Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-13

lines in the great breezy clothes yard; and a
score or more women were ironing in large
room fitted up for that purpose; for there is
, washing five days in each week, at the rate OF
| 1000 pieces a day; and this is exclusive Of the
r girls reform school, for the inmates there do
their own washing. But ! never saw n more
forlom, pitiabe, depressed-looling set Of
women than the prisoners collected in the work
room; they were all clean and had smooth hair,
some were at work on sewing machines run by
steam, Others were finishing work by hand, some
Old people were knitting, many were idle, eX-
cused by the physician from work; but there
was hardly bright, Intelligent attractive face
amongst them; few thin, active, middlo-aged
women looked capable and moved with energy
but the majority were heavy, broken down,
coarse-looking women, many sick, most stolid
looking; apparently the most hopeless material
to work upon or reform. was told that very
few of the women sent there ever do REFORM but
they come back again and again, till their
excuses kill them, or they drift into imbecility
CT pauperism. The young girls in the reform
school were quite different; most Of them were
intelligent and many had sympathetic, sensitive
faces and any person willing to take one of the
waits of humanity to bring up in good home
might do well to choose here whom to save,
Many of the officials whose duties bring them
into constant intercourse with the most wretch
ed class in the city, are anxious that persons
taken up for the first time for drunkenness or
| night-walking should not be imprisoned, carried
to the police court, or sentenced 10 any penal
institutions but should be taken before some
| Nov Of issin al
pose, who would inquire into the matter, know
what the temptation was, give encouragement,
advice and pecuniary help, if that were neces-
sary; and so if possible turn the wandcrer back
into the right road, without public notice Of the
first misstep without driving him or her still
more astray, by the disgrace of Il trial and i'm
prisonment. This would be well worth trying.
| Nine-tenths of the inmates Of Deer island are
there on account of drunkenness; they are the
victims of their own weakness or Of somebody's
else; and it seems as if part at least of this
misery might he prevented by the prompt and
| kind measures proposed. The manifest adyan-
tages of position at Deer island have made many
advocates of the plan for building tue new
| almshouse there, but the feeling of thoughtful
citizens generally is in favor Of establishing
paupers by themselves at an honorable distance
from criminals l can not leave even this short
notice of Deer island without word about the
Rev. Mr.. Dadmun, once minister IN NorceS-
| ter, now chaplain at the island. He is spoken
of there with warm approval, and has devoted
time and care to teaching all the boys and girls
to sing. Music is now one OF the principal
school exercises; and whatever may happen IN
- IL.
the future to these unfortunate children, they
have now at least one new pure pleasure that OF
song, and join half dozen times each day in
harmonious work with their companions for
good and not for evil. The church choir CON
sists OF more than one hundred boys, all trained
by Mr.. Dadmuu, and their singing is said to be
positively good.
The last public excitement here was the
meeting in aid OF Chicago, 1t was appointed at
noon yesterday. BY halfpast eleven the gal
leries at Faneuil were filled, but not more thana
dozen ladies were 10 be seen, and by twelve there
were good number on the toor Of the hail.
The mayor did not make his appearance till
quarter-pasi twelve tit the clock was right and
after he entered the hall hlled rapidly There
was no doubt that everybody was interested;
the faces were full Of sympathy, many were very
sad, the LITTLE knots Of people in conversation
were grave; there was a sort Of solemn hush
over the crowd, utterly unlike ANYTHING one ever
sees OF feels 81 the ordinary gatherings in that
hall; yet they were in no mood TO care for stale
ly OF studied speeches, for narrative, descriP-
ton, or history. Mr.. Rice was received with
courteous applause, one felt that the people
liked and respected him; Mr.. Sumner was well
coined as he has been for years, and viii be 50
long as he lives, with enthusiasm: but in both
these cases the applause was for the men them
selves; their careful speeches fell dead, One or
two olher speakers failed in the same way, and
slowly the crowd began TO turn towards the door
and melt away, when Rev. E Z. Hale was an
nounced; at the first sound Of his great voice
thrilling with emotion the crowd turned pressed
closer and closer towards the platform, some
magnetic influence seemed TO draw in others
from the street, till the floor was packed, That
was the time and place to see Mr.. Hale to know
what bis power is. His words were poured out
from his own heart straight to the hearts of his
hearers; they listened breathless; they for
got to wipe away the tears from
their wet faces, and when he had ended emotion
found expression in tumult of applause, half
shouts, half sobs, and all noble enthusiasm and
sympathy that must have made these old walls
remember the days of their glory. Rev. Phillips
Brooks was there; the batteries and eulogics
lavished upon him produce apparently no effect;
he said in perfectly simple, frank, almost boy
tiles about the solidarity of the race, and other
GREAT things. but if seemed TO him that the i'm
|
P'' 80 10 -
were crying Tor bread IN tue streets oil Chlcago;