Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-05-22
81 istciloneuus
ENGLIsu HEARTS AND HANDS

IhhAh0hHAH RHN "'N'fF 'EI Il
It's object is tWo.foh to place n long dreaded Gnd u
lespiscd race of men, according 10 the phrase OF
pne " the number. 'straiRhtcr with other peo' c
tile ,maud To shuw how wucit power tr So"H hes u
Ntont within the grasp of "men aud women ni'c.
cd by his nroyiience in another position OF Ii'': j.
The book itself we Owe to the fact that, early IN q
the ,s,r iS53. nearly throe thousand railway e&ca' y
ya,ors were gathered from different larts ui NE
kingdom TO work at the grounds OF thsCrys''' Az
nee nit Sydenham "aud that of those men"t"o hun
deed lodged in tho village Of Beek9nham," the
homo Of the writer. L.
Roil,nys have run down many n prejudice III
their answering track; landowner-,wh once pro.
tested against them rs Il wrong, have long learned
to welcome them as n bpoo the rrohi, conYcn:,
ence. social interests Of q neighboihood, are all
IN thar side nav. our sense Of beauty even has
accommodated itself to their intrusion INTO some ol
our most picturesque scenes but u was reserved
for these pages cnectually to dtsre' the sun IN
reriug impressions tla5 M large bodies OF this Pa
iiah race could lie qunrered Ia a country ne'EhJer-
hood without injury TO its peaco uni respecia''l
i,v t. show us that actually Two or three nun
deed naVyies could take ~ t.eir abode n n country
villa te for two winters, and instead OF spreading
moral contAeion, set u good example 10 many o'
its inhabitants,
looking over the touching narrative before w.
we fluid, as in Iced we usually DO, thI' q great
work had a sn III beginning. IL was on Sunday
the 18Th of March, 1868, that the writer hrst at
temuted to seek the usyvles cut. About seven
IN the nrpnInH- sue went th a Cbtli5b WV -
oral were lodging. nul asked for one of the family
ma nn easy introduction To the strangers I'm
daunted by the announcement that they were u
lot of rough uns," she entered, inquired II any VI
them mad been Mt Church not one oi them
had thought Of it"-Snve them an account OF Tue
,nnrni,,- sermo1 smoke Of the important sub.
iects most closely i%utertwined with every conV'c'
ton OF her own mind, every feeling ct her own
heart; linked these as they had never been linked
before, with the wants nnd!spirItual Ihstincisoi tho'e
whom she addressed ana III snort conc'uueI
this Introduction by melting them to tears. and
left them her fast friends and loyal subjects
From that time forward, meetings for similar III
tercommunings were held on Sunday evenings'ahG
twice in the week, and these were soon ATTENDED
by the navvies ia large numbers Nor were tLeii
pleasures unthought of. a tea party was ueVlsed
'The school.room was decorated with iestoons o
flowers, and q button. hole bOquet OF gerraniuu
and jessanine tied up with blue ribbon. and land
upon each plate" We do not wonder that > loni
afterwards some of thee flowers were seen care
fully preserved in books !" A pleasant sight tha
school room must have afforded that summer day
ITO n minute, our friends arrived, each man LOOK
ing as clean as q baby on it's christening day
They quietly and quickly seated themselves, AM
40 gentlemen in the united kingdom could hav
conducted themselves more admirably"
Nor was tAo slftening, elevating, refining inhu
ence .unezerted even when distance removed "thei
lady" from her. true-beartcd friends. Letter
were frequently exchanged, and numbers are CIV
en- in the book before US, simule, earnest. manly
such letters as do honor to Ensiand's working
men.
.On the last day Of 1853, the ~seargent Of pr
lice stationed at Beckenham called TO return
thanks for the interest that had been taken !
in these noble fellows. He said that his du;y ha,
never been so easy before in Beckenham, for thei
EXAMPLE had restrained the wilder young men
the place, and even shamed Il few into attending
at public worship"
The good work went on throughout lSot-
More and more stout hearts were bent beneath u
same spell. We read Of many a victory over Il
working mans direct temptation, Drunkenness
We read it is true OF r~ellpses into the cruel hoI
of the inveterate habit but the fallen are n
forsaken they are followed alter, reclaimed L
Tenderness. aud tears ; the gentle hand strong
rescue. is stretched out again and again, aud mo-
of the struggles triumph in the end. Several
the Crvstai Palace navvies having enlisted, "
have a number Of letters given itom different Ga
racks, all ex pressing a grateful remembrance
Bsckenham influences, and showing how perm
nent these were under new scenes and und'
new forms Of temptation.
In 1855. we read "A new interest sprung u
for US IN the gathering of the Army Works Corp
This corps. formed by the suggestion. and una
the arrangement of Sir j. Puxton, amounted fro
first to last to nearly 1000 men--railway laborer
artisans of various kinds, smiths, stone mason
br:cklavers. The first ship was to sail early
JuIy. the last about the middle of December"
News was brought to the BeckeEham rectory {
the 10Th OF May that several strangers had arr
ed to look for lodgings in the village" The tin
was short indeed, but to such a one as the Wit
of the book before rs, this was no reason for x
ing up the work, but rather for the doing 1t WI
ali her might. The new cOmers, indeed, we
described as 1.-THE toughest lot as ever came
Beckenham "At the first words addressed
them, they looked surprised, and somewhat diSp'
ed to look away y bus they were no more pre-
than their predecessors had beeen against l
magic Of an exquisite sympathy, and the un'
rin2 tact of a wise and loving heart. IT. her u
words. always the best: w met them "
friendly interest they returned 1t with GenerC
sympathy"
The impression thus made was so strong Il
The poor fellows lInged to communicate II TO o
ers One after comforting with his friends,
marked II wish the whole lot could hear III
things. We're all together outside the Cry'
Palace at seven of u morning, aud the paymts
saws we're the finest lot he ever saw, anc
mildest-iust like four hundred roaring lions.
The following morning, at the early hour nan
a carriage from Brkenham was on its way to
ground, where about fifty men were already ga
eerd. The clrriase was sent away, "Conver
ton easily followed, and by the time the remj
der of the four hundred began to make til
appearance, the first fifty had become our 4
friends not one unclyll word was said, not
unwilling hand received the prayer"
This drive To the place appointed FOR the r
call each morning became IA regular thing.
vitatlonS to cottage readings were RiFeN' u ~
ing breakfast party arranged, friendships formed
The ship not sailing at the time appointed
ground robin" WAS addressed to their benet
tress by the navvies, pressingly requesting
return from Essex, whifher she had gone.."to 2
them some good adsice before they should
away from their own country, perhaps neve
return" This perfect confidence in her 'eare
them is surely very touching. On the 18th
June, an early visit was paid 10 the Crystal
ace grounds not only to take leave. but to II
charge of any portion of their large wages wi
they chose TO empower. me to receive during {
engagement in the Crimea. . -.
only wives ind children were thus provided
bnt amongst the majority who had no such
an aged mother, an infrm father a, widowed
ter, a sickiy brother, or ophan niece, were rem
sbered with a generous care for their comfort
sStamped receipts for money orders being glVei
the men, they were flung back. by common
sent, with something like q shout of disdain
the .supposition that they could possibly req
such a pledge from a friend and a lady"