Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

THE BIRTH OF PAUL, AND ANOTHER BATTLE

AFTER such a scene as the last, Walter Morel was for some days abashed
and ashamed, but he soon regained his old bullying indifference.
Yet there was a slight shrinking, a diminishing in his assurance.
Physically even, he shrank, and his fine full presence waned.
He never grew in the least stout, so that, as he sank from his erect,
assertive bearing, his physique seemed to contract along with his pride
and moral strength.

But now he realised how hard it was for his wife to drag
about at her work, and, his sympathy quickened by penitence,
hastened forward with his help. He came straight home from the pit,
and stayed in at evening till Friday, and then he could not remain
at home. But he was back again by ten o'clock, almost quite sober.

He always made his own breakfast. Being a man who rose early
and had plenty of time he did not, as some miners do, drag his wife
out of bed at six o'clock. At five, sometimes earlier, he woke,
got straight out of bed, and went downstairs. When she could not sleep,
his wife lay waiting for this time, as for a period of peace.
The only real rest seemed to be when he was out of the house.

He went downstairs in his shirt and then struggled into his
pit-trousers, which were left on the hearth to warm all night.
There was always a fire, because Mrs. Morel raked. And the first
sound in the house was the bang, bang of the poker against the raker,
as Morel smashed the remainder of the coal to make the kettle,
which was filled and left on the hob, finally boil. His cup and knife
and fork, all he wanted except just the food, was laid ready on
the table on a newspaper. Then he got his breakfast, made the tea,
packed the bottom of the doors with rugs to shut out the draught,
piled a big fire, and sat down to an hour of joy. He toasted
his bacon on a fork and caught the drops of fat on his bread;
then he put the rasher on his thick slice of bread, and cut off chunks
with a clasp-knife, poured his tea into his saucer, and was happy.
With his family about, meals were never so pleasant. He loathed
a fork: it is a modern introduction which has still scarcely reached
common people. What Morel preferred was a clasp-knife. Then,
in solitude, he ate and drank, often sitting, in cold weather,
on a little stool with his back to the warm chimney-piece, his food
on the fender, his cup on the hearth. And then he read the last
night's newspaper--what of it he could--spelling it over laboriously.
He preferred to keep the blinds down and the candle lit even when it
was daylight; it was the habit of the mine.

At a quarter to six he rose, cut two thick slices of bread
and butter, and put them in the white calico