The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-01-18


death made her worse, and then pa h,
took to drinking, and talks about killing
himself because he can't fnd work, anC
when ho sees me cry for supper he kisses
me and cries too and then poor ma cries
and pa rushes out Of the house, and dom
come home until near morning, and then
he staggers and sleeps on the floor. Thi,
evening ma got worse. and Mrs Longvie~
says she won't live, and she sent me t.
fetch the doctor, as pa amt at home but
the doctor is not at the office, and dom
know where he lives, and please, sir, woH't
you tell me where to find him Z"
That will, my poor child-but hold
what is your number r
"No 13, sir"
"Wen now, you can run right home,
and | will 20 and fetch the doctor | won
delay q moment"
"Oh you are real kind, sir | will
hunt up papa-I know he will come home,
he always does when | 10 for him, and
away she ran, her little fretted heart con
siderable cheered BY the kind words and
offer Of the stranger.
Richard stood and watched the little
thing, as she sped over the slippery pave
ment, until her figure mingled with the
dim darkness of the distance. He never
heard such a sad, pathetic story as this in
genuous child told in tears and sobs, and
then her famine stamped features and non
descript apparel touched his sympathy, his
manhood, and gave to her words silent
but eloquent corroborated confirmation.
I The semi nude child ran on, unnindful
Of the cold, the biting, snow-laden wind
that swept with fearful gusts round the
corners through the great floods of
golden light that issued from the glass
| fronts of stores and shops, on through the
| deep darkness Of lampless streets, on
| through obstructed alleys, grim and sh ..l-
owy, on until she came to y little, dilapi-
tated, tumble-doWn wooden building. She
approached the door tlmldly, turned the
knob slowly, and entered nOiselessly. The
! room was quite small, the ceiling very low
and slanting III two OF three directions,
and thus seemed to correspond with an
equal number Of dips or reflections in the
floor. short pine plank, one end resting
on clsat nailed to the wall, the other on
an empty box served as a sort Of counter
or bar, behind which stood a red faced,
frowzy, elephsntine looking woman-the
foreground Of the picture consisting of ali
old shelf, few broken cigar boxes. and
half dozen vlllainOus looking bottles,
sick looking dice box and an ugly looking
pistol. The room was filled with men
worthy of the place it was also filled with
noisome vapors and sitting tobacco smoke.
A dirty, smoky chlntz screen served as
door to al aperture leading into the back
part Of the building, where the family Of
the frowsy elephantIns woman lived, phys
/ Ically, lat least they were not dead, but
starved morAllyaand intellectually. The
rough, bOisterUus talk, ~richly nterlaced
with hOrrld oaths and imprecations, ceased
quite suddenly as soon as little Cassie en-
tered the room.
She looked around searchingly, turn
ing her little head rapidly IN all directions
like canary III a cage. Not seeing her
father, she approached the bar and said
humbly
Please ma an, has pa been here p
L don't know your pa, snarled the
woman in sharp, harsh voice.
It's Miller's daughter" interposed n
rough, kind voice, in answer to the wo-
mans look Of inquiry.
oh, hO was her only answer, as she
gazed with a Patronizing, contemptuous
leer at the little waif
Your father is at Abaddon Hall,
think, said the man turning to Cassie.
= Is it far ' she asked, looking up, two
silent tears ploughing groove through
the dirt on either cheek.
" Well, my little woman, it is a good
stretch from here | don't think you could
find it,
oh must, must =" she cried des-
/ pair ingly. Ma is worse, and Mrs Long
view says she won't live but few hours .
t i If that's the case, sad the man.
1 you remain here, and | will run and tell
I him"
"WIlI you thought"
"Ot course | will, and won't be long,
either, he replied, buttonlug up his coat
and opening the door.
"A devil Of a night. muttered chorus
Of voices as blast Of raw, freezing air and
snow swept shriekingly into the room.
Abaddon Hall was then, and is now, To-
Gated III the basement of an old wooden
/ building, that rose two stories above the
side walk, on the corner of Randolph and
Canal streets. The place resembled a
( slime pit. 1t had an eXcrementitious ap-
/ pearance, the Shiny, humid, nauseous
smell of an opened grave. The floor was
covered with saw dust saturated with liY-
! uld, viscid dehlements Of various kinds.
/ A long row Of short, dark tables stretched
down one side of the hall like row pf
cottins in an undertakerS shop On the
/ opposite side long, outward -slantlng bar
ran nearly the entire length Of the room.
| This bar was fitted up with all the modern
improvements necessary to send a man
down the precipitous bank of destruction
with rapid velocity-send him smoothly
down, keeping time with the ravishing
notes of a grand concert piano, mingled
with vocal symphony. The hall was well
filled with people gathered in knots on the
floor, or round the tables, or ranged i'll
single file along the bar. large number
Of walters fitted hither, thIther seemed
everywhere. These walters were named
respectively Sloth, Idle, Unemployed,
Dontwork, Nowork, Wontwork, Cantwork,
Waste, Leak, Sucker, Want, Ruin, Des-
pair, Rags, Dirt, Hunger, Cold, Gutter
Plunderer, Robber, Delirium, Jail, Poor
house, Asylum, Sickness, Death
A little bell tinkled at the upper end Of
the bar, and presently the proprietor, MIR.
| Apollyon, leaned over and looked at a
glass-fsced register, where a little half
moon shield had dropped, disclosing a
number. The proprietor pulled a bell
cord, and a gong in the far end Of the hall
sounded sharply. Directly a small boy
came running up to the head of the bar.
mo. IL, said Mr.. Aponyon, without
noticing him. The boy ran down along
the bar and at the end turned toward the
wall, which seemed to open a. he reached
it, showing Q narrow passage leading to a
still narrower stairs. The boy struggled
up two flights and then came to q hall in
to which sevesd rooms appeared to open ;
he stopped before one and knocked.
Come in, came from the inside. He
opened the door, and saw three men sitting
round q small centre table on which q de-
| cantar of brandy and aome glaaaas were