Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-09-14
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however, slirs in The corner, and examining
more nearly, there appears female face, ghas.
1y with suferings, the eyes CLASSY as # set in
death. Even while we gaze, lhe jaw falls, and
with gurgling lmprecation, the spiri, of the
prostitute seeks its Maker. What dsa,h.bed
What an awful entrance to the world of immor.
tai justice az ~ q. 81 hDa
Clatnbering with difficulty up narrow stair.
case. leading from the room where the sran-
gers hand has closed the eyes Of the poor, er-
| ring, suffering sister, we enter an apartment
| separated by tatered blankets, suspended from
the low rafters, aud Inhablled by sevetal fanl-
| lies. Here mother lies dead drunk III her
squald bed upon the foor. and her Two children
are fighting over her body for the bo,tle which
she may not have drained quite to its dregS.-
There two women, their eyes inaamed and
their faces distorted with passion, are swearing
furiously a. each other, and threatening a war
Of blows. Yonder, on cot wl.hou. mal,ress
or pillow. lies a paralytic old woman; looking
as If living and malignat, eyes had been given
to decayed wax figure. Our companion tells
US ha, she has lain 10 ,ha. place, and in nearly
The same condi.lon, more than a quarter Of a
century, praying for dealh- --cdrsing for
death basphemlng for death 20 come and
end her earthly suferings. Once she was
beautiful and joyous and innocent. and her voice
rang, and her eye flashed gIadness around her
path. She had husband. TOO, and a darling
daughter. Her husband was poor, while she
had been bred in splendor and exlravaeance.-
The girIish romance, in The height Of which she
had eloped with her poor lover, subsidized in a
year in another the hero-lover had become
the haled husband. Her passion for dress and
admiration, subdued so long, broke on, afresh,
aud with len-fold force. The rich Iecher, on
The hunt for spoils. found her. and she became
willing victim TO vanity more than lust. She
was beautiful aud fascinating. and her paramour
desired her all 10 himself. There is break
in The history here But a, any rate her hus-
band dlsappeared. and she dashed ou, in,o
brief season of gully pleasure. Some said The
poor man had been murdered, and others that
he had drowned Himself But nobody ever made
any discoveries---or if they did. they were
bought. of. The woman was deserted in few
mon,h.-.-w 40 could be faithful 10 such mon
sier !-Sand fell rapidly through all the stages
Of prostitution, In end her miserable career amid
the lot,ures and haunting memories of living
death. Such. in brief words, is one of the ten
thousand hear,-rendiug histories Of The Five
Points.
Blu, we mus, descend to the street. I, is righ,,
and the thick and pu'rid atmosphere Of the
place is here and there illuminated by sickly
lamp, while The street begins TO fill with row.
dies, negroes, drunken sailors, pickpockets,
burglars, and vagabonds Of every description
1t is Thursday night. and grand tear is TO be
held In that large and rather aris,ocra,ic- look.
ing celler over the way We will be on hand
Pah what an lnolerable stencil Of brandy.
tobacco, and s,eaming carcasses. meets US a,
The top of The steps, But never mind we
we must not stop al rifles.
The room looks like large dmly lighted
cavern. On barrel by lhe side of The bar,
sits an old negro. tuning his fiddle, while the
dancers on the floor have Just iaken their pla-
ces. Away they GOA fat and shiny blacka-
moor with his arm around The wais. OF a Sigh,
young grl, whose skin is yet white and fair.
nu, whose painted cheeks aud hollow. glarng
eyes tell how rapidly goes on the work of dis
ease and death. s s sa3 .ee,l ss-
Opposite this couple. man naked as a, the
first momen. OF his birth, whrIs shouting and
yelling away with brutal looking woman.
once evidently queenly beauty. The oIher
places imihe collion are occupied by no.
torioos krackman with his 'pal--celebraed
TOUGHER -.-boIh Of whom give our friend The Of
fcer good naiured oath and wink of recog-
milton, and stupid looking sailor, more than
half seas over, Carefully watched by the hag
who is to pick his pockets, and who never
loses sight for an inslan. Of her prey. Around
the sides of The room in bunks. or sitting upon
wooden benches, the remainder wait inpatient
Iy there turn upon the foor--meanwile drink.
ing and telling obscene anecdotes, or signing
fragments of rbald songs This is the grand
dance house of the Five Points and We have
now seen enough. sss.s
Glad at length to escape from all these hot.
rors. we hasten away. asking of ourselves. how
is such neighborhood kept up. and from what
sources are The ranks of its female population
recruited But this touches The whole ques.
,ion of licentiousness. and its cause,, which we
have left ourselves no room 10 discuss in the
present number
SupERFLuIrIEs.- man, in his riehi
senses. that has wherewiihal to live free, would