with Mrs Turner's blanket round his shoulders and watched the comings and goings of the inmates. Young girls in shawls and heavy boots crossed the yard and went out of the gate; most of them were pale-faced and looked tired and he guessed they were on their way to work at the mills. Rosie wasn't among them and he hoped she had been given the day off to go to their mother's funeral.
After waiting for about an hour, he got up and started pacing about. He was desperately tired and knew that if he sat much longer he would drop asleep. The workhouse gate swung fully open and a horse and cart drove in. On the cart was a wooden coffin, the wood so flimsy that he doubted it would be strong enough to hold a body. He started to shake. Was this for his mother?
He went back to the steps and put his hands over his eyes. He didn't want to see. He just wanted to shut out everything and not believe that this was really happening.
'Mikey!' A soft voice disturbed his seclusion and he opened his fingers to see Rose standing in front of him. 'Mikey,' she said again. 'You've to come now.'
He took his hands away from his face. Rose had been crying; her eyes were red and her cheeks blotchy. She put her hand out to him. 'I'm scared,' she said. 'And Matron said I had to be brave for Tom and Ben's sake.'
He rose and took her hand. 'We both do,' he said. 'They're onny bairns, while you and me . . .'
Rose nodded. 'I'm grown up,' she said in a choked voice, 'and working at 'mill. I get a wage, two and sixpence, but I've to give most of it back to 'workhouse.'
'Where will they tek Ma?' Mikey asked. 'Do you know?'
She gazed up at him. 'There's a paupers' patch at 'General Cemetery. We've got to walk,' she added, 'and it's a long way.'
The four of them walked together behind the cart, which carried two coffins, their mother's and another. There were no other mourners. The matron rode in a hansom cab and Mikey thought that there would have been enough room for them all if she squashed up a bit. But she didn't offer and so they plodded on behind. In fact they enjoyed the walk. The day was sunny and for all of them it was the first time they had been out of town and into the countryside.
Spring Bank was a long and pleasant tree-lined road which culminated in the cemetery, itself laid out like a park with flower beds and shrubs. 'Ma'll like it here,' Rose murmured after the burial, which was in a corner set aside for paupers, away from the mass grave of cholera victims of a few years before. She clutched the hands of the two younger boys. 'It smells nice.'
Mikey agreed. Better by far than the obnoxious smell of blackened earth in the overfull graveyards of St Mary's and Holy Trinity. 'Mebbe you could come here on a Sunday to visit,' he said, as they started their journey back to town. 'If Matron'll let you out.'
Rose was doubtful. 'I don't think Tom and Ben'll be allowed.'
'Mebbe when we move to 'new place they'll let us,' Ben said enthusiastically. 'We're going to walk in procession up Anlaby Road to 'new workhouse and we're going to have new breeches; lads that is. These scratch,' he added. 'They mek my legs sore.'
'Will you come wi' us, Mikey?' Tom asked. 'I'll ask Matron again if you like.'
Mikey looked back into the distance. The road onwards was long and straight and he could see tall trees with their branches waving, and green grass, and far away the rise of low shadowy hills. 'I can't,' he murmured. 'I've to look for work and I might have to go out of town to find it.'
Rose started to cry. 'We might not see you again, Mikey, and if you go away I'll be 'eldest and have to look out for Tom and Ben.'
Mikey considered. If he stayed in Hull he might not find work. Every lad he knew was looking for a job of some kind and he'd never be able to earn enough to keep his brothers and sister. 'They'll be looked after all right, Rosie,' he told her. 'Until they're old enough to work and then they'll be able to fend for themselves. And you'll have a
After waiting for about an hour, he got up and started pacing about. He was desperately tired and knew that if he sat much longer he would drop asleep. The workhouse gate swung fully open and a horse and cart drove in. On the cart was a wooden coffin, the wood so flimsy that he doubted it would be strong enough to hold a body. He started to shake. Was this for his mother?
He went back to the steps and put his hands over his eyes. He didn't want to see. He just wanted to shut out everything and not believe that this was really happening.
'Mikey!' A soft voice disturbed his seclusion and he opened his fingers to see Rose standing in front of him. 'Mikey,' she said again. 'You've to come now.'
He took his hands away from his face. Rose had been crying; her eyes were red and her cheeks blotchy. She put her hand out to him. 'I'm scared,' she said. 'And Matron said I had to be brave for Tom and Ben's sake.'
He rose and took her hand. 'We both do,' he said. 'They're onny bairns, while you and me . . .'
Rose nodded. 'I'm grown up,' she said in a choked voice, 'and working at 'mill. I get a wage, two and sixpence, but I've to give most of it back to 'workhouse.'
'Where will they tek Ma?' Mikey asked. 'Do you know?'
She gazed up at him. 'There's a paupers' patch at 'General Cemetery. We've got to walk,' she added, 'and it's a long way.'
The four of them walked together behind the cart, which carried two coffins, their mother's and another. There were no other mourners. The matron rode in a hansom cab and Mikey thought that there would have been enough room for them all if she squashed up a bit. But she didn't offer and so they plodded on behind. In fact they enjoyed the walk. The day was sunny and for all of them it was the first time they had been out of town and into the countryside.
Spring Bank was a long and pleasant tree-lined road which culminated in the cemetery, itself laid out like a park with flower beds and shrubs. 'Ma'll like it here,' Rose murmured after the burial, which was in a corner set aside for paupers, away from the mass grave of cholera victims of a few years before. She clutched the hands of the two younger boys. 'It smells nice.'
Mikey agreed. Better by far than the obnoxious smell of blackened earth in the overfull graveyards of St Mary's and Holy Trinity. 'Mebbe you could come here on a Sunday to visit,' he said, as they started their journey back to town. 'If Matron'll let you out.'
Rose was doubtful. 'I don't think Tom and Ben'll be allowed.'
'Mebbe when we move to 'new place they'll let us,' Ben said enthusiastically. 'We're going to walk in procession up Anlaby Road to 'new workhouse and we're going to have new breeches; lads that is. These scratch,' he added. 'They mek my legs sore.'
'Will you come wi' us, Mikey?' Tom asked. 'I'll ask Matron again if you like.'
Mikey looked back into the distance. The road onwards was long and straight and he could see tall trees with their branches waving, and green grass, and far away the rise of low shadowy hills. 'I can't,' he murmured. 'I've to look for work and I might have to go out of town to find it.'
Rose started to cry. 'We might not see you again, Mikey, and if you go away I'll be 'eldest and have to look out for Tom and Ben.'
Mikey considered. If he stayed in Hull he might not find work. Every lad he knew was looking for a job of some kind and he'd never be able to earn enough to keep his brothers and sister. 'They'll be looked after all right, Rosie,' he told her. 'Until they're old enough to work and then they'll be able to fend for themselves. And you'll have a
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