It is not long since conditions in the mines were worse than they are now. There are still     1    a few every old women who in their youth have worked     2    , with harness round their waists, and a chain     3    passed between their legs, crawling on all     4    and dragging tugs of coal. They used to go on     5    this even when they were pregnant.
    And     6    now, if coal could not be produced without pregnant women dragging it     7    and fro, I fancy we should let them do it     8    than deprive ourselves of coal. But most of the time, of course, we should     9    to forget that they were doing it. It is     10    with all types of manual work; it keeps us alive, and we are oblivious of its existence. More than anything     11    , perhaps, the miner can stand as the type of manual worker, not only because his work is so exaggeratedly awful, but also because it is so vitally necessary and     12    so     13    , that we are capable     14    forgetting it as we forget the blood in our veins. In     15    way it is even humiliating to watch coal miners working. It raises in you a momentary doubt     16    your own status as an "intellectual" and a superior person generally. For it is brought     17    to you, at least while you are watching, that it is only     18    miners sweat their guts out     19    superior persons can     20    superior.