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it。 He gave instances。 It spoilt a man for business by giving him
〃false ideas。〃 Some men said that at college a man formed useful
friendships。 What use were friendships to a business man？ He might
get to know lords； but； as my uncle pointed out； a lord's
requirements in his line of faience were little greater than a
common man's。 If college introduced him to hotel proprietors there
might be something in it。 Perhaps it helped a man into Parliament；
Parliament still being a confused retrogressive corner in the world
where lawyers and suchlike sheltered themselves from the onslaughts
of common…sense behind a fog of Latin and Greek and twaddle and
tosh； but I wasn't the sort to go into Parliament； unless I meant to
be a lawyer。 Did I mean to be a lawyer？ It cost no end of money；
and was full of uncertainties； and there were no judges nor great
solicitors among my relations。 〃Young chaps think they get on by
themselves；〃 said my uncle。 It isn't so。 Not unless they take
their coats off。 I took mine off before I was your age by nigh a
year。〃
We were at cross purposes from the outset； because I did not think
men lived to make money； and I was obtuse to the hints he was
throwing out at the possibilities of his own potbank； not willfully
obtuse； but just failing to penetrate his meaning。 Whatever City
Merchants had or had not done for me； Flack； Topham and old Gates
had certainly barred my mistaking the profitable production and sale
of lavatory basins and bathroom fittings for the highest good。 It
was only upon reflection that it dawned upon me that the splendid
chance for a young fellow with my uncle； 〃me； having no son of my
own；〃 was anything but an illustration for comparison with my own
chosen career。
I still remember very distinctly my uncle's talk；he loved to speak
〃reet Staffordshire〃his rather flabby face with the mottled
complexion that told of crude ill…regulated appetites； his clumsy
gestureshe kept emphasising his points by prodding at me with his
fingerthe ill…worn； costly； grey tweed clothes； the watch chain of
plain solid gold； and soft felt hat thrust back from his head。 He
tackled me first in the garden after lunch； and then tried to raise
me to enthusiasm by taking me to his potbank and showing me its
organisation； from the dusty grinding mills in which whitened men
worked and coughed； through the highly ventilated glazing room in
which strangely masked girls looked ashamed of themselves；〃They'll
risk death； the fools； to show their faces to a man；〃 said my uncle；
quite audiblyto the firing kilns and the glazing kilns； and so
round the whole place to the railway siding and the gratifying
spectacle of three trucks laden with executed orders。
Then we went up a creaking outside staircase to his little office；
and he showed off before me for a while； with one or two
subordinates and the telephone。
〃None of your Gas；〃 he said； 〃all this。 It's Real every bit of it。
Hard cash and hard glaze。〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； with memories of a carelessly read pamphlet in my
mind； and without any satirical intention； 〃I suppose you MUST use
lead in your glazes？〃
Whereupon I found I had tapped the ruling grievance of my uncle's
life。 He hated leadless glazes more than he hated anything； except
the benevolent people who had organised the agitation for their use。
〃Leadless glazes ain't only fit for buns；〃 he said。 〃Let me tell
you； my boy〃
He began in a voice of bland persuasiveness that presently warmed to
anger； to explain the whole matter。 I hadn't the rights of the
matter at all。 Firstly； there was practically no such thing as lead
poisoning。 Secondly； not everyone was liable to lead poisoning； and
it would be quite easy to pick out the susceptible typesas soon as
they had itand put them to other work。 Thirdly； the evil effects
of lead poisoning were much exaggerated。 Fourthly； and this was in
a particularly confidential undertone； many of the people liked to
get lead poisoning； especially the women； because it caused
abortion。 I might not believe it； but he knew it for a fact。
Fifthly； the work…people simply would not learn the gravity of the
danger； and would eat with unwashed hands； and incur all sorts of
risks； so that as my uncle put it： 〃the fools deserve what they
get。〃 Sixthly； he and several associated firms had organised a
simple and generous insurance scheme against lead…poisoning risks。
Seventhly； he never wearied in rational （as distinguished from
excessive； futile and expensive） precautions against the disease。
Eighthly； in the ill…equipped shops of his minor competitors lead
poisoning was a frequent and virulent evil； and people had
generalised from these exceptional cases。 The small shops； he
hazarded； looking out of the cracked and dirty window at distant
chimneys； might be advantageously closed。 。 。 。
〃But what's the good of talking？〃 said my uncle； getting off the
table on which he had been sitting。 〃Seems to me there'll come a
time when a master will get fined if he don't run round the works
blowing his girls noses for them。 That's about what it'll come to。〃
He walked to the black mantelpiece and stood on the threadbare rug；
and urged me not to be misled by the stories of prejudiced and
interested enemies of our national industries。
〃They'll get a strike one of these days； of employers； and then
we'll see a bit；〃 he said。 〃They'll drive Capital abroad and then
they'll whistle to get it back again。〃 。 。 。
He led the way down the shaky wooden steps and cheered up to tell me
of his way of checking his coal consumption。 He exchanged a
ferocious greeting with one or two workpeople； and so we came out of
the factory gates into the ugly narrow streets； paved with a
peculiarly hard diapered brick of an unpleasing inky…blue colour；
and bordered with the mean and squalid homes of his workers。 Doors
stood open and showed grimy interiors； and dirty ill…clad children
played in the kennel。
We passed a sickly…looking girl with a sallow face； who dragged her
limbs and peered at us dimly with painful eyes。 She stood back； as
partly blinded people will do； to allow us to pass； although there
was plenty of room for us。
I glanced back at her。
〃THAT'S ploombism 〃 said my uncle casually。
〃What？〃 said I。
〃Ploombism。 And the other day I saw a fool of a girl； and what
d'you think？ She'd got a basin that hadn't been fired； a cracked
piece of biscuit it was； up on the shelf over her head； just all
over glaze； killing glaze； man； and she was putting up her hand if
you please； and eating her dinner out of it。 Got her dinner in it！
〃Eating her dinner out of it；〃 he repeated in loud and bitter tones；
and punched me hard in the ribs。
〃And then they comes to THATand grumbles。 And the fools up in
Westminster want you to put in fans here and fans therethe Longton
fools have。 。 。 。 And then eating their dinners out of it all the
time！〃 。 。 。
At high tea that nightmy uncle was still holding out against
evening dinnerSibyl and Gertrude made what was evidently a
concerted demand for a motorcar。
〃You've got your mother's brougham；〃 he said； that's good enough for
you。〃 But he seemed shaken by the fact that some Burslem rival was
launching out with the new invention。 〃He spoils his girls；〃 he
remarked。 〃He's a fool；〃 and became thoughtful。
Afterwards he asked me to come to him into his study； it was a room
with a writing…desk and full of pieces of earthenware and suchlike
litter； and we had our great row about Cambridge。
〃Have you thought things over； Dick？〃 he said。
〃I think I'll go to Trinity； Uncle；〃 I said firmly。 〃I want to go
to Trinity。 It is a great college。〃
He was manifestly chagrined。 〃You're a fool；〃 he said。
I made no answer。