Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-03-25


Under this hendmg MIR. Dickens describes, IN
"ilonschod Words what he himself witnessed
outside the Whiiechape Work house. lie never
saw such picture of mi-erabl" restitution while
travelling IN any of our slave States. lirar him :
On the 9th Of last November |, the conductor
If this ilurnal, accompanied by II friend well
known to- the public, accidentally strayed into
Whtechapc II was a miserable evening; very
dark, very muddy. ami raining hard. There are
many wuul sights in that part of London, ana 1t
has been well known to ave in most of its aspects
for many yenrs. We had forgotten the mud and
rain in slowly walking along and looking about
Us when we found ourselves, at O'Clock. before
the workhouse. Crouched against the wall of
the work house, in the dark street ON the muddy
pavement stones, with the ruin raining upon
them were 1--WE bundles of rags They were mo-
tonloss and had no Resemblance to the human
form. Five great beehives covered with rags
five dead bodies taken out of graves, tied neck
and heels, and covered with rags-would have
looked like those five bundles upon which the
ruin rained down in the public street.
What il this !" said my companion "what is
this" "Some miserable people shut out oi the
casual ward,l think said |. (Alr. Dickens then
describes his inquiries i'm the workho0se. lilo
| found that the women were shut out simply be-
cause the hous" full) We went
to the ragged bundle nearest tho work house
door, and touched il. No movement replying,l
| gently SHOOK II. Inc rags began In ht SLOWLY
stirred within. aud by little and little head was
unshrouded-thc head ola young woman of three
! or four and twenty, as should judge,gaunt with
want, and foul with dirt but not naturally ugly.
TEL u.s. said !, STOPPING down, why are you
| lying here because | can't get into the work
house" She spoke in faint. dull way, aud had
no curiosity or interest left. She looked dreamily
! at the black sky and the falling rain, but never
! looked Mt me or my companion.
lpr a ul las
night. and the night afore, too" DO you know
any of these others!" Il know her next but one;
she was here last mig ami she told me she come
ont OF Essex. don't know no more of her,
You were here all last night hut you have not
been here all day" mo not all day." .'Where
have you been all day." About the Streets
What have you had to eatl" Nothing" Come
sad |. "thnka little. You are tired and have
! been asleep and do not quite what You are say.
ing to us. You have had something 10 eat to.dav
! Come think OF It," NO, haven't. Nothing but
such bits as | could pick up about the market
| Why, look at mr." She barred her neck. and |
covered it up again you ihad shilling to
got supper and u lodging would yon know
where To- get IL" "Ycs | could do that" "For
Gods sake get il them"
put the money into her hand, and she feebly
rose aud went a-say She never thanked me.
never looked ut me- mclte d away iato the mis-
! cradle night, in the strangest manner ever saw
| nave seen many strange things, but not one
that has left deeper impression ON my memory
that the dull impa>sive way in which that worn
ont heap of misery took that piece of money
and was lost 0s.e hy onel spoke TO all the five.
! In every one interest aud curiosity were as eX.
tirct rs in the first. They were all dull aud Lam
| guild No one made any sort If profession or
complaint, no one cared olonk at me, no one
thanked me. When came 10 the third, | sup
| pose she saw that my companion aud glanced,
! with new horror upon uS, ut the last two, who
had dropped against each other in their sleep,
and were lying like broken images She said
she believed they we're young sisters. These
were the only words that were originated among
| the FIVE.