The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-09-19
The WhGte SteD-StOne.

e~AA1 AChA AO 4eANC a A4EeAl u
stone, and companion TO share h
humble lot. Probably no people o
the face Of the earth would be col
tent with the rude tenement, tn
coarse, hard diet and the scant
accommodation that make the hom
of British workman. Give him
shelter, with wife and children, WOr
to do, ale to drink and bread to ca
and he seems content.
John MOrey was a good specimen {
a British workman. He was Spita
field weaver, and one OF the poorest {
his class.
Morey's home was as poor as poo
could be. One room served him q
parlor, kitchen and bedroom. An al
of neglect, untidiness, poverty an
want pervaded the room. A eOars
woman, slipshOd and unwashed, tai
and bony, with a queruIOus look, an,
a face on which ill-temper, sufferin
and dependency had done their wors
presided over this apartment. Thre
children, more dilapidated and un
tidy, quarrelled and cried alternately
The woman sat with an air OfdespOn
dence and gloom by the hob. Be
tween his work, when he had any
and the ale house, the mans time wa
mostly consumed. His wife saw lit
tie of him, and would have been con
tent to have seen much less. H
lived a life Of perpetual warfare a
home. He loved the ale-house. Thl
brisk fire and the CHEEKY company h
be met there suited him. His earn
ings were mostly spent at the tap
room. On Saturday evenings, will
his weeks wages in his pocket, he va
found at the"Publie,n shouting owe
the flowing tankard. He came hom,
late, to be met with reproaches and t.
look in on the discomfort of his owl
room, filled with strong drink, anC
scarcely a penny saved from his de
baUch.
Not far from the home of Morey
some practical Christian women me-
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 o.
John Morey. Half invited and hall
intruding, the ladies found themselves
in the centre of a room where the
reception was less repulsive than the
furniture and filth. With a kind
tone the ladies announced that tea
meeting was to be held in that neigh.
| bOrhOOd during the week, and they
came to invive her and her husband
to become guests. A good supper and
/ pleasant entertainment would be
| provided for all who came. Cards oi
invitation, handsomely printed, were
laid on the table, and with a warm in
| vitation left for the husband, the
ladies, with a cheerful good morning,
left the desOlate room. Mrs. Morey
stood in the centre of the room as il
| transtiXe1. Somebody cared for per-
sons as neglected and worthless as
herself. She went to the table, took
up the cards, and looked at them.
Thoughts, emotions, hopes, that she
thought had long ago been stamped
out by suffering and sorrow, began to
assert their rights. SIZE brushed 9
| tear from her eye, an un wonted thing,
and turned 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 g
/ grand tea given to the workmen, and
/ and all were excited over it. a hall
was engaged. The workmen were
! putting down the table. 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
generous than usual, told him of heI
visitors, and pointed TO the cards and
| the table. John took them up rever-
/ emily, examined them with great care
and gently laid them away in the old
Bible which his mother gave him
when he was a boy. The invitation
was heartily accepted, and prepara.
tiOns made for the grand tea that was
| to come off.
Before the ladies commenced Their
work, efforts had been made to meet
the spiritual destitUtiOn of the Spital.
| field weavers. Not far from this
famed locality is a fine vicarage. The
vicar, like many of the Establish.
] ment, belonged to a noble family. To
! keep the gift in the household, one oil
/ the sons are usually fitted for the
/ Church. The elder takes the titles
One goes into the army or navy. The
fine living must not go a begging, SC
I LL4C y Sun NdhEo OlACl1s Tx
| vicar lived in a social atmosphere fan
above the greater part Of his people.
! He associated with a few families
among the gentry. When he was
| told of the spiritual destitution of 9
part of London, he felt it his duty to
do something toward its relief. He
made an appointment to hold a Sun
day service in the neglected neighbor.
hood, not far from Morey's house. AT
the appointed time, the vicar with
some personal friends, appeared at the
place of meeting. His coming haC
been announced and a rude assem-.
blage gathered, for outdoor meeting:
are very common in London. The
preacher was handsomely dressed. He
bore in his hand gOld-hea1ed cane
an elegant coat hung on his arm, and
he surveyed the crowd with a cOmpla.
cent and benignant air. One of the
audience volunteered to hold the
| preachers hat; another took his coat;
a third offered to hold the cane while
"his reverence preached" A stOlid but
respectful attention was given to the
! services. AT the close, the hat could
not be found; the coat had disappear.
ed, and the willing holder of the cane
had evidently walked away. The in
/ dignant preacher gave vent to hi:
/, feelings. He denounced the crowC
i for its heartlessness.
/ al came among you," he said, "tC
do you good. left my comfortable
home and took upon me the burdeT
of an extra service to seek your spirit
ual walfare. You are ingrates. You
have stolen my hat, carried off my
coat, and run away with my cane.
will wash my hands of you hereafter
and leave you to your sins"
Not long after, another clergyman
felt his heart move toward this neg
lected people. Before he started OF
his mission work, he resolved to max,
himself acquainted with the people
He visited the poorest houses in in,
neighborhood; nor did he go empty
handed. He left coal, medicine ant
food wherever it was needed. A it'll
money and surgical aid for sick chill
dren, and nourishing food for exhaust
ed women were distributed. He 90
up tea for the women and childreI
and spent a month going from
house to house relieving the tempora
necessities and dropping q word her
and there for his Master. When b.
had prepared the wav by thus doing
good, be proposed to the families t
have q religious service. The propo
sition was hailed with delight. A
the day appointed great crowd wa
in attendance, and the wOrkmeI
made a little stand for the Outdoo
service, which was a great success.
The evening for the tea arrived
John and his wife were prepared il
season to join their neighbOrs on thei
march to the hall. He had not lookeC
so tidy for months. His wife coull
hardly be known by her neighbors
Some little articles of finery that hal
escaped the general wreck wer
brought out, and perhaps the happi
est hour John aud his wife had en-
jOyed for months was the passage from
their own door to the hall.
The rooms selected for the tea wer,
near the public, where most of tn
company were accustomed to spenI
their evenings, The Keeper stood il
, the door as the groups went by, utter
ing jeers and fiinging gibes after tn,
company, but satisfied that he YOuiC
have little custom that night. In the