Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-01-01

lecture. AS the opportunities Tor practical OBJ
servation were so limited as to render such occa-
sions extremely desirable, and as the abilities
of the lecturer were well known amongst stu
dents of medicine, he had even from the first
pretty good attendance, and their favorable re-
port spreading, soon brought more, especially as
the fee was moderate, till at length he could
boast OF crowded audience. OF course every
man present was aware that the subjects, which
formed the attractions, were illegally procured:
but it was everybody's interest to keep the se-
cret and nobody sympathises with laws that run
counter to human necessities. So the lectures
continued and fourshed-and the fame they
shed brought patel IS, till the young surgeons
fortunes improved so far and promised so well
for the future, that he ventured to oahe his pro-
posals to Mr. Manwaring, ard the lovers being
quite weary Of living on piotnc,rd hope, they
pleaded their own cause soenefgetlcully that the
fathers consent was won, and they were mar
iied.
On this event taking place, Trusting that his
practice would increase, and be sufficient to
maintain himself and his wife, Mr.. Spencer re-
solved to abandon for eve, those midnight expe
dltlons with O'Gndy to which bis pecuniary ne
ces tiles had won him to consent, but which he
had never undertaken without feelings OF horror
and disgust, ~ well as extreme apprehension of
danger of discovery, which would probably
have 50 far shocked the public as to do him ir-
reparabe mischief in his professional career.
For some little time, therefore. he depended
on his legitimate profits TO furnish funds for his
family expenses expenses; but these were not
always sufficlept,and an empty pnrse sometimes
drove him to his old OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, how
, ever, of which his wife remained wholly gno-
, rant. That he gave lee ures occasionally, she
knew, and that he was every now and then uut
; great part Of the night with his friend O'Grady
but how they were employed, Though she
sometimes wondered, she was never told.
In The meantime, Lucy, who having yet no
J child had a great deal Of time 10 herself, and
D who had been accustomed in the country to visit
and minister 10 the poor Of the neighborhood,
. had Joined society Of benevolent ladies, which
had originated in a proposal Of Mrs Fry and a
sister Of hers, Mrs Shilnel lpennick--a beaui-
, ful woman, who married German, or rather,
e believe,a Dutchman--for tie purpose ofvsitiug,
Y improving, and relieving the poor Of the metrop-
oils. Each lady had her district appointed and
. some of these spread over exit amely bad nelgh-
borhoods; but the founders of this society main
h tanned that, in the very worst, there existed no
danger for the visitor; and they themselves
y fearlessly set the example Of going into quart
Y ers that less enthusiastic women would have GER
tainly eschewed.
, Lucy, however, ives Hp enthes$Ess hesh ~ be
nevolence and religion; and she would have de-
spised herself for refusing to follow where those
= she looked up to led. She therefore cheerfnly
accepted the district appointed to her,which was
n none Of the best--and as experience seemed tc
confirm the opinion of the presiding ladies, she
went amongst all sorts Of people without fear
witnessing an immense deal of wretchedness
the consequence of an immense deal of vice
, from which generally, though the least corrupt
ed, the women were the deepest sufferers, ant
it was by them she was most gratefully received
Often when the men were sullen, the wives ex
! pressed by their tears, feelings they burst not
otherwise give vent to-aboVe all, when they
:, y saw their sick children relieved and comforted
Amongst others there was house in the dis
trict, the ground floor Of which was occupied BY
some people of the name of Venne. The fam
lily consisted Of man, his wife and two child
ren--and although they lived in great deal o.
dirt and mudde, and apparent wretchedness
' they did not seem TO be in any want. which was
circumstance the less to be expeccj }, that Ven.
i nell, from all that she could learn, was an idle
fellow, who followed no regular occupation, and
his wife was a sicky woman, not fit for any.
On the whole, it was very unpromisng sort
> Of menGge; ard on Lucy's first visit the woman
received her so uncvilly, saying, amongst other
things, that they wanted nothing of her that she
had not repeated it. Being informed, however,
sometime afterwards, that Mrs. Vennell was
very Ill, size called, and found her in bed with a
! rheumatic fever; whereupon she not only sent
! the district physician 10 attend her, but being
snxIous to make all impression on the woman,
who, irom having rejected her minis;ralions she
concluded to be more than commonly IN want OF
them, she returned frequently carrying her such
little comforts and ihdulgencies as the funds of
the society cou'd afford, and 9len reading to her
feet of all this Kindness however, was not very
O visible. The woman seemed in a certain degree
grateful, but she was not softened She con-
tinued close and reserved, and there was dark,
ominous cloud ever on her brow, that produced
an involuntary impression against her. Never
q theIess, Lucy, whose enthusiasm was only exal.
ted by difficulties, felt that the worse Mrs. Ven.
4 neIl's spiritual condition was the more she was
q bound to persevere in her efforts to Hmeorate
it; so she continued her visits, though by this
. time the woman was able TO rise from her bed,
i. and was fast recovering her usual state of good
= health.
One afternoon late in the month of October,
. in The year 1916, Lucy had been visiting her dis
= tlct, and finding she had little wine to spare,
which she thought would be an excuse for
call OIL Mrs. Vennell, she went round that way.
: The woman was up,nurslng one Of her children,
> both of whom were young-but she looked
unusually sallow, and as Lucy thought, the
cloud on her brow lowered, even darker than
ever.
"Pve broug ght you little wine TO strengthen
you" she said sand as have half an hour to
r spare, have something here should like to
e read to you"
+ "rm obliged to you for the wine," she an
swered; but don't want the reading it don't