tag ; wouldn't I like 'em just ! " and Rag curled up her poor little cold bare feet one over the other. " Yes, we think 'em splendid, and I'd like to wear 'em myself — but lor ! they're gimcracky things really. Just lengthen out your neck a bit and watch that pair a-passin' close to your face : do you think that there little cove would say thankee for these ? " Rag looked, shook her head solemnly, sighed, picked up the pair of shoes, and laid them down with an air of contempt, as much as to say, " I would not have you in a present ! " although the whole time her little heart was going out in huge longings for them. " That's yer sort, Rag ; you have got pluck ; shy 'em on one side — they're not worth wanting ; and if you did want 'em ever so bad you'd not get 'em.

But never mind : p'raps you'll be gettin' a pair far betterer than those before long." " The idee of me in a pair of shoes ! Why, Tag, you and I don't know the feel of 'em even, 'cept with our hands or in a dream. Do you think they'd be com for'ble ? I 'spects we should walk werry much in the fashion of that poor black and white cat we saw walking Rag Indignant. along in nutshells one day ; lor ! how she scratched when you tugged 'em off." "Didn't she just!" and Tag laughed feebly at the remembrance ; " and how she scuttled away from the ' dreadful ones ' when they tried to grab her ! " "And wouldn't I scuttle away from 'em too, if I could," sighed Rag. Tag's thin pale cheek coloured up as if he had been struck, and his large eyes sparkled, but he said nothing ; and before Rag had time to make any further compli mentary remarks concerning the " dreadful ones,'' the boy who had bought the cord came back again for more.

" Here, guv'nor ! " he exclaimed to Tag. " Give us that bunch of cord and I'll give you this 'ere," holding up sixpence. " Sixpence, and for that lot ! " repeated Tag, with a glance of withering scorn, at the same time elbowing Rag beneath the board to help him to bring the boy to a sense of the enormity of his sin in endeavouring to drive such a hard bargain, " for such a werry good article " — who taking the hint, with as much dignity as she was mis tress of, and greatly at the risk of tipping up the box on which she was elevated, stretched out her poor little arms, and picking up the bundle of cord held it out to wards the boy, exclaiming with all the irony she could throw into her small voice — " By all means, young man, take it, for we could 'ford better to give it in a gift than ask sich a low price as that.

Ye should be 'shamed of yerself, that yer should — the idee of coming cheating poor peoples like us." A Stroke of Business. 17 Not as much abashed by any means as he should be by this indignant outbreak on the part of the young master and mistress of the shop, the boy muttered, •" Father sent me ; but you are two cross-grained imps ; I never met your like afore." " Nor ever will again — 'member that, young 'un," called out Tag, as the boy walked away. "We knows our dooty, and we sticks to it." " Yes, that we does," cried Rag ; but the tears were standing in her eyes for very disappointment ; " 'twas a sixpence, Tag — a real gen'ine sixpence ; why ever didn't you pocket it ? We'll never get another to-day, and — and — I'm so precious cold and hungry." Here a tear came down her cheek, and fell on the old knives.

" Put that t'otherer one back as is coming, Rag ; put it back — I knows what I'm about, little 'un ; he'll be back agin afore long ; don't let another tear fall." And Tag was right ; back came the red-haired boy. " 'Ere's eightpence for you, and give me the cord, for two skinflints as you are." " Give us that 'a'penny in yer hand and it's yours ; that'll still leave you one 'a'penny for yerself. I can see further than you think for ; yer father gave yer nine pence. I see'd yer hiding those there two 'a'pennies in yer fist ; but the missis is cold and clam'd, and I wants to get her somethin' quick, so give us the eightpence 'a'penny, take the cord, and off yer go, Mr. Carrots. There, Rag, that's somethin' like ; see, here goes the money," and he put it into a small leather bag secured by a boot-lace round his waist, under the tattered rags that served for trousers.

