The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-02-15
The Starving Poor.

paupers from the oil world, transported
hlther by foreign government; as meas
ures of economy, to add to the sutferlngs
in our midst,
To give an idea Of the condition OF re-
spectable widows in New York, we extract
the following from an appeal to those SIT
tinr around their own warm 6resides, oy
the officers of the "Anerican WIDOWS
Relief Association, " which We copy rom
the Jersey City Daily Sentinel Aite1
Giving the sad history of a family fe"u''
10 ooyerty, the writer says; ;, ,od
Erom the condition of well-dresseo
honest industrious American women
n;nbt nU months ago, they were reduced TO
onnd;tion that beggars description ye:'
.Lau wonld not beg. They were Amer,
eans Hope now had forsaken them, ana
for two days they sTsRVaNg sat eRysTDg S'n00'
eyes. Americans it is true. On the
25th day of January, 1855, in the rich
Eighth Ward of the City of New York
an American family, able and willing to
work, were starving--would have starved,
but for this one cireumstance-they read
our advertisement
"'Ilay,' said the lady-she is lady
--'on Thursday night upon that poor old
lounge, for our beds and bedding have
been long gone, here in this cold room,
without food or fire. | would have gone
out and begged for my children, but my
daughter said "No, We arc Of life, why
seek to prolong our misery-we can only
live now as beggars-we had rather die. ="
And they all huddlcd together in their
miserable nest to keep each other warm:
I could not sleep. | could pray, and I
did most sincerely ooh, God, give US
our daily bread; forgive US if We have
been led into the temptation of preferring
death to life; incline the heart of some Of
the benevolent Of this city to learn and
pity our destitution, or save my children
from this sore famine" | then felt easy;
[ almost felt sure that my prayer was
heard. In the morning, as usual, we
borrowed paper to look for advertise
ments for work. The first thing that
struck ny eye was an advertisement head
ed american Widows Relief Associa-
tion;" but my heart almost sank back a.
gain to despair when [ saw that one hun
drcd already preceded me. But | had
hope, and l fixed up this little girl as well
as | could, and sent her, trembling, to
your house It is the first time that one
of my children ever went out to beg"
"She was so long that had almost lost
hope again; yet still trusted that my
prayer would be answered. Heaven
knows it was.
"No mothers heart leaped with such
Joy as mine did when heard her foot
upon the stairs, and looked down and saw
her bundle-saw her heavenly smile
heard her joyous cry of ooh, mother
oh, sister-oh, brother-see here-see
here" They saw five dollar gold coin.
They laughed-they wept-they danced
they were crazy-aDd, must | say it, L
never she'd such holy tears, or uttered
such thanksgiving before.
ooh. gentleman, am thankful. How
shall l thank you cnough' Who shall
thank -
"Thank Heaven
"Ihaye-I dol ever will; l was proud
i am BUNDLED"
1t is impossible to depict the scene Nit
messed by two of the Association VINO
went to visit this family. The little girl
had told her artless tale, but without CIV
inc them any idea of the extent of desti-
tuition. The mother excused herself from
rising before her visitors-what lady
would not, if only wrapt in ragged morn
ing gown, and without shoes and stock
ings?
The young ladies, who had been ad
mired in silks and iaces in the parlor, hid
themselves and their wretched apparel 10
a dark closet. They could not be seen
until furnished with decent clothes by a
kind lady.
The misery witnessed-thc livid lips
and pale checks of the sufferers-the pit
ful tale of the stealthy approach of the
wolf to their door, until he gained pos
session, and could not be driven out-the
lndeniable record Of one hundred and
thirty pawn tickets, some of the latest of
which marked the last things that misery
parts with for food-all together were
too much to bear. 1t melted the hearts
Of strong men, Injured to scenes of misery,
out who never before had seen the parsl-
el of this, though they had seen some
very sad scenes-alnost as bad-the same
lay. Such misery must be relieved. To
10 it we must have money.
We have on our books $50 names of
worthy American widows, with families
IF children, who are in want. Some of
hem besides the above, are in dreadful
restitution.
They cry to us-"For merey's sake, do
lot let us perish; and above all, do not
ct those who know US know our destitu-
ion. We never asked for help before
would not now if We bad work-it is the
name of "American Widows Relief As
that has drawn us to you. We
are not beggars, but we are in want"
4