Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-07-06
THE CHRONICLE.
THE WHITE STEP.sTONE.

" their habits. A nome TO q LOnQOne
is a necessity. No matter how poo
or lowly, he must have q heaTth-stone
and a companion to share his homell
n lot. Probably no people on the fac,
" of the earth would be content tn
rude tenement, the coarse hard die
and the scanty accommodation tina
make the home of British work
D man. Give him a shelter, with wifi
r and children, work to do, ale to drinE
g and black bread TO eat, and he seem!
: content. Wages may be low, hi:
home bare and uncomfortable; he
may not taste meat from New-year':
4 to Christmas; yet, with hard work
and his hours of toll many, he will
: not complain. Content with his lot
l. he envies not the Queen in her palace
It but devoutly prays that God will
n grant her Majesty ''in health and
wealth long to live" He sings the
ballads of his native land with loyal
= hearts, and boasts that on the domain
of Old England the sun never sets.
John Morey was good specimen OF
: n British workman. He was Spital-
v field weaver, aud one of the poorest
of his class.
AIorey's home was as poor as poor
could be. One room served him as par
h lor, kitchen and bedroom. An air of
neglect, untidiness, poverty and want
pervaded the room. a coarse woman,
E slipshod and unwashed, tall and bony
with a querulous look, and face on
: which i'll temper, suffering and des-
pondency had done their worst, pre-
sided over this apartment. Three
children, more dilapidated and until
dy, quarrelled and cried alternately.
The woman sat with an air of despon-
dence and gloom by the hob. Between
his work, when he had any, and the
ale-hOuse, the mans time was mostly
: consumed. His wife saw little of
him, and would have been content to
have seen much less. He lived life
of perpetual warfare at home. He
loved the ale-house. The brisk fire
and the CHEEKY company he met there
suited him. His earnings were most
ly spent at the tap-room. On Satur-
} day evening, with his weeks wages
in his pocket, he was found at the
Public" shouting over the flowing
tankard. He came home late, to be
met with reproaches and to look in on
the discomfort of his own room, filled
with strong drink, and scarcely q pen
uN SlNCu
Not far from the home of MoTey,
some practical Christian women met
to see if something could not be done
to elevate the poor, and to relieve their
physical necessities.
Bent on this mission, two messen-
gers of mercy called at the door of
John Morey. Half invited and half
| intTuding, the ladies found themselves
] r.E. L.
ception was less repulsive than the
furniture and filth. With a kind tone
| the ladies announced that tea-meet-
! ing was to be held in that neighbor-
hood during the week, and they came
| to invite her and her husband to be-
come guests. A good supper and pleas
ant entertainment would be provided
| for all who came. Cards of invita-
ton handsomely printed were laid on
the table, and with a warm invitation
left for the husband, the ladies, with
a cheerful gOod-morning, left the desc
late room. Mrs. Morey stood in the
center of the room as if transfiXed.-l
Somebody cared for persons as neg
lected and worthless as herself. She
went to the table, took up the cards,
and looked at them. Thoughts, emo
long ago been stamped out by suffering
and sorrow, began to assert their I
rights. She brushed tear from her |
eye, an unwOnted thing, and turn |
ed away and seated herself again |
by the hob. She was disturbed by |
the entrance of John. He had great |
news to tell. There was to be a grand |
tea given to the workmen, and all /
were excited over it. A hall was en- /
gagged. The wOrkmen were putting ]
down the tables. Grand ladies and /
gentlemen were going to preside, and |
all the wOrkmen and their wives were |
to be present. John was so full of the /
matter that he had forgotten to stop |
at the Public. His wife, more gener-
Gus than usual, told him of her Yisi-
tors, and pointed to the cards on the
table. John took them up reverently,
examined them with great care, and
gently laid them away in the old BIZ
bic which his mother gave him when
he was q boy. The Invitation was
heartily accepted, and preparations
made for the grand tea that was to
come of.
Before the ladies commenced their
work, efforts had been made to meet
the spiritual destitution of the Spita-
field weavers. Not far from this FAM
ed locality is a fine vicarage. The
vicar, like many of the Establish
ments, belonged to noble family
To keep the gift in the household, one
of the sons is usually fitted for the
church. The elder takes the titles :
One goes into the army or navy. The ,
fine living must not go q begging, so
hn FOL q l. :
vicar lived in a social atmosphere far /
above the greater part of his people /
He associated with a few families I
sympathy with the lowly, and knew |
but little of the wants and suffering ]
of the poor. He was at heart a good |
man, and wanted to do his duty 1
When he was told of the spiritual {
destitution of a part of London, he
felt it his duty to do something toward e
its relief. He made an appointment V
to hold a Sunday service in the neg S
lected neighborhOod, not far from t
Morey's house. AT the appointed i
time the vica, with some personal a
friends, appeared at the place of meet
ing. His coming had been announc-
ed, and rude assemblage gathered, y
for outdoor meetings are very common t
in London. The preacher was hand b
somely dressed. He bore in his hand t,
4 gold headed cane an elegant coat
hung on his arm and he surveyed II
the crowd with a complacent and be- "
air. One of the audience G
to hold the preachers hat; a
another took his coat; a third offered "
to hold the cane while "his Rever- "
snce preached" A stolid but respect ]
'ul attention was given to the service. \
At the close the hat could not be found; a
he coat had disappeared; and the will y
ing holder of the cane had evidently IL
walked away. The indignant preach d
er gave vent to his feelings. He de- a
bounced the crowd for its heartless- K
less. n
Il came among you" he said, "to do b,
you good. left my comfortable home b.
md took upon me the burden of an
'xtra service, to seek your spiritual if
Welfare. You are ingrates. You have al
tolen my hat, carried off nv coat, q
md ran away with my cane. L will to
wash my hands of you hereafter. and sa
cave you to your sins.n
Not long after, another clergyman fo
elt his heart moved toward this neg M
ected people. Before he started on lie
lis mission work, heresolved to make an
himself acquainted with the peopIe. w
1Q visited tho pnOrasf a