Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-12-27
DEAREUM.

DEIEkUIi
$50 and sin no nlore.''-H. John, Sth CHAPTER,
11h UeTse.
Is is not wonderful that in highly civ
ilized and christian country, we should find
customs as merciless as the poisoned arrow
of the barbarian, or the stake and flame Of
the American savage? customs SO destruc-
tive to virtue and piety, that they destroy
all hope of peace in this life, and IN the
life to come? How many would have been
reclaimed to religious, useful lives-that
have gone down to the depths of misery
and despair, if these few words, "gO and
sin no more" could have entered the hearts
| of their more fortunate fellow-beings.-
| Then the tears of pity would have blotted
out all emotions but those of cOmmlSera-
ton, and the generous hand would have
been extended to strengthen and encourage
them in the stainless paths of rechtude
and truth. Our missionaries are sent to all
parts of the world-sent to
s'Greonand's icy mountains,
To India s coral strand;
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sands
Yet what calls upon rs more touchingly,
and what is more desperately neglected,
than the fate of poor sinful woman? True,
they worship not idols, but they are driven
! 10 ldil UONl dU Ill6 lOOG-StOOI vi dN1ty
and degradation. there to grovel without one
hope Of being permitted to rise. If they
trcmblingly venture to knock with a faint
hope of mercy at a happier sisters door,
they are driven away. Ii they 1mplore
employment to earn their daily bread, they
are sc0rned and Stunned. Oh what ter
rible sins We commit IN their destiny. Alas.
that the lessons which Jesus taught & early
in the morning in the temple, " for their
benefit, should be so utterly forgotten by
his followers How many tears of peni
tence would wash the feet of such missiOna-
ries. and how many heads of hair would
dry them, if that door of adamant were
thrown Ope,l for their escape from hopeless
infamy to q world of honest labor, integrl
ty, and some portion of selfrespect. There
can be no hesitation as to the truth OF the
vital necessity that exists for dIscountenanc-
ing all incentives to vice, and every demOr-
aliZing feature that exists in communities.
All good and wise forms of government
all conventional usages of society demand
this but when an example becomes neces-
sary for society, murderer is given cleri
cal instruction and time before his eXecu
tion to make atOnement for his sins. The
thief is branded, and goes forth and has
the opportunity to recover in great de-
gree, his lost character but the poor de-
graded woman is allowed hope hers
must be living death, until she sinks into
a dishonorable grave to awake, Oh, where?
Sisters of charity and followers of our
Redeemer, let us be more thoughtful of our
great duty Of charity and mercy, Let us
say to these desOlate and lost wanderers,
go and sin no more"
Walking out one evening in the month
of March, we directed our steps through
valley, and ascended an elevation which bor-
1arni tho summit thora q
large manufacturing establishment I'M
PEELED by disposition to be amused, we
entered the gallery, ana paused to listen to
the loud and merry voices which vlbrated
within the building. The laborers were
singing III chorus When the door was
opened a powerful effiuvium of tobacco
borne upon a haze of dust, greeted our OIL
factories from every direction and happy
were we, as we recovered from fit of sneez-
ing, to see the blooming, cheerful faces
which surrounded u.s. The proprietor sta
ted that he regarded the factory as health
ful, and this furnishes another to many
| tests, of tje fallacy of human Judgment, in
regard 10 the utility or inutility OF many
plausible theories for health. A ceiling of
suspended tobacco filed one room above,
from the floor of which descended the pwer
/ ful levers, screws and moulds, for pressing
the tobacco into the form in which it is sent
to market. Some of the laborers were
stripping the stems from the leaves, some
making the leaves into large rolls, while
others placed these rolls into the mOulds
where HGuorice, sugar and alcohol, being
added, fourth class turned the machinery
which pressed them into their final shapes.
They were now removed by fifth class,
who carried them to boxes where they were
packed and branded for market ALTHOUGH
but few minutes in the factory, we were
glad to return to the fresh air, for the nau-
sea occasioned by its sutfocating and op-
pressive eXhalations, was trying and difficult
to bear. 1t was Il relief, however, to know
that in the midst of all this apparently pois-
onous atmosphere, there was high animal
spirits and good health.
We left the factory, :t'3 entered the val
lev as the sun was set,iH,c. Colossal in
size, and wrapt in his ruby mantle, he ap-
peared to linger above the azure haze which
belted the horizon, as if waiting to see the
moon light her silver lamp upon the prov
of her dewy skitf, ere she commenced her
nocturnal voyage upon the ocean of night.
She came gliding FORTH and the stars kin
died their watch fires one after another
around her. We now passed neglected
cemetery ; wild vines were twisted about a
few trees which marked the spot; the grass
was springing green, and the young leaves
were bursting their buds; little birds fit
ted about, and here and there an early
flower held up her golden cup to catch the
falling due. At a short distance from this