The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-10-29
Poverty in Europe.


create discomfort; and the vast diff
ference between them and the rich
suggests a read djustment of the so
cial relations. Here we have al
once the ground and the motive Of
socialism.
The poor are miserable beyond
anything that we of America can
conceive. The workingmen, owing
to the lowness of their wages, live
from hand to mouth, feeling them
selves fortunate that they can pro-
vide for the moment; they do not
dream of laying up anything for the
future. If they lose days work,
they are accordingly on the verge
of beggary. In this misery, more
over, they have not the consolation
of poor Americans, who, although
they must begin poor, never expect
to remain so long. Nor have they
any hope that their children ever
will rise out of their condition.. for
the son conventionally takes up the
trade of his father, lives in the same
class of society, and generally in
the same town, for q whole decade
of generations.
With this state of things they ex-
perience several very important
evils. In the first place, the people
can not generally marry. Servants,
walters, coachmen, and persons of
that class, rarely, if ever, think of
marrying, believing themselves for
tunate if they can support a single
person. Most mechanics do not
marry, and those who do, putt Oft
till late in life, the usual age for
marrying being from twenty-five to
thirty years. The sad necessity
which imposes this delay on many,
has given rise to it as custom for
all. The marriage of the working
man, when it does occur, generally
entails more misery than comfort !;
for then not only himself, but a
whole family, stands in perpetual
fear of beggary. This evil, more
over, gives rise to a greater. The
unmarried, and so all, during their
early manhood, are much given to
RIGHTEOUSNESS. The state Of mis-
tress is the common condition OF
servant-girls, poor widows, and
often shop-girls, who in this way
alone can exc out a subsistence for
and their aged parents,
or it may be orphan brothers and
sisters. A poor young girl in Eu-
rope is generally allowed to be
ruined until proved to be virtuous.
Again, the manner of living
among the workingmen is equally
deplorable. Their, dwellings are
the garrets, cellars, and back-build-
ings, all of which are small, or else
portioned off into small apartments,
dirty and unhealthy. Many take
up their abode in cabins in the open
square, or along the wider streets,
where they sit during the day, ex-
posing petty articles of lnerchan-
disc. In Rome, Naples, and other
southern cities, they often live out
of doors altogether, lying about in
the sun, and sleeping at night IN
the squares and parks. In Sweden,
Poland, and some other northern
countries, they take up lodgings
with the cattle. Those who carry
on their own business, as shoema-
[sers, often do all their own work
in the streets. This is especially so
in the south. In Naples, for ex-
ample, you can see them arranged
with their tools along the pavement,
from one end Of the street to the
other. l have noticed whole squads
Of sewing-girls, sometimes with
sewing machines, thus stretched
along the pavements; also, bakers,
cooks, saddlers, coopers, copper
smiths, etc., all plying their bust
ness in the open air, for lack OF
shelter Of any kind.
The dress and general appearance
Of this class are no better than their
dwellings,. Much of their clothing
s second-handed apparel that has
been thrown off by the rich. The
general characteristic of a poor
mans dress in Europe is good stuff
IN bad condition. Here we see
persons literally in rags. In Thu
ringia the children often 60 entire
" naked; in Italy the poor children
and beggars go nearly SO. The
blouse of the workipgmen
all over Europe is what we would
call a coarse shirt. They largely
wear wooden shoes, and bind their
feet with rags for stockings.
The food of this class is likewise
bad, and rarely ever sufficient for
them, there being much suffering
and weakness from this cause.
Cheese takes largely the place of
meat in Germany, and fat of butter;
It is not uncommon in the rural
provinces for a man to come home
after hard days work to a supper
Of unbolted rye-bread and the salt
water in which herring had been
picked. Only those in better ,t;l CIR
can cat herring. The