The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-04-13
Death at the Five Points.

little Mary, fear, will die.' The mother
came and sat down in the Office, with
deathly pale child in her arms. There is
manya o little Mary at the Five Points
This one was sweet little girl of FIVE
sommera She h,.d been born in the
midst Of poverty, and vice misery. Too
young yet to be contaminated by vicious
habits which she could not initiate, and
BY phrases she could not understand,
there was . beauty thai excited interest,
and . fondness OF disposition that won
the love Of her companions and teacher.
She had been for sometime pupil in the
school Of the House of Industry. And
this little Mary Lucas was sick; and it
seemed that the Friend of little children
was about to take her to himself. Amid
all the pressing cares and anxieties of the
large family of the Institution, time was
soon found to visit the home of Mary's
parents. II was not far away. Jostled
on this side and that, by drunken men and
cursing women, the visitor, entering No.
sS Baxter-street, made her way into the
rear building. There is no waste ground
on the Five Points, Every inch not
needed as fues for partial ventilation $50
called) is covered by structures of various
kinds and degrees ofdiscomfort. into which
10 crowded the reeking, seething mass of
poverty, vice, sickness and wretchedness.
Into one of these the visitor now entered,
holding her breath, and cropping her way
carefully step by step, mp the precarious
stairway.
Atlength she reached the third story
Of the house. Although at midday, it was
necessary to knock for admittance before
the door-knob was found. The door
opened. There was the shoemaker hus-
band aud father, hard at work on the first
job he had been able to procure for months.
The mother stood behind the door she
Aeld open. that the ladies might pass into
the room.
The room! oh, ye ladies! that delicate
ly walk on velvet carpets, or recline upon
luxuriant sofas, sink to careless slumber
on beds Of down, and take your ease in
spacious parlors, made to minister to your
comfort BY every appliance that wealth
can command, dare you look into that
room? Its utmost dimension scarce six
feet by ten. Behind the door, rolled up
in the smallest caEpass, was all that rep
resented bed. On one end of this bed
lies an infant eight weeks old, sleeping;
on the other the pale, sweet face of the
little sufferer starts the tears to the eyes
of the new comers. Between the bed and
the one window, at the end opposite the
door, stands poor pine table, on which
the shoemaker lays his tools and mate.
rails, as he sits son box or trunk oppo-
site. A small closet in one corner serves
as cupboard, and for their scanty supply
Of provisions, which, God help them! is
little enough.
Their wardrobe is on their back. This
is all, and 1t scarce leaves room enough
for the poor mother and her two visitors
to stand mp inside the room. The suffer.
ing parents are no. victims of intemper-
ancs. They are Germans, and are viii.
ling to work, and have hitherto earned an
honest livelihood. Long unavoidable
,idlensss, together with much sickness, has
brought thsn to this distress. And now
that property, health and friends are gone
there seems to be this affliction also laid
upon them, that their dear one, their pc,
child, is about to die. That deadly enc.
my of infant life. foul air and peat-up
rooms, was surely doing its work.
Little Mary lived, with all care, scarce.
.ly two days. At length the bereaved
mother came to the House, and one sob.
bing word told the-"Dead;" and all thai
remains for friends to do, Is to furnish be.
coming apparel for the grave. Mary's
form rests quietly in the tomb. and her all
or miserable want shall blanch the swee,
face, and no strange hand shall be needed
to smoo.h the pillow fpain The father
and mother, and infant, still remain a
objects of charity, and may yet need (
friendly and full hand. Five Points Month
ly Register.