" Now we've earned our dinner, Rag and Tag's Dinner.' let's pull the board in for a little ; no 'un will come for a bit just now. I'll go and get a 'apporth of bread, and you toast that big red 'errin' lying atop there, down below." "But, Tag, that's our ' tempter ;' we'd betterer take one from underneath one o' the smaller 'uns." " Do as I bid you, Rag. Lor ! how gals do argufy. We'll eat the ' tempter,' and tempt 'em as wants to buy without it — turn their backs up, and in the dusklight they'll tempt well enough. Now set to work and toast whilst I get the crust o' bread." For a moment after his departure little Rag looked thoughtful ; then shutting up her mouth very tight she replaced the " tempter " — a really well-built herring, of so much larger proportions than the others that it attracted the attention of the passers by, and was quietly slipped off the heap by Rag and Tag, whilst the smaller ones were urged upon their customers as being " right down fresh and good, and less bone in 'em."

Quickly did Rag's thin fingers snatch two of the " right down good " smaller " 'uns " from their resting place, and making a fire in one corner of the cellar with some old pieces of paper between four bricks she laid the herrings upon the flames, and as soon as the paper had burnt itself out the fish were cooked. " Well, Rag " — and Tag came tumbling into the cellar — " if we ain't in luck's way to-day I bain't I ; see 'ere and see 'ere," and to Rag's delighted gaze he dis played a large piece of cold plum-pudding and a small loaf. Rag did not speak ; she only looked — looked again — The Herring " Tempter." 19 and finally, like little Jack Horner of old, put out her thumb and pulled out a large currant from the middle of the beautiful-looking piece of plum-pudding, and popped it into her mouth.

" Hah ! " laughed little Tag, good-humouredly ; " I knew you'd be arter that trick, and as I com'd along I pulled and scraped at that there werry 'un as you've taken, so that it might be easy to get ; but let's 'ave our 'errin' first, and then " " No, Tag," and Rag laid her hand solemnly on his bare arm ; " that there beautiful stuff first, and 'errin' arter." But Tag would not agree to this. " No, the 'errin' first ; for we're so werry precious empty inside we should eat so quick we'd never taste the taste of this 'ere, and it ought to be spun out, for mebbe we'll never in all our lives get a sight or taste of it again." " 'Ere you are, then," and Rag held a herring towards Tag. " Ain't you agoin' to 'ave a bit, Rag ? Lor ! how small the ' tempter' has frizzled to. I wish as I'd taken your a'vice and 'ad two small 'uns ; there'd been more for us."

"All right, Tag, eat away. 'Ere we are agin. I took my own a'vice, and ' tempter ' is there," jerking her head in the direction of where it lay in its usual pro minent position. " Well, you are a " But what she was Rag never heard, for Tag's mouth was too full to express himself properly. " Now let's half the loaf, and what we can't eat, stow Tag Mysterious. 20 away. I'll only eat that there," and Rag broke off a rather small piece, " for I do want so bad a piece of yer beautiful stuff there, and I'll soon be having no room for it." " Well, 'ere's a bit for you," and Tag broke it in half ; " but take my a'vice this time — stow it away, after you've taken a real small bit, in that frock of yourn ; we'll be wantin' somethin' to eat sooner than yer think for at this moment p'raps." " Why ? " and Rag opened her eyes wider than usual.

" We can allers get somethin' off the board ; it's only our soldgers as gets the worst if we're discivered." " P'raps we mayn't allers 'ave a board 'afore us to prig off," remarked Tag, slowly and significantly. Rag opened her eyes still wider, and stopped in the act of putting a morsel of the much-coveted plum pudding into her mouth. " Shut yer eyes, or they'll stick fast for ever, and be ever so uncomfor'able. I wonder. why ye stare so when I say anythin' to-day." " But, Tag, yer niver said anythin' like that afore. Is the ' dreadful ones ' a-going to sell up, or what ? " " Rag, can you keep a secret close ? " Rag's little thin lips screwed up so tight you could see no red line at all. The expression of her face said as plainly as words could, " Try me." " Yes, you'll do. I'll tell you soon, but we must finish our work to-day first.

