Ships Company | Page 3

'ear the end of this."
"Nonsense!" said his wife, bridling. "Do you mean to tell me you've got
to ask Bill Foley 'ow you're to dress? He'll soon get tired of it; and,
besides, it's just as well to let him see who you are. There's not many
tradesmen as would lower themselves by mixing with a plasterer."
Mr. Jobson scratched his ear, but wisely refrained from speech. Once
clear of his own district mental agitation subsided, but bodily
discomfort increased at every step. The hat and the collar bothered him
most, but every article of attire contributed its share. His uneasiness
was so manifest that Mrs. Jobson, after a little womanly sympathy,
suggested that, besides Sundays, it might be as well to wear them
occasionally of an evening in order to get used to them.
"What, 'ave I got to wear them every Sunday?" demanded the
unfortunate, blankly; "why, I thought they was only for Bank
Holidays."
Mrs. Jobson told him not to be silly.
"Straight, I did," said her husband, earnestly. "You've no idea 'ow I'm
suffering; I've got a headache, I'm arf choked, and there's a feeling
about my waist as though I'm being cuddled by somebody I don't like."
Mrs. Jobson said it would soon wear off and, seated in the train that
bore them to the Crystal Palace, put the hat on the rack. Her husband's
attempt to leave it in the train was easily frustrated and his explanation
that he had forgotten all about it received in silence. It was evident that
he would require watching, and under the clear gaze of his children he
seldom had a button undone for more than three minutes at a time.

The day was hot and he perspired profusely. His collar lost its starch-- a
thing to be grateful for--and for the greater part of the day he wore his
tie under the left ear. By the time they had arrived home again he was
in a state of open mutiny.
"Never again," he said, loudly, as he tore the collar off and hung his
coat on a chair.
There was a chorus of lamentation; but he remained firm. Dorothy
began to sniff ominously, and Gladys spoke longingly of the fathers
possessed by other girls. It was not until Mrs. Jobson sat eyeing her
supper, instead of eating it, that he began to temporize. He gave way bit
by bit, garment by garment. When he gave way at last on the great hat
question, his wife took up her knife and fork.
His workaday clothes appeared in his bedroom next morning, but the
others still remained in the clutches of Aunt Emma. The suit provided
was of considerable antiquity, and at closing time, Mr. Jobson, after
some hesitation, donned his new clothes and with a sheepish glance at
his wife went out; Mrs. Jobson nodded delight at her daughters.
"He's coming round," she whispered. "He liked that ticket-collector
calling him 'sir' yesterday. I noticed it. He's put on everything but the
topper. Don't say nothing about it; take it as a matter of course."
It became evident as the days wore on that she was right... Bit by bit
she obtained the other clothes--with some difficulty--from Aunt Emma,
but her husband still wore his best on Sundays and sometimes of an
evening; and twice, on going into the bedroom suddenly, she had
caught him surveying himself at different angles in the glass.
And, moreover, he had spoken with some heat--for such a
good-tempered man--on the shortcomings of Dorothy's laundry work.
"We'd better put your collars out," said his wife.
"And the shirts," said Mr. Jobson. "Nothing looks worse than a bad
got-up cuff."

"You're getting quite dressy," said his wife, with a laugh.
Mr. Jobson eyed her seriously.
"No, mother, no," he replied. "All I've done is to find out that you're
right, as you always 'ave been. A man in my persition has got no right
to dress as if he kept a stall on the kerb. It ain't fair to the gals, or to
young Bert. I don't want 'em to be ashamed of their father."
"They wouldn't be that," said Mrs. Jobson.
"I'm trying to improve," said her husband. "O' course, it's no use
dressing up and behaving wrong, and yesterday I bought a book what
tells you all about behaviour."
"Well done!" said the delighted Mrs. Jobson.
Mr. Jobson was glad to find that her opinion on his purchase was
shared by the rest of the family. Encouraged by their approval, he told
them of the benefit he was deriving from it; and at tea-time that day,
after a little hesitation, ventured to affirm that it was a book that might
do them all good.
"Hear, hear!" said Gladys.
"For one thing," said Mr. Jobson,