The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-01-04


little Sis and me eat them, for | have no
had anything to eat since morning. only
one apple the man gave me, and one par
Of one he threw away. | could have stole
a turnip at the grocery when | went tc
get--to get something in the pitcher fol
mother, but did use to steal, but Mr.
Pease says it is naughty to steal, and
don't want to be naughty, indeed don't
and don't want TO be a bad girl, like Liz
zy Smith, and she is only two years Older
than me, If she does dress fine; cause
Mr.. Pease says she will be just like old
drunken Kate, one Of these days. Oh
dear, now there goes man and did no.
cry hot corn, what shall | dol''
"Do! There, that is what you shall
do" as we dashed the corn in the gutter
go home; tell your mother you have
sold it all, and here is the money"
"Wont that be lie. Sir! Mr.. Pease
says we must not tell lies.''
"No my dear, that won, be lie. be.
cause have bought ii and thrown it away
instead Of eating it,"
"But, Sir, may eat it then il you don T
want it?''
"No, it is not good for you; good bread
is better, and here is sixpence to buy a
loaf, and here is another to buy some nice
cakes for you and Sis. Now that is your
money; don't give it to your mother, and
don't stay out so late again. Go home
earlier, and tell your mother you canno,
keep awake. and if she is good mother
she won't whip you."
"Oh, sir, she is good mother some.
times. But am sure the grocery man a,
the corner is not good man or he would
not sell my mother rum, when he knows
for Mr.. Pease told him so-that we poor
children we're starving. Oh, wish all the
men were good men like HIM. and then
my mother would not drink that nasty
liquor and beat and starve US, cause there
would be nobody to sell her any-and then
we should have plenty to eat''
Away she ran down the street toward
that reekins center of filth, poverty and
misery, the noted Five Points OF New
York.
| AS we plodded up Broadway. looking
in here and there upon the pala,ial splen.
doris of metropolitan Saloons think
that is the word for fashionable upper class
grogshops-we almost invoiuntarily cried
shot corn" as we saw the hot spirit o
that grain, under the various guises Of
'.pure gin''-"old rum''-.pale brandy
'pure port'-'H Heidsick'- 'Lager-bcer
poured down the hot thro ats Of naen--
and ah, yes, OF women, too, whose daught-
ers may some day sit at midnight upon
the cold curb-stone crying shot corn, to
gain penny for the purchase Of drink
of the fiery dragon they are now inviting
to home in their bosoms, whose cry ir
after years will be. "Giye, give. give," and
still as unsatisfed as the horse-leach's
daughters.
Again. as we passed on up that street
still busy and thronged at midnight, as q
country village at midday intermisson o
church service, ever and anon from some
side street. came up the cry ofs'hot corn
hot corn!'' and ever as we heard it, ant
ever as we shall through all years to come
we thought of that little girl and her drunk
en- mother. and the "bad man. at tht
corner grocery, and that hers was thu
best. the strongest Maine Law argumen
which had ever fallen upon our listenin,
4 ear.
Again, as We turned the corner OF Sprins
street, the glare and splendor of ihous
and gas lights, and the gli,tering cut glas
Of that, for the first time, lighted up bar
room of the Prescott House, SO lauded b,
the Press for its magnifcence, dashed ou
eyes and almost blinded our senses to
degree OF imaginations that first class Ho
tells must have such Five Point denizen
making appurten ances as this glitterin,
room, shamelessly inviting, open to tn
street; when that watchword cry, like tn
pibroch's startling peal, came up from tn
near vicinity, wailing like lost spirit Of
the midnight air-"Hot corn, hot corn
/, here's your nice hot commanding hot
hot-hot corn"
"Yes yes! hear you cry-it is watch
word-a glorious watch-word, that bid
US do or die-until the smoking, hot, fiery
; furnace-like gates of hell, like this one no,
I yawning before US, shall cease to be Ii
censed by Christian people, to send deli
cate little girls at midnight through tn
: streets, crying, "Hot corn" to support
drunken mother, whose first glass wa
D taken in fashionable saloon," or frs
class liquor selling hotel.
! "Hot corn," then, be the watch wor
Of all who would rather see the grain ie
to the drunkard's wife and children tina
! into the Unsuitable hot NAV of the whisk
9 still.
Let your resolution grow hot and stron
}, every time you hear this midnight CRY
{, that you will devote, if nothing more
!. = "Three grains of corn, mother,
: Only three grains of corn"
: toward the SALVATION of tho tbousand oo,o
r ly pitiable objects as the little girl who's
wailing cry has been the melting cause
{. this present dish of SHOT corn-smokin
+ hot!''
!. So CHAPTER IL.
u 4 THE HOME OF LITTLE KATY.
e From the N. Y. Daily Tribune, Aug 10.
r. About week ago we published litt
'r story under this title, detailing some of til
le SuffarinUs which cripo and ,o;onrx, hr;r