nanimous
on one point at least: they were indignant at Owen's presumption in
coming to live in such a refined locality.

This low fellow, this common workman, with his paint-bespattered
clothing, his broken boots, and his generally shabby appearance, was a
disgrace to the street; and as for his wife she was not much better,
because although whenever she came out she was always neatly dressed,
yet most of the neighbours knew perfectly well that she had been
wearing the same white straw hat all the time she had been there. In
fact, the only tolerable one of the family was the boy, and they were
forced to admit that he was always very well dressed; so well indeed as
to occasion some surprise, until they found out that all the boy's
clothes were home-made. Then their surprise was changed into a
somewhat grudging admiration of the skill displayed, mingled with
contempt for the poverty which made its exercise necessary.

The indignation of the neighbours was increased when it became known
that Owen and his wife were not Christians: then indeed everyone agreed
that the landlord ought to be ashamed of himself for letting the top
flat to such people.

But although the hearts of these disciples of the meek and lowly Jewish
carpenter were filled with uncharitableness, they were powerless to do
much harm. The landlord regarded their opinion with indifference. All
he cared about was the money: although he also was a sincere Christian,
he would not have hesitated to let the top flat to Satan himself,
provided he was certain of receiving the rent regularly.

The only one upon whom the Christians were able to inflict any
suffering was the child. At first when he used to go out into the
street to play, the other children, acting on their parents'
instructions, refused to associate with him, or taunted him with his
parents' poverty. Occasionally he came home heartbroken and in tears
because he had been excluded from some game.

At first, sometimes the mothers of some of the better-class children
used to come out with a comical assumption of superiority and dignity
and compel their children to leave off playing with Frankie and some
other poorly dressed children who used to play in that street. These
females were usually overdressed and wore a lot of jewellery. Most of
them fancied they were ladies, and if they had only had the sense to
keep their mouths shut, other people might possibly have shared the
same delusion.

But