Don't you wonder, though, how ever I got all that there ? " pointing to the remains of the loaf and plum-pudding which they were each "stowing" away amongst their rags and tatters. The Secret Divulged. 21 " I was too empty at first to ask ; how was it ? " "Light up a piece more paper, just to warm us a bit, and I'll tell yer. You'll laugh when I tell yer. Just as I was a-goin' down the street to the little shop at the end where broken vittals are sold — you 'member it ? " Rag shook her head. " Yes, you knows it — but never mind. Well, as I was goin' along, I sees in front of me an old gen'elman — the same as you shot the old fig at. He was a reg'lar old soft 'un ; I see'd it at once by the way he jumped when it came so nigh him, and I know'd it for sartain and sure when I see'd his fine silk han kircher a-trailin' from his pocket !

" Rag began to laugh. " Yer know it all now, don't yer ? " Rag nodded. " No yer don't, then. What was it as I did ? ' " Nipped it up, and pawned it ! But, Tag, you should a' got more " " Yer wrong, Rag, werry wrong. I wor wirtuos ; it pays best, Rag. I nipped it from his pocket werry werry quick, and runnin' in front, I pulled my hair werry 'ard — like this, only I can't get much hold on it. So I purtended, and I said — ' Please, sir, look 'ere.' Oh ! didn't he grabble his hankircher quick, and off he went ; and I thought as I'd niver be wirtuos no more. But all of a sudden he stopt. I ran alongside — to keep him in mind like. ' Boy — yer a good boy. Are you 'ungry?' ' Starvin', sir.' ' Poor boy,' says he ; ' come in here.' So he takes me into the little shop, gives me a loaf and the plum-puddin', and — look, Rag — this 'ere besides."

Rag bent forward her head eagerly, and there in the Business in Earnest. 22 palm of Tag's hand lay what she had never seen in her life before — a large, round, shining half-crown. At first she could not speak ; then with a long-drawn" breath she exclaimed, " Tag, Tag, there's shillin's and shillin's and shillin's in that, and we are rich for ever — ain't we ? " " Rag, in all this large round thing there's only two shillin's an' a 'alf," said Tag, rather sadly. Rag's face fell. " Then I'd rather have the two shillin's and the 'alf; for we can't cut that in two, and the other way I could a' had a shillin' and you a shillin', and the 'alf of the 'alf atween us." " But we'll do that yet, Rag. I allus meant to share it. We goes shares in ev'rythin'. We have no 'un to care for us but ourselves, Rag.

We must stick to each other, mustn't we, Rag ? " " Rather ! " said Rag, putting her little hand in his. "Any 'errings to-day for sale ? " called a shrill voice from the pavement into the cellar. " Stir about, and don't keep a body waiting all day." " Comin' mum, comin'," screamed out Tag and Rag together, as they bustled up with their board ; and now commenced business in earnest. The "tempter" with six other herrings were bought and paid for by the owner of the shrill voice. The old pair of " gimcracky " shoes went next, for twopence-halfpenny ; all the figs for a penny ; half the apples for twopence. What was Tag about, letting things go at this price, when they ought to have got " 'eaps and 'eaps more money" ? Thus thought Rag to "herself, but she obediently went on following the nods and winks of approbation or dis approval which she received from Tag.

Such a sale of A Cheap and Quick Sale. 23 their goods they had never had before ; for quickness andcheapness it was unrivalled. Tag seemed quite like a new creature ; he kept urging the buyers to take this lot in the " 'eap just as it stood." Also " that lot over there, and he would throw in these bird-cages down here." So excited did he get, that crawling on to the board himself, there he sat tailor-fashion, exclaiming, ■" Now's yer time, ladies and gen'elmens — make 'ay whilst the sun shines. Lots o' people want our goods, but we wants you to get first chice. 'Ere you are, mum : this little tay-pot is the werry thin' as you wor fixin' yer eyes on. Sixpence was the price — threepence you shall 'ave it for. Take it 'ome, mum — it's a real good 'un, and no cheat. The money to the missis, mum — at this moment I'm hengaged," and on he went rattling away, and getting rid of the "old rubbage" until the board was almost cleared.

