Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-02-17
Vol. xxII.--NO. D.


night not long ago. whom you thought
disposed tofcpontance. and whom you
directed 10 como hcre?" i ESD
"Well. might. do pass a word
with such occasionally. oh yes, l re-
member now, n middlc-aged woman.
who told me long tale about her husa
band and children, and how she used
to drink and her husband threatened
10 leave her, and then how he drank.
and then she followed him to house
where no man should ever go. and then
in iit Of drunken desperation and
jealously plunged into career OF vice,
and how, after months Of such life her
husband turned her out of doors. took
her children away where she could not
see them--never has seen them--and
how the villain who had enticed her
away forsook her and left her TO be
turned out Of the house where he had
taken her to board, and how she sunk
down TO degree so low as 10 beg for
rum Of the most abandoned rumIhole
keepers ofthe City, who would get her
drunk 10 exhibit her as a model art
ist" in back room, TO draw custom
ers to their pahdemonium--a place H.
censed as "a model house Of accommo-
dation for travellers And finally she
said that she had drunk the very dfegs
Of the bitter cup Of sin, and II she
could only see her children once more
she would be willing TO die--she did
not wish to live 10 disgrace them, but
she could not die ill she had seen them
again. And then told her to reform,
repent sincerely, and try TO get back
again TO the condition Of life she had
fallen from, and Providence would per-
haps point out way for her 10 find her
children.
"'Eow can / reform? Who will
help me TO reform? Who win take me
into their house Of infamy? Every
other door is bolted and barred forever
against me. Icannot reform in the
street. | can 90 to no place where /
should not be told every day what a
miserable drunken wicked woman l
have been, making me feel constantly
MS though / was unfit TO live, and ma
king me wish was dead.'r 20
Yes there Is one place whofe you
can go. whore the question win never
be asked who you are, what have you
been, where you come from, only, do
you sincerely wish 10 refofm?' II you
do You will be clothed, and washed.
and fed, and given employmeft, Until
you can live without such care, and
then you shall have place In the
country, away from city temptation,
among strangers, who shall never know
that you have been one of the city un-
fortunates.
"Where. where, where? Oh, tell
me whereg Let me 60 there. I win
reform. | will make myself new
character that my children shall not be
ashamed of, and then | will hope-yes,
| may then hope, perhaps accidentally
TO meet them in the street some day.
Perhaps their father. If he has not be-
come as bad as their mother, may con-
sent toilet me see them once, only once.
Pray tell me where to go and God will
bless you for the good deed" y)1
"There take that card. Id tho
morning gcto No. 2 Little Water ST.,
and ask to see that man; he is mis-
sionary 10 the heather Of that desert
which we permit to exist in the tery
heart of this Christian City. Tell him
what you have told me, and see what
he will do for you"
"Well she came. / was busy wri-
ting in the front room. Breakfast had
just been cleared away: Julia and
Lizzie were busy at play in the dining
room. A boy cameup, and said wo-
man wanted TO see me. "Mhat sort
of a woman?" "a very common sort,
"sir; she looks as though she might
''have walked the streets all night; and
''wants some breakfast. She has been
crying, too. She is crying now, and
''she says she wants to see you herself;
'sthe gentleman Who told hen d, come
"here, said she must see YOU. Per
chaps his name is on this ca.i'--
"Yes. yes, send her up-send her up.
Let her sit in the dining room till | fin-
ish my letter. If she is hungry, we
must feed her" So she came up and
sat down in that chair by the door, and
looked down as though afraid that some
one might see her face. and remember
1t. She said she was not hungry, but
owned thatshe had eaten no breakfast;
in fact nothing for two days. While
that was preparing, the children went
ON with their play. At the sound of
their voices and laughing, the woman
started, looked, rubbed her eyes, gave
little scream, sprang across the room.
and clasped them in her arms, rrping.
"0h, my God, my God, hast thou
brought me to my "childrenT' iisl
"For moment we were alarmed.
We thought, perhaps. it was some era
zed mother, who had lost her own, and
would be amoiherto any others. The
youngest was frightened. The oldest
stood for moment after the woman
let her loose from the first embrace, and
looked at her and spoke one word. and
rushed back into her arms. That word
was Moiherl Yes, it was her mother
her not yet forgotten mother--come
back to her, not in the garb to be sure.
in which she was clothed at parting,
but with tear of JOY in her eye, and
a mothers heart in her bosom; and she
was recognizcn by her child, and her
heart was melted.'
Other hearts who saw the scene was
melted too. Others may be who hesr
the story. Others have been who hare
since been touched with the sight of
that now happy mother, living there