The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-15

WHAT OnE SEES IN THE STREETs.-A per-
son who walks the streets Of New York with his
ewes and ears open, sees and hears many strange
and dreadful thisgs. Beggary, sickness, want,
crime. wretchedness and folly meet him at every
turn, and if he has heart to feel, that heart
must be often wrung to agony by the shocking
things that he encounters.
We were walking up Broadway last week
during the rainy reason" picking our way as
best we could through the mud and wet when
we heard the cry of an infant-sucll plteous
wailing as made the blood creep in our veins
and caused us involuntarily to look around to
see whence the sound proceeded. Then a sight
met our eyes that we trust in God they may
never know again. A woman almost naked
one of those poor creatures that famine and
oppression have driven from their home to an
asylum in this land of plenty.
She was haggard-cyed, squalid and dirty
the very picture ofhopelcss despair. Her dress
consisted of an old pettcoat, a chemise, and
shawl, scanty in its proportions and mere
Athing Of shreds and patches" She carried IN
her arms an infant just as it came 'into this
breathing world" entirely naked and unwashed,
its little ewes tightly closed to shut out the light
It better had never SEEN. We stood for n mo-
mcnt riveted to the spot We could not believe
that it was not some horrid vision, con]ured up
BY our imagination but the cries of the poor
little one proved the dreadful reality. The wo-
man was proceeding on unconscious OF all that
was passing around her. her eyes fixed on vacan-
cy and an expression in her face that plainly
showed that hope was a thing she knew not
that her cup of human misery was full, and that
she rocked not where she went or what became
Of her
We advanced and spoke to her. She gazed
at US with stupid, stolid look, and made no re-
ply. s'fIow old ia your child :" we asked
about an hour she replied.
.AWhere was it born g
sYonder sure, under them boards" she an
swered, and was about to continue her walk on
ward The thought of asking for charity did
not occur to her-that forlorn hope she had
tried too often unsuccessfully perhaps before
this grand climax of her dreadful life.
Hurriedly searching our pockets we gave her
what money we had about us--a very small
sum, but mine of wealth to her--and told her
10 90 and buy food for herself and some cover
ing for the child.
When we placed the money in her wthered
hand she zed at it with look Of wonder for
moment, pressed it to her face, as if to con-
vince herself that it was reality-thsn turning
look upon us that we shall not soon forget,
she uttered only the word, " God bless you J"
--OOL sue IL hr S'tS VI "c' ''t'''
usually give, but deep, fervent wish that came
yelling up from her poor broken heart---a fer.
vent prayer for our good and happiness, that had
we given world to purchase IT, we should not
have held too dear
She passed on her way--God knows where,
we hope to world where such misery As hers
. ia not known.
The above is true, every word OF il and we
AK those rich and pampered sons and daughters
OF luxury to stop moment ere they deny IT,
and say Il IL impossible such things SHOULD ex-
ist here n New York. You little know the
sorrow and the wrctchedness. the dreadful want
that IL crushing the life out of thousand hearts
around you on every side, or how many you
could make happy with hundfedth part of what
You squAndsr every day. tr
You do not know the depth of happiness that
thrills throagh the heart when it bears bene-
diction such M we received; or that in that SIM
pie . God bless you," there 10 more to stir the
blood, bring the tear into the eye, and the culver
on the lip, than in all the transitory pleasures
your lives are spent in seeking