Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-25
miscellaneous.
INCIDENT AT THE FIVE POINTS HOUSE
fl OF INDUSTRY.
RESCUE OF MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN FROM
STARVATION AND INFAMY

try. IL was only a sketch. To be able to appreci-
ate Mr.. Peases tolls and sacrifices and self deny
ing labors, one must visit the locality lone must
WIND through those dirty streets and allevs and
see the wrecks OF humanity that meet him at every
tepi-he must see children 50 dirty and soualid
that they scarcely resemble human beings playing
IN hlthy cutters and using language that would
curdle his blood to hear from chilcihooPs lps The
should see men, "made in Gods own image, /"
brutalised beyond his power to imagine he
should SEQ women (grls of not more than twenty
years. recling upon the pavcments in state OF
beastly int1xication, without trace of femnty in
their vicious faces ;he should pass the rum shops
whcre men and women are qnarrelling and fighting
and swearing, while childhood listens and LedTas -
ne should pass the secondhand clothes cellars,
where hard featured Jewish dealers swing out fad :
cd relnse garments (pawned by starving virtue for
bread, to sell to the needy, half naked emigrant,
for his last penny ;-he should see decayed fruit
and vegetables which the most ravenous swine
might well root twice over before devouring pur-
chased as daily food by these poor creatures ;-he
should see gentlemen " threading these streets,
not to make all this misery less, God knows, but
to sever the last thread of hope to which many a.
tempted one is despairingly cnging.
One must see all this before he can form just
idea ot the magnitude and Importance of the work
MIR. Pease has singe-handcd and n0bly undertake
en-; remembering that men of wealth and influence
have their own reasons for using that wealth and
influence lin opposition to Mr. Pease) to pcrpetu-
ate this modern SJdOm
One should spend an hour in Mr.. Peaso's house,
10 see the constant drafts upon his time and
strength in the shape of calls and messages, and
especially the applications for relief that his slen
der purse alas is often not able to answer The
should sec his unwearied patience and activity,
admire the kind, sympathetic heart-unafected
by toll or the frowns of temporizing theorists
ever warm, ever pititul, giving not only 1.-THE
crumbs from his table," but often his own meals
to the hungry-his own wardrobe to the naked !;
he should see his and go away ashamed to
have lived so long and done little to help
the MANNED, and sick, and lame to Bethcsda's
Pool
| will relate an incident which occurred some
time since, at the House of Industry and which
serves as fair sample Of daily occurrences
there.
One morning an aged lady, of respectable ap.
pearance, called ut the Mission House and enqur-
ed for Mr.. Pedse. She was told that he was en-.
gagged and asked if some else would not do as
we'll. She said respectfully, "No my business
is with him; will wait, it you please, till he can
see Ine."
Mr.. peasc Immediately came iu when tho old
lady commenced her story;
" | came, SIR said she in behalf of poor
unfortunate woman and three little children. She
is living now"-and the tears dropped over her
wrinkled face" in n bad place in Willet street
in basement There are rum shops all around it,
and many drunken people about the neighborhood
She mas made out to pay the rent, but has had nc
food for the poor little children, who have subsist
ed on what they could manage to beg in the day
time. The landlord promised, when she hired the
basement to put lock on the door, and make il
comfortable, SO that "the Croton" need not run in
but he got his rent and then broke his promise
and they have not seen him since"
" Is the woman respectable ?" enquired Mr..
Pease.
"Yes-no-not exactly" said the poor old lady
violently agitated. She was well brought up.-
She has good heart, sir, but bad head, and then
trouble has discouraged her. Poor Mary-yes sir,
it nast have been the trouble for hnow her heart
Is good sir. T'tears choked the old la1y's utter
ance. Recovering herself, she continued
" She had kind husband once. He the
father of her two little girls: six years ago he
died, and-the poor thng--oh sir you don't
know how dear she is to me :" and burying her
aged face in her hands, she sobbcd aloud.
Mr. Peasc's kind heart interpreted the old lady's
emotion, without the pain of an explanation. In
the weeping woman before him he saw the mother
Of the lost one.
Yes, she was "Mary's" mother. Poverty
could not chill her love; shame aud the world s
scorn had only filled her heart with God-like
pity.
After brief pause she brushed away her tears
and went on:
"Yes sir Mary was a good child to me once
she respected religion and religious people, and
used to love to go to church, but lately sir, God
knows she has almost broke my heart. Las
spring took her home, and the three dear chill
dren but sue would not listen to me, and lef
without telling me where she was going. l hear'
that there was u poor woman living in basemen
heart told me that that was my poor lost Mary
and there found her. But oh, sr--oh sr'-an
she sobbed as if her heart were breaking" sue
place! Ny Mary, that used to cradle in thes
arms to sleep, that lsped her little evening praye
at my knee-ny Mary, drunk in that terribl
place u
She was getting so nguted that Mr. Peas,
wishing to turn the current Of her thoughts, askc
her if she herself was u member of any church
She said yes, of the - street Baptist Church
She said she was n widow, ard had had one chill
beside Mary--a son; Aad her face lighted up a
she said
'.oh sir, he was such fine lad lie DID all h
could to make me happy but he thought that
he went to California he could make money, an
when he left he said Cheer up, dear mother; II
come back and give my money all to you, and yo
shall never work any more"
can sec him now, sir, as he stood there wit
his eye kindliug. Poor lad poor lad lie com
back, but it was only to die Ills last words wer,
God will care for you, mother-l know it-whe
I'm gone to Heaven Oh! if could have see
my poor gid die as lie did before she became
bad.-oh. sir, icoIt you take her here f--Donf yc
try to make her good ?-caaf you make her GOO
slrY can't give Mary up. Nobody cares f
Mary now but me. Won't you try, ir"
Mr. Pvase promised that he would do all |
could and sent person out with the old lady,
visit Mary" and obtain particulars: he soC
returned and corroborsted all the old ladys stat
mems Mr.. pease then took a friend and start
10 see what could be done.
In Wilicft street is N rickety old wooden bui
ing, hled to Overlooking With the very refuse
humanity. The basement is lighted with tA
small windows half under ground; and in th
wzetehed hole lived Mary and her children. 4
Mr. Pease descended the steps into the roorn,
aelrd s9nSe One say, Here he comes grandmot
eri he's eozoe--he's come"
The DO was opened On pile Of rags in II
corner Sny MaIy, my Mary as the old Ia(
feayfoIly called her-
God u ner,yl Ehat wreck Of beautiful "
IN nhosii Mer large bloe eyes 4dareA with an
Riac EAantss Andsf Lhe iEiaknee sf insexies1io,
Lsss EaEnE u anlmrn hair Se3, an tansisa 90 sssa
crer a forn wasted, yet bssadfm 40 ats granef
OutlneS
Tasf RsrvF