Grass Valley telegraph., 1853-10-06
"Hush NV cbild lie still and slumber },

shlVering with night air and fear and finally
compelled to 30 home trembling like cul-
prlt, to hear the hard words of a mother
yes mOther-but Oh! what mother
curslng her for not performing an impossi-
blllty, because exhausted nature slept-be-
cause her child had not made profit which
would have enabled her more freely to in
dulge in the soul-and-body-d destroying vice
of drunkenness, to which she had fallen from
an estate when +" my carriagen was one of
the "household words" which used to greet
the young ears of that poor littledeath-strick-
en- neglected street sufferer.
1t was past midnight when she awoke, and
found herself with desperate effort Just able
to reach the bottom of the rcketty stairs
which led to her home: We shall not 90 ND
now. In little while, reader, you shall see
where live the City poor.
Tired-worn with daily toil-for such is
the work OF an editor who caters for the ap-
petites of his morning readers-we were not
present the next night to note the absence of
that cry from its accustomed spot; but the
next, and next, and still on we listened in
Valn-that voice was not there. True the
same hot-corn cry, came floating upon the
evening breeze across the park, or porfhed it's
way from some cracked fiddle voice down the
street, up and around the corner or out of
some dark alley with broken English ac-
cent, that sounded almost as muchlike "la-
ger bier" as it did like the commodity the
immigrant struggling to exc out mis- preca-
rious existence, wished to sell. AL over this
great poverty burdened, and wicked waste
extravagant City, at this season that CRY
goes up, nightly proclaiming one If the hab-
lts OF this late supper eating people.
Yes we missed that cry. "Hot corn" was
no longer like the music of strinsed instru-
ment to weary man, for the treble string
was broken, and, to us, the harmony spoiled
What was that voice to us? 1t vas but one
OF the ten thousand, just as miserable, which
may be daily heard where human misery has
It's abode. That voice, as some others have.
did not haunt US, but its absence, in spite of
all reasoning, made us feel uneasy. We do
not believe in spirit manifestations half as
strongly as some of the nin-cOmpoops of this
world would have their longeared listeners
think, yet we do believe there is a spirit in
man, not yet made manifest, which makes us
yearn after cO-existing spiritsin this sphere
and in this life, and that there is no need of
going beyond it, seeking after, strange idols.
We shall not stop to inquirewhether it was
spirit of " the first third or sixth sphere"
that prompted us as we leftlour desk one
evening, to go dowu among the abodes of the
poor, with feeling ofcertainty that we should
see or hear something of the lost voice, for
that spirited US on; perhaps it was the
spirit of curiosity no matter, It led, and we
followed in the route we had seen that little
one go before-it was one only one-we know
no name-had no number, nor knew no one
that knew her whom we were going to find.
Yes, we knew that good missionary, and she
had told us of the good words which he had
spoken, but would be know her from the hum
dred just like her? Perhaps. 1t will cost
nothing to inquire. We went down Centre
ST. with light heart we turned into Cross
st. with step buoyed by hope :. we stood at
the corner of Little Water st. and looked
round inquiringly of the spirit, and mentally
said (Which way now?" The answer was. a
tar-off scream of dispair. We stood still with
an open ear, for the sound of prayer. follow
ed by sweet hymn of praise to God, went
up from the site of the Old Brewery, in which
we Joined, thankful that that was no longer
the abode of all the worst crimes ever con-
centrated under one roof Hafk, step ap-
proaches. Our unseen guide whispered, " ask
him." 1t were curious question to ask
stranger, in such strange place, particu-
larly one like him haggard with 0Vefmuch
care, toll or mental labor Prematufe1y old.
his days shortened by over work in young
years as furrowed face and almost phrensied
eye hurrldly Indicates, as we seen the flash
OF the lamp upon his dark visage, as he ap-
prOaches with that peculiar American step
which impels the body forward at railroad
speed. Shall we get out of his way before
he walks over us? What if be is crazy
man? No; the spirit was night-no false
raps here. 1t is that good missionary. That
man who has done more to reform that den of
crime, the Five Points of New-Y York, than all
the Municipal Authorities of this P Police-hunt-
ing, and Prison-punishing City, where mis-
fortune is deemed a crime, or the unfor-
tunate driven to it, by the way they are
treated, Instead of being reformed, or strength
ened IN their resolution to reform, by hard
words rather than Prison bars "Sir," said
Mr.. Pease, what brings you here at this time
aid your"
Perhaps don't know-a foolish whim-
a little child-one of the miserable, with a
drunken mother"
Come with me then. There are many
such. 1 am just going to visit one. who will
~ Gle oeIore mornings sweet little girl, born
IL oeIIer Gays, and dying now-but you shall
see, and then we will talk about the one you
would seek to save"
we were soon threading a narrow alley,
where pestilence walketb in darkness. and
~ rn LINES, he wretched poverty and filthy misery,
behold" said our friend lstho f,-,;+s IF
oul o.i Ilsy excise Here is the profit of money
spent sEe Tor License to kill the body and damn
sne soul" Proven by the awful curses and
louu blows OF drunken husband upon wife,