The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-11-13
COUGH AT GLASGOW.
Hell Fire Takes the Pledge.

have more than once spoken TO 90 au-
dience OF what are termed 0utCasts; and
pitiful sight it 10. On one occasion | ad'
dressed eight hundred, and on another-in
GlasgOw-over three thousand. The city
missionaries had, by their influence, induced
the poor creatures TO come. There we're
rags, and filth, and degradation beyond de-
scription. It seemed as If the last lingering
trace Of human beauty had been dashed out
BY the hoof OF debauchery, and the die OF
devil stamped on the defaced image OF God
and all of them human beings, with hearts
and souls, with love for the pure and beau
tiful-men and women-yes, and children
with such human histories Of want and sui
feTing, privstion and misery, as might wei
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 bOr-
ouah and n minister of the town. who ac-
companied me, the former said, as we came
in: ''M-. Cough, you have Fire in the
house tonight"
| asked, "What do you mean -
He said, "Do you see that tall woman,
near the platform 2"
eyes"
''tcr nickname - -1ell-uf6S sue Is
known ~ no other name in the vicinity Of
her wretched residence. When she appears
in the street tine boys cry Fire Fire !"
She is the most incOrriRible woman in the
borough She has been brought before
me scores of times and sentenced TO impris-
onment from four to six months. She Is
ripe for mischief, and if she makes \ slight
disturbance, you will see such a row as you
never saw before. The power Of the wO-
mans tongue in blaspemy 10 horrible"
When rose to address the audience ex-
pected row, and confess to a nervous feel
lng 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 poor mo-
ther and her struggles; then Of her faith
and love, and hope; that there was no de-
gradation in poverty; only sin caused that.
In proportion to wrong doing was the de-
gradation, and 50 on. | saw a naked arm
and hand lifted in the crowd, and heard
voice cry out, "That's all true"
The woman ("Fire'') rose to her feet,
aud facing me, said: "That's ~ true, mon,
ye're telling the TRUTH" aud stretching her
arms to the audience, said: ''The mon
kens what he's talking aboot."
When concluded, she came on the plat
form, and | almost thought she might
tackle me. She was a large woman, and
looked like a hard hitter, and never de-
sired to come in contact with "strong.
minded or big 6sted women; but after
looking at me moment, she said: TAX
GUIDE look at me. mon. I'm bit Of beau
ty, amt 2" Then coming close to me,
"Would you gle a. body like me the
pledgew
| answered at once, "Yes, ma'am."
A gentleman sand, "She cannot keep il;
she will be drunk before she goes to bed
tonight; better not give her the pledge"
| turned to heI: MADAM, here is
gentleman who says you cannot keep it if
you take Il"
ClrHcbing her fist, she said, "Slow me
the mon"
I asked, Scan you keep itp"
Scan LIZ il say | wull. I can"
"Tbsn you say YoG will"
81 wull."
"Give me your hand on that" aud |
I said, know you will keep it; and be-
fore 20 to America | will come and see
you."
'Come and see me when you wulI, she
answered, can you'll ind haze keepit it,
II must have been two wears from that
time was speaking there again, and after
the lecture a gentleman said to me: | wish
20 introduce to you an old friend, whom
perhaps you have forgotten. Mrs. Archer
no longer Sire
was introduced, and shook hands heart
lily with her and her daughter, who sat By
her. | had noticed the woman during my
speech, for she hardly took her eyes or me,
from the time rose until | sat down.
went to her house. and part Of what she
said to me was this:
"Ah Mr.. Cough, I'm a puir body; ]
dinna ken much, and what little | haze
kenued has been knocket out Of me by the
stats Of the policemen; for they beat me
ABBOTT The head q good deal, and Knocked
pretty much a. the sense out O me; but
sometimes | haze a dream-I dream I'm
drunk, and icbting and the police ha'e got
me again; and then get out q my bed and
20 down on my Snees, and | don't 60
back to my bed till the daylight comes, and !.
keep saying:
sGood keep me, for | cannot get drunk any
mair'"
Her daughter said: 'Aye, mon, Pvs
heerd my maitber in the dead Of night on
the bare floor, crying, God keep me-" and
I've said, Come to yer bed, mither, veil Be
cauld;' and she'll tell me, no, no, / Gamma
get drunk any mair.
l received q letter from the provost of