Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-11-30
Cough at Glasgow.
HE'LL FIRE TAKES THE PLEDGE.

| have more than once spoken to
an audience of what are termed "out- |
casts" and a pitiful sight it is. On
one occasion [ addressed eight hum
dred, and on another-in Glasgow
over three thousand. The city mis-
sionaries had, by their influence, in
duced the poor creatures to come
There we're rags, and filth, and degra-
dation, beyond description. 1t SEEM
ed as if the last lingering trace of hu-
man beauty had been dashed out by
the hoof of debauchery, and the die
of devil stamped on the defaced i'm
age Of God; and all of them human
beings, with hearts and souls, with a
love for the pure and beautiful men
and women,-yes, and children-with
such human histories of want, and
suffering, privation and misery, as
might well be traced in tears and
written in blood.
On one occasion as | entered the
audience room, where some hundreds
of this class had assembled, with the
provost of the borough and minis
ter of town, who accompanied me, the
former said, as we came in: "Mr.
Cough, you have Fire in the house
tonight"
| asked "What do you mean ?"
He said, "Do you see that tall wo-
man, near the platform p
Yes"
Her nickname is 'Hell-hre; she is
known by no other name in the vicin-
ity of her wretched residence. When
she appears in the street, the boys cry
Fire Fire!' She is the most incor-
rigible woman in the borough. She
has been brought before me scores of
times and sentenced to Imprisonment
from four to six months.
4 She is ripe for mischief, and if she
makes a disturbance, you will see
such a row as you never saw before.
The power of the woman's tongue in
blasphemy is horrible"
When | rose to address the audi
ence | expected a row, and confess to
a nervous feeling Of apprehension. |
spoke to them as men and women,
not as outcasts, or things. | told
them poverty was hard to bear; but
there might be comfort, light, and
peace with poverty; told them had
been poor, very poor; spoke to them
of my mother, and her struggles; then
Of her faith, and love, and hope; that
there was no degradation in poverty ;
only sin caused that. In proper
, ton to wrong-doing was the degrade
ton, and so on. | saw naked arm
and hand lifted in the crowd, and
) heard voice cry out; That's all
, true"
r The woman ("Fire") rose to her
; feet, and facing me, said: That's a
r true mon,-ye're telling the truth;
and stretching her arms to the audi
ence, said: The mon kens what he;
: talking ABBOTT
). When l concluded, she came on tht
platform, and | almost thought sht
\ might tackle me. She was a large
/. woman, and looked like a hard hitter
and | never desired to come in con
e tact with "strong- minded" or big-fist
e ed women; but after looking at me ;
t moment, she said: TAX guide lool
at me, mon. I'm bit of a beauty
:. amt II" Then, coming close to Inc
n would you gle body like me tn
2 pledge?'
l answered at once, Yes, ma'am.
e A gentleman said; "She canno
keep it; she will be drunk before sh
a goes to bed tonight ;-better not Civ
b. her the pledge"
turned to her: Madam, here is
gentleman who says you cannot kee
n it if you sign it.
lie Clenching her fist, she said, "Sho'
me mon"
| asked, "Can you keep it?'
"Can I?-if say wull | can"
IL Then say you will"
IN Il wull."
in "Give me your hand on that, =
Q. and l shook hands with her. ST.
fe signed it, and | said: q know 70
will keep it; and before 90 to Anne
lea | will come and see you.
III "Come and see me when you wull
she answered, "and you'll frd / ha
or kept it."
1t must have been two years fro
IT. that time, | was speaking there agai
IT. and after the lecture, a gentlema
said to me: 81 wish to introduce I
b. you an old friend whom perhaps yC
have fOrgotten,-'Mrs. Archer I
lis longer Fire.
&c. l was introduced, and shook hanC
nd heartily with her daughter, who 81
by her. | had noticed the woma
he during my speech, for she hardly toe
he her eyes off me from the time l ro
mt till | sat down. went to her hous
Ill, and part Of what she said to me WI
this -
SO "Ah! Mr.. Cough, I'm a puir bod,
| dinna ken much, and what little
re- haze kennel has been knocked out {
ne me by the stats of the policemen; f
they beat me afoot the head a goo
aSC deal, and prutty much sense out
&C. me; but sometimes | haze a dream
me / dream I'm drunk, and ichting, al
see police haze got me again; al
ao- then | get out Of my bed, and [
9!r; down on my knees, and l don't
III back to my bed till daylight com
az and 1 keep saying God keep me
'e- for | Gamma get drunk any mair.
my Her daughter said: AYE, mo
are I've heerd my mither in the dead
'ou night, on the bare floor, crying &c
'on keep me- and I've said, Come
4rS yer bed, mither, veil be cauld:' a
VII she'll tell me, No mol Gamma s
ger drunk any mair.'"
,h received a letter from the prove
~. ~, of the borough, dated February l 81
9l3t telling me that Mrs. Archer ("Firt
y' had been faithful to her promise, v
-! keeping a small provision store
;. shop; had taken little orphan
~ out of the streets, and was bringi
los o' him up well and sending me her p
, ,%I tograph.- Coughs autobiography.
r.