" Tag, Tag," whispered Rag, " are you quite well ? What are you a-thinkingof ! Whatever will the 'dreadful ones ' say ? I'm getting so afeard, Tag, so afeard ; 'member soldgers — I can feel 'em a' ready." " Let us alone, Rag ; you stick to me and I'll stick to you ; that's our bargain, ain't it ? " " Yes, in course — I'll stick ; but oh ! Rag, I'm shakin' with fright. What will they say when they gets 'ome ? and it won't be so long now." " Leave it to me, it's all right — don't be afeard. I'll tell you somethin' soon ; " then in a loud voice, " 'Tend to your dooty, missis ; there's a party over there as is a-wantin' somethin'. Now what are yer arter, sir, a-rummagin' like that amongst our things ? " Rag's Promise. " Not much to rummage about, my lad ; you have made a pretty clean sweep of it to-night.

I was only looking about to see if by any chance I could light on an orange or two for my little girl who is very ill." He "was a poor-looking man who spoke, but clean, and with a very severe face and voice. " We bain't got one left, sir, and they wor sourish and green-looking the two that is gone, and not very well suited for a ill lili' gel ; but I could get two for you werry quick, if you re'lly wants them — I knows where I can get 'em." " Thank you ; now don't disappoint me ; see, here is twopence — you'll go quicker than I can ; as I can't stay, will you bring 'em to me to my house ; I can point out where I live — as far down the street as you can see, on the side opposite to you, then take the first turn down on the same side, 'twill bring you into a little passage opening into a small court : the second door on your left, a green one, with 3 painted in white on it, is where I live.

Can you remember ? for I should be sorry for my little girl not to get her oranges. I can trust you, can't I ? " and he looked gravely into Rag's face. " I'll 'member, sir ; I won't 'spint your little gel no ways ; off I goes, and soon I comes back," replied the child, eagerly. " Thank you — stay, keep one penny for yourself," and away the man walked before Rag could thank him. " What ever made you say as you'd go and get the oranges, Rag ; they'll be coming back soon, and if you're not here then, what am I to do ? " " I won't be a minit, Tag ; the orangers are only a few Rag meets tlie " Dreadful Ones'.' 25 stalls off behind us. I'll get 'em and be back afore you can count the clock strikin' six," and away ran Rag ; but she was disappointed ; no oranges were to be seen — they had all been sold, and she had to turn down one street and up another and half across a third before she could find any ; but at last she did discover them, and having bought two, and wrapped them up in an old cab bage leaf, which the woman at the stall provided her with, she ran back as fast as she could.

Hardly had she got to the turning leading to her street when she saw the ". dreadful ones " in front of her, both bending under the weight of a large bag they were carrying on their backs, filled with the " odds and ends " and " old rubbage " they had picked up that day, and which would be displayed for sale on the morrow. For a moment she stood quite still ; she dared not pass them ; to be away from her post was a crime which nothing but the poor " soldgers " aching half the night could atone for. One glimmer of hope, and one alone, was still left to little Rag : if they would only stop, as she felt sure they generally did, at the ugly, dirty little shop at the corner, where gin and other spirits were sold, there would then be a chance for her to run home and escape their quick eyes. How Rag's heart beat as she leant against the wall watching them ; scarcely a soul was passing just then but herself and the two she so much feared, so that if they did look round there was no possibility of her hiding herself behind any one, and detection would be inevitable.

On they went bending beneath their loads ; and the Rag. Rag detected. 26 sound of their gruff voices was borne indistinctly to her eager ears on the cold frosty evening air — tramp, tramp she heard them going down the street, and every tramp as it got further off struck coldly on the poor child's heart. " If they would but go in to the little shop at the corner — oh, if they only would ! Never mind how cross it makes them, so that I may have time to get back to Tag — and I promised him I'd be ever so quick," thought Rag, when to her intense" joy and relief the door of the shop with the large blue lamp hanging over it swung open and in the two — no, only one — went. Rag shaded her eyes with her cold hand to get a clearer view through the misty night air, and saw that one of them had slipped the heavy bag off his back, placed it against the wall, evidently in charge of the other, and had gone in.