“I must ask you, traveler, now that you know the terms of life in our community, have you made a decision to stay or go back into the forest? I’m sorry we cannot allow you more time to decide. The coal you used last night was a gift from everyone. It is a sacrifice and we cannot spare more. If you choose to live here, we will assign a hut. In the morning your coal allowance will appear in your yard.”

Dear @agmoore !
I guessed that you had written a fictional story set in a 19th-century American coal mining town!
I recalled that workers in the U.S. coal mining industry belonged to the poorest class in the country!