The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-06-09

floor and the creviccs and holes Of the bro.
ken flooring were receptacle for the refuse
/ food and slops. The front of the room had
been used as a bar-room, but the partition
had been taken down, and with it large
pieces of the wall and ceiling. On broken
table, braced up against the wall to keep it
from falling, lay dog, beside piece of
bread, a dirty plate of butter, broken tea
pot, and an iron pot with few potatoes; a
few plates, knives and forks, &C., other fur
niturc there was none, save an old chair
without back, a few dirty rags serving for
bed and bed clothes, and broken bedstead
thrown down in drunken frolic week be-
fore.
And this was the home Of those children
with their sweet, innocent laces-this was
the atmosphere of physical and moral pollu-
ton in which these young creatures were
being trained for eternity! A man was seat
ed on bundle of old and fresh herbs with
three boys opposite him, all busily engaged
in tying up herbs and arranging mint in bum
dies, for the markets and hotels Could the
drinkers of mint juleps, as they lifted the
cup from the marble table of the gilded sa-
loon, have seen the untold filth of the room
in which the mint gathered BY the side OF
the limped brook was prepared for their use.
they would have dashed down the draught
with disgust, from their lips, and would never
have felt an inclination to taste it again.
| In the corner of the room another scene
presented itself. There lay the mother Of
the three interesting children, drunk upon
the floor. The boy, approaching her, push
| ing her with his foot, saying, with almost
despairing earnestness in his tones, "Moth-
er, get up: do get up; here is the lady who
gave Jeanie and me our clothes, do get tup.''
She was at length aroused by the chiid's ap-
piece. against which she leaned heavily, she
said. "You are very good ma'am, for wha,
you did for my childrcn-and am very
sick" II think you look ill., l replied
"and came to see if could do you any
good" She was evidently affected 1t these
words of kindness, but she only reiterated
that she was so sick. And SO she was, poor
creature, with sore and grievous sickness,
overpowering both body and mind but she
was to me most interesting woman, her
face indicating that she had not always been
so degraded.
The man on the herbs, who had been list
eningto our conversation, and had not before
spoken, now exclaimed, "You know you are
not sick at all; you know you have been
drunk all night; and had to get the break
fast this morning myself. That is what ails
her ma'am.'' "Is this your husband!" |
asked the woman. ''Ycs ma'am; no
ma 'am,'' she hurr!edly answered. "No
ma am; he has lived here with me ever since
the children's father died apa hfr htfrjse Is 6oys a
! Tx1 fIn Nfh fxryr
ladswho are bundng mint are not mine. |
have but two boys and one girl. Those two
boys ma'am are orphans. whose parents died
with the cholera; and they have lived here
ever since, for promised their mother to
look after them" And in all her degrade
ton and poverty she had sheltered these or
phans in her wretched home, and they ac-
companied the man when he went into the
country to gather herbs, and assisted him tc
prepare them for sale; and in this way the
flmily was supported.
Inow expostulated with her on her vicious
course of life. How could she, mother,
with three such very interesting children
growing up around her, so debase herself!-
She replied that she had no decent clothes
or they would have been married. The man
contradicting her, said that was not the case,
for he had been willing several times to be
married. but she would go on a spree, and
then he would not have her. He added that
ifshe only would keep sober she was as res
pectable as any lady in New York. | sug-
gested. and then urged, that she should sign
the pledge, and if she remained sober till af-
ter the Fourth of July, and they were still
of the opinion that it would contribute to
their happiness to be married, that suitable
clothing should be provided, and the cere-
mony should take place in the Mission room.
She took the pledge and kept sober, and
on the evening of the 9th of July, 1850, they
stood respectfully arrayed in front of the al
tar in our Mission room, while the mission
ary performed the marriage ceremony with
great solemnity. and at the close gave them
an instructive exhortation to be on their
guard against the evils of intemperarc,.
They promised, as they returned home
with lighter and happier hearts than they
had known for many day. A comfortable
room was then procured for them: it was
neatly whtewashed, and furnished with the
luxuries of bedsteads, bedding, chairs and a
table. A place was found for the man in a
coal yard, and the elder boy, Joseph. was
placed at trade the young children at
school, and the orphan boys at trades.
After some months the watchful oversight
of the woman was thought to be no longer
necessary, and SO broke her pledge. Moth
ing discouraged, however, this missionary
and myself besought her again to sign it
and. to our surprise, she not only consented
to do so but said with strength of resolu-
ton, II shall now sign it as ! ought: fear
ed my habits were too strong when signed
before, and therefore allowed you to write
my name, while put my cross under it; |
feared would break it, but now, with the
help of the Lord, think can keep it."
and she wrote her name as good as We
could have written it for her; and though
two years have nearly elapsed since, yet she
maintains herintegrity, and has never tast-
ed anything that would ntoxicate. The
husband has never broken his pledge at all,
but is considered strictly an honest sober
man, and still retains his place in the coal
yard. Joseph, by his strict attention to
evening school, has learned to read and
write, and his employer entrusts him with
every valuable article in his store, and be-
lieves him to be worthy of unlimited conf
dencc. And as we visit them from time to
time in their altered home, they show us
with great satisfaction some addition to its
comforts--a clock, bureau, and few pic
lures &C. which their savings have enabled