Night Air
photo curtsy of Dale Rogerson.
Fredrick took a deep breath of fresh night air, it would be the last sweet air that he sampled this night. He tightened the string holding up his latest pair of trousers collected yesterday from the rag and bone man. Then picking up his shovel he followed Ned and the cart into the back alley. It was six months since he had emptied the cesspits in this part of town, but the stench was bad. Particularly at Evergreen House, where they did not deposit ash into the privy, since they had adopted the craze for electric lighting and gas fires.
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There’s a sort of romance about “night soil” men
For me there is often an element of romance in looking back in history. But I doubt Fredrick had the time look back. Whilst Ned the horse just enjoyed his nose bag of oats.
Dear Michael,
Fredrick doesn’t have the greatest of jobs, does he. Atmospheric right down to the stench.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Rochelle… Sorry about the description of the pungent smell related to this type of employment.
Nothing to apologize for, Michael. The stench comment was meant as a compliment. 😉
And is gratefully received, thank you Rochelle
I like that you took the prompt back in time.
Thank you Iain, it was a stories that just pushed to the surface. However I am really enjoying all the other offerings this week,
An unintended consequence of the electric era.
Much as the pony express gave way to the telegraph, one change leads to another and so on.
What a delightful take on the prompt! I really enjoyed that story, especially the twist at the end.
Thank you Penny, even today each technological change leads us to another.
Poor man. My mother said they used to put lime, I think, in the home privies. Back in the 1950’s the state of Ohio in the U.S. used to build fancier privies at the state rest stops along the highways. I don’t know how they cleaned those multiple-seat ones. An interesting and well-written historical story, Michael. Your descriptions were great. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne, I had forgotten the horse shoe shaped ‘communal semi circles of toilet seats’ which once graced county agricultural shows
Yuck! A miasmic slice of history there, Michael!
The miasma must have been quite ripe 🙂
Frederick had a bad job. What a man had to do to earn a living. Some still practice manual scavenging. Inventions like electric light and gas burner probably were bad for Frederick’s profession. You have highlighted the importance of sweet night air in Frederick’s life. A blessing we often ignore or forget.
I still love the night air… As a child I remember scavenging on the local tip. These days I thank god that I had a better career
Such a job. You described this well, Michael.
Thank you Sandra, I guess that many Victorian jobs where worse
Interesting. That must have been the case. Inventions benefit some, penalise others.
It is the way of the world, sometimes for good and sometimes for the worst.
Interesting take on the prompt, Michael.
Horrible work but I suppose someone has to do it.
Your description took me right into the cesspit.
Isadora
Sorry Isadora, I guess that the where worse careers
My nose is still scrunched up trying to get rid of the fictional bad smell!
Thank you Tannille, it was a smell hard to ignore
A very descriptive piece, I could smell the smells and cringed at what Frederick and Ned had to do. Well done!
Thank you Brenda, fortunately times have changed,
What an interesting story with so much loving detail. It makes me think… running water put men like Frederick out of a job (just like electricity and other inventions) — and today new technology makes other jobs obsolete. If we don’t change with the times, we’re left behind.
Thank you Gabi. It seems that each new generation learns and adapts.
Great atmosphere.
Even pungent perhaps 🙂