{"product_id":"2940012784896","title":"THE HISTORY OF THE LAST TRIAL BY JURY FOR ATHEISM IN ENGLAND","description":"CHAPTER I.--BEFORE THE IMPRISONMENT.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat day is chilled in my memory when I first set out for Cheltenham.\u003cbr\u003eIt was in December 1840. The snow had been frozen on the ground a\u003cbr\u003efortnight. There were three of us, Mrs. Holyoake, Madeline (our first\u003cbr\u003echild), and myself. I had been residing in Worcester, which was the\u003cbr\u003efirst station to which I had been appointed as a Social Missionary. My\u003cbr\u003esalary (16s. per week) was barely sufficient to keep us alive in summer.\u003cbr\u003eIn winter it was inherent obstinacy alone which made us believe that we\u003cbr\u003eexisted. I feel now the fierce blast which came in at the train windows\u003cbr\u003efrom 'the fields of Tewkesbury,' on the day on which we travelled from\u003cbr\u003eWorcester to Cheltenham. The intense cold wrapped us round like a cloak\u003cbr\u003eof ice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe shop lights threw their red glare over the snow-bedded ground as we\u003cbr\u003eentered the town of Cheltenham, and nothing but the drift and ourselves\u003cbr\u003emoved through the deserted streets. When at last we found a fire we had\u003cbr\u003eto wait to thaw before we could begin to speak. When tea was over we\u003cbr\u003ewere-escorted to the house where we were to stay for the night. I was\u003cbr\u003etold it was 'a friend's house.' Cheltenham is a fashionable town, a\u003cbr\u003ewatering, visiting place, where everything is genteel and thin. As the\u003cbr\u003eparlours of some prudent house-wives are kept for show, and not to sit\u003cbr\u003ein, so in Cheltenham numerous houses are kept 'to be let,' and not\u003cbr\u003eto live in. The people who belong to the apartments are like the\u003cbr\u003esupernumeraries on a stage, they are employed in walking over them.\u003cbr\u003eTheir clothes are decent--but they cannot properly be said to wear them:\u003cbr\u003ethey carry them about with them (on their backs of course, because that\u003cbr\u003emode is most convenient) but simply to show that they have such things.\u003cbr\u003eIn the same manner eating and drinking is partly pantomime, and not a\u003cbr\u003ereceived reality. Such a house as I have suggested was the 'friend's\u003cbr\u003ehouse' to which we were conducted till lodgings could be found. We were\u003cbr\u003easked to sit by the kitchen fire on 'the bench in the corner,' and there\u003cbr\u003ewe sat from eight till one o'clock, without being asked to take anything\u003cbr\u003eto eat. Madeline, deprived of her usual rest, continued sucking at\u003cbr\u003ethe breast till her mother was literally too exhausted to speak.\u003cbr\u003eA neighbouring festivity kept my 'friends' up that night till two\u003cbr\u003eo'clock--up to which time we saw no prospect of bed or supper. As we\u003cbr\u003eentered the house, Eleanor, with a woman's prescience, said 'George, you\u003cbr\u003ehad better go and buy some food.' 'Buy food,' I replied, in simplicity,\u003cbr\u003e'the people at this fine house will be outraged to see me bring in\u003cbr\u003efood.' Retribution was not far off. I repented me of my credulity that\u003cbr\u003enight. When at last I clearly comprehended that we were to have nothing\u003cbr\u003eto eat, I proceeded to take affairs into my own hands, and being too\u003cbr\u003ewell assured of the insensibility of my host, I did it in a way that I\u003cbr\u003econceived suited to his capacity, and began as follows:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'We have talked all night about social progress, and if you have\u003cbr\u003eno objection we will make some. And if eating,' I added, 'be not an\u003cbr\u003eirregular thing in your house, we will take some supper.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I am very sorry to say,' he answered, 'we have nothing to offer you.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Charge me bed and board while we are with you,' I rejoined, 'but let us\u003cbr\u003ehave _both_. You have bread, I suppose?'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'We have some rice bread.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Perhaps you will toast it.' 'Will you have it _toasted?_","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47081931079920,"sku":"2940012784896","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012784896","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}