Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-07
From the Lutheran and Visitor,
THE FAMINE IN FINLAND.

readers in the hopo, that it may
awaken compassion and induce many
to contribute liberally for the relief OF
our suffering brothcon, " hom the Lord
is sorely Christening.
A letter dated Wyberg, March 81,
says: "1t is impossible to describe the
misery that reigns in this land. Fam.
inc and its faithful companion, typhus,
rage fearfully. There arc IN the institu.
ton, which we established fcw years
ago for the benefit of unemployed
laborers, fifteen hundred ,mmigra n ts
from the Northern part of our nhap.
py country; but the famine ravages
also our own parish more and more,
and thousands die in consequence.
The sick are found in almost evory
farm house entire families havo died
out, and the children, who survive
their parents, are left to themselves.
Every hospital is fall. There is at
present in the depot, whero tho sick
arc received, until room can bo made
Tor them in tho hospital, sixty-nino
persons, mon, women, boys, girls,
corpses sick, newborn infants, all in
one room. Those poor people hav >
no attention, no medical assistance,
for the physician, who attended them,
died of typhus, and tho timo of tho
other doctors is fully occupied. The
only one, who daily passes several
hours in this infected room, is a fip.
land minister, who with self-sacrifio.
ing love devotes himself TO the afflict-
ed. He says, that they crawl. after
after him to the door and tako hold of
his clothing, whom ho must leave
them, and this is in the city Of Wy
berg, which does moro, than any 9TH
er, for thepoor."
"All would be easier, if we had
deconcsses, but our letters and en-.
treaties have been in Vain. The most
distressing feature is, that the unhap
py sufferers frorn tho famine become
thoroughly brutalized. Their only
thought is bread"
We Eave also letter from Hclsinc.
fors dated April 2, which states thu,
the scourge is on tho increase. Until
now, the people have made bread
OF hay, straw, pine bark, birch
bark, sawdust, n. 8. f, nay, they
have used one-fourth flour nnd three.
tourths clay, mixed with sand. But
tho last handful Of flour ia consumed
and there is no employment to be had.
there is therefore, nothing LETT them
but to starve, and they do starvo by
hundreds"
The Helsingfors Times contains a.
letter from Ruovesi, written tho 23d
of March, from which wo mako tho
following extract: at is painful to
see gangs of boggars of every ago
and sex, wan, poor, furnished, often
already swollen Or otherwise diseased,
drag themselves from house to house
and grateful for piece Of bark
bread, but they but seldom obtain
even this, because those who formerly
were we'll off, have now become so om-
poverished, that they suffer hunger,
and such az are able to give, are com.
PEELED TO diminish the portions, that
each may receive. some. But it ia
necessary to- visit tho huts Of tho
poor to get sight of tho calamity in
it's most fesrful aspect. There often
tie husband and wife are both down
with the fover, lying in tho only bed
the house affords, and on tho floor,
only, partially covered with o few
rags lie their children in O heap.
moaning and calling on .fathor and
mother, who arc unablo to hoTp them
| selves. This is not Q fancy picture,
but the truth; we havo seen such
sights again and. again. We read in
letter from the Rev., Zachris Gus.
treen, OF Pyhaegeroe, Uleuborg Dist
rict: Our benevolent governm ent does
all in human power, but the coun-
try can do nothing, as we have been
visited with failures OF tho crops for
more than decennium. ! have o.
tablished home with the money
which the children of Bremen col.
ieeted for the support of tho starving
children iG1 Finland, in which the
needy children of the congregation
are instructed and occupied. in usefal
labor nnti! the coming. of the more
favorable season OF: the yoar. The
few inhabitants in this parish. have
been nceessita,cd to provide for 1e5
children, who would probably ;. also
have perished. There are, however,
many other children who are in the
same needy and helpless, ,ceaditioH'
! tMay tho Lord 90 .mereifaf tosue,
and incline far of ieIlow-belieysrs and
Ibenevotent men .to,heip nsls: :,
! It is ,innseessary % add . single