The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-09-29

I'LL VINO would rather see the grain fed to
the drunkard's wife aud children than into
the Unsuitable hot nav Of the whisky still
Let your resolutions grow hot and strong
every time you hear this midnight cry, that
you vii devote, if nothing more
Three grains ofeofn, mother,
Onls thee grains ofcon,''
toward the salvation of the thousand equally
table objects as the little girl, whose wall
me- cry has been the melting cause OF this
present dish Of Hot Corll--snoking hot.'
1nE lIoYE % L.rrLL KAY.
About week ago we published a little
story under this title, detailing some Of the
suflerings which crime and misery bring up
on the poor Of this City, and limited at the
cause. That story is not yet finished The
next night after the interview with that
neglected. i'll used little girl, the same plain
! tive cry Hot corn, hot corn, here is your
j nice hot corn came up through our open
window, OH the midnight air, while the rain
came dripping down from the oFercharged
clouds in Just sufficient quantity to wet the
thin single garment Of tie owner of that
sweet Young voice, without giving her an
acceptable excuse for leaving her post be-
fore her hard task was completed At
length the voice grew faint, aud then ceased
and then we knew that exhausted nature
slcpt-that a tender house plant was ex-
posed to the chilling influence Of a night
ran-tiat an innocent little girl had the
cnrb-stone for bed and an iron post for a
pilloW-that by and by she would awaken,
not invigoratcd with refreshing slumber,
but poisoned with the sleep-inhaled miasma
Of the filth rocking gutter at her feet, which
may be breathed with impunity awake, but
like the malaria of our Southern coast, Is
death to the sleeper. Not soothed by a
dreamy consciousness Of hearing mother
voice, tuning the soft lullaby of
aHus, my child. lie stfll and slamber;''
bat starting like sentinel upon savage
frontier post with alarm at having slept;
shivernu with night air and fear. and finally
compelled to 90 home trembling like a cul-
arft. - hear the hard words Of a mother
YES mother-but OH what mother
cursing her for not performing an impossl-
biiity. because exhausted nature slept-be-
cause her child had not made profit which
would have enabled her more freely to in
tiul4c in the soul ana-hody destroying vice
,fdruakenaess t. which she had fallen from
.
the household words which used to greet
the young ears Of that poor little death
stricken neglected street sufferer
1t was past midnight when she awoke,
and found herself with a desperate effort
lust able to reach the bottom Of the ricketty
stairs which led to her home We shall not
4 90 mp now. In little while, reader, You
shall see where live the City poor.
Tired-worn with the daily toll-for such
l. the work Of an editor who eaters for the
anpetitts of his morning readers--we were
no, present the next night to note the abb
senca of that cry from its accustomed spot;
but the next, aud next, and still on we lis
tined in rair-that voice was not there.
Tru5 the same hot-corn cry came floating
uaon the evening breeze across the park, o'
Wormed It's way from some cracked hdGle
Voice down tao street. up and around the
corner: or cut Of some dark alley, with q
broken English accent. that sounded almost
as much IKE "lager- bier" a. it did ike the
commodity the immigrant struggling To exc
ont his u.acariuus existence. wished to sell
An over this great poverty burdened, and
wicked waste cxtravsgant City, at this
season. that cry coes UP, nightly proclaim
ing one Of tjIG HdhiL9 y! L.iIs I@tS 9"IFIt S"e
Ing people.
i Yes. we missed that cry. ''Hot corn
was no longer like the music of a strineet
instrument 10 a weary man, for the treble
string was broken, and, to us, the harmony
spoiled.
What was that voice to us! 1t was but
one Of the ten thousand just as miserable
which may be daily heard where human
misery has IFS abode That voice, as some
Others haze. did not haunt us, butts absence
in sn!te OF all reasoning. made us feel I'M
easy. We do not believe in spirit nantes
tatiuus half rs strongly as some Of the MIN
rompoops of this world would have their
. lrrp-eared listeners think, yet we do believe
there is a spirit in man. not yet made mani
fest, which makes US yearn after cocXstlng
spirits in this sphere and in this lie, and that
there is no need OF going beyond it, seeking
after strange idols.
We shall not stop to inquire whether i
was q spirit OF "tae first, third or sixth
sphere" that prompted us as we lett our
desk enc evening" to % down among the
abodes Of the poor, with a feeling OF GER
tainty THAI we should see or hear something
of the lost voice, for that spirit led Us on;
perhaps it was the spirit OF curiosity; no
matter. it led, and we followed in the route
we had seen tina little one 90 beiore-t
was our only cuc--wc knew no name-had
no number. nor knew ITO one that knew her
whom we were going to find. Yes, we knew
that rood Missionary, and she had told US OF
the good words which he had spoken, but
would he know her from the hundred just
Ike her! Perhaps. 1t will cost noting to
inquire. We went down Centre st. with Il
!irht heart: we turned into Cross st. with a
step buoycd by hope; we stood at the cor
ner OF Little Water ST. and looked round in
quiringly of the spirit, and mentally said,
(which way now!" The answer was Tar
off scream Of despair. We stood still with
an open ear. for the sound Of prayer, follow
ed by sweet hymn of praise to God, went
10 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 concentrated under one roof. Hark,
step approaches. Our unseen guide wins
pered. TASK him" 1t were curious ques-
ton to ask stranger. in such strange
Mace. particularly one like him, haggard
with over much care, toll or mental labor.
Prematurely old, his days shortened by
over work in young years, as his iurroWcd
face ana almost phrensed eye hurridiy mai
Gates, as we see the flash OF the lamp upon
his dark visage, as he approaches with that
peculiar American step which impeis the
body forward at railroad speed. Shall we
,,,4 mt or his w,v before he walks over us