The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-11-25
Homeless and Friendless.

words aretrue, touchingly and heart
rendingly true, as applied9to any OF
our fellow.cFeatures now wandering |
the esstreets Of this great city, som
sunny morning of last week. which |
succeeded one Of those cold, dfizzlhg |
nights Of fainthat made us shiver to |
look out upon, we were coming down
one ofthe Streets. not great way from
that center of wealth and luxury, the
ST. Nicholas Hotel, when our step was
arrested by the sight Of aefemale
figure leaning against alilamp-post at
the corner Of d cross street. We
might have passed a hundred such
figures without seeing or noticing
them; but there was something in the
appearance of9this one that attracted
our attention at the very first glance.
Though we had not then seen her
lace, there was something in the APP
pearance Of her dress that told the sad
tale of the two words at the head Of
this1 item. "A She was tall and 1well-
formed. q Upon her head she wore
winter hOodg once rich velvet, fur
trimmed. nItwasnow soiled, torn and
faded, and out Of season. Upon her
shoulders}hung in graceful folds, the
sad remains of a fine cloth cloak.
Her dress was once a rich muslin de
Iaine. It. was faded now, and six
inches Of the skirt told that its wearer
hadtwandered the muddy streets the
long, long rainy night We turned
the corner and walked on, wondering
somewhat why she stood thus upon
the street, waiting for the world to go
BY. owe were notsatisfed, and looked
back to see what sort Of a face was
owned by the wearer ef that be-
dragged dress, One look did not suf-
fee: There was a melancholy sad
ness spread over her countenance like
amask, but itnot was thick enough
tohide the look ofby.gone days. We
knew her. 70 befully satisfied, how
ever we crossed over and stood by the
side of one of the huge piles of bricks
which cucumber our streets in all di-
rections, the debris of demolished
tenements. Upon the opposite side of
the street, stood thesdebris of another
pulled tenement--a tenementnot
made with handsome which human
skill can never build-one which hui
man ingenuity may adorn and make
beautiful, and fit for home in Heaven
Zone which human-inhuman beings
have pulled down, and left a mere
wreck of what twas created to be-
a form in Gods own image, a worthy
worshipper of its Creator. A score
of masons were busy at work putting
back the old bricks, adding new NOR
tar, putting in new beams and braces,
rearing,up, 1e-ftting and replenishing
the old tenement. 1t was time it was
: done, for it had stood there the alIot-
ted three.score years and ten of hu
man life. Time had made its mark
upon it, and it was pulled down and
rebuilt. That was not the case with
the other tenement, for it had not
stood one-third of that time, and yet
it had been pulled down! Who
did it? Hgi HaI
There is yet life enough in the ruin
to speak, let that answer.
While we stood contemplating the
Spectacle before US, the masons upon.
the building over our heads were
sending down jibes and jeers, heart
Wouhding words, and calling oppro-
briols names to one whom, a short
yeaf age, they would have spoken to
With respect, or courted for favor; for
then she wore the adornments Of dress
and the smiles Of beauty. Those
cruel words thoughtless words-not
Jiciousones, perhaps, felIheaviIyupon
HpA, heart; not hers-that was beyond
the reach Of hard words--she had ra.
tbsH hear them than kindly ones--for
her heart was scared .ggl q. .yIh 5n4.