White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-10-22
gtlttt Galt.
NELLY, THE RAG-GATHERER.
BY MRS. C. H. BUTLER.

Near where Canal street now extends its range
Of warehouses and commOdious dwellings
where, over the broad Aaggings, youth and beau
ty trip so Aeetly, and the din Of omnibus, cart
and cab, is uneeasing--there stood. about the
year 1906, low, dark, dismal stone building,
which had more the air Of a prison than any less
equivOcal residence. Upon the ground floor there
were but two windows, and those we're boarded
over, excepting enc row of cracked and dirty
panes at the top The windows on the second
floor were always tightly closed by heavy wood
en- shutters, once black, but now discolOred by
time and rain to hue even more dismal. The
house stood a few rods back from the street, and
was enclosed BY board fence SO high as en-
tirely to prevent any one from looking into the
yard, which was one mass Of tangled weeds and
filthy rubbish, where at 4 b step the miry soil
yieldeth beneath the foot, or after rain be-
comes as a loathsome, stagnant pool.
This part of New York was called the Col
iect." 1t was then almost a swamp, and 50 re-
manned fer many years. OF course, it was
deemed unhealthy-the hOt-bed Of fevers and
sgues; and for that reason, probably, while both
above and below and on each side, the hand oil
improvement and wealth wa rapidly extending
streets and erecting noble buildings, this, the
COLLECT" remained almost an isolated spot
the rendezvous of thieves and assassins-and
rendered also even more famous by many idle
tales Of superstition; SO that this building stood
year after year apparently untenanted, growing
more and more gloomy as time wore on. Blu
it was not so. Every day there might be seer
issuing from the narrow gateway an old, miser
ablelOoking woman, in perfect keeping with TIT
abOde. Her dress, although clean, was Of TIL
eOarsest and most scanty materials eked out viii
shreds and patches Of every shape and hue. Al
old tattered shawl was thrown over her bosom
her arms were nearly bare, she wore no stock
ings' and her slip-shOd, ragged shoes were fas
tened around her ankles by twine or bits Of rags
A straw bonnet Of most unseemly shape AMI
color, was Pinched down over her face and tiet
under the chin by an old dingy white handker
chief. Over her shoulders she always bore
greasy brown bag, and in her hand one of thos,
long wooden poles with an iron hook attached
to either end, denoting her occupation as Rag
gatherer.
Long used to STOPPING amid the dirt and rub
bish, her form had become bent nearly double
and day afeF day she might be seen prowlin:
around the principal streets. sometimes abou
the dry goods store, or scrsping every little "a,
and refuse from the cutters and drains near tn,
residence Of the more wealthy citizens. So mis-
cradle was her appearance that frequently sem,
chsHtable person, touched by her decrepitud
and poverty, would drop at her feet few pen
Mes and even silver coin, which Nelly, a. shi
was called BY the shop boys and Servants, woul
greedily pick up, mumbling as she did 50 fs'
almost unintelligible words of thanks. 81.
Only few hours of each day did Nelly de
vote to her str0Ils; she would then return 4
mat Wretched. dreary dwelling, and inspect an,
arrange her filthy store. The rags she woul
wash and hang over the tall rank weeds, NEE
70 bear such fruit and il, pepchance, anythin
Oh more value had fallen 70 Der luck, as was Of
Ten the case, it was carefully boarded away. N
one was ever admitted within those walls; "
sometimes beggar would Wsylsy even this poe
sseIeh as she entered her gate, nor were the