The New York herald., 1874-11-30

sunct TO reneck NO WORK, no food no nre put lew
Clothes Tor herself and almost none Tor her chill
upon the heads OF those she loved at any moment;
her heart bursting with hate and vengeance
against all whose condition In life was better
than her own, nursing in her poverty and want
ten thousand imaginary grievances. Ignorant
ana aenant OF the law and frenzied with despair;
her lie curse, not only to all who surrounded her
but also to herself. Would 1t be strange II, In
moment OF supreme madness, she should break
geon lay cold In death the frst creature met In
her wayf
We walked the hard, stony thorougnfare and
entered another hut Just across the way.
But, ah how strange the contrasti Poverty was
hand, daily and hourly losing It's strength was
daily and hourly giving that strength to keep II
warm and clean; Tne are that burned as; was faint
mean; out the presence OF q mother and the pure,
white lace Of her child wrought up picture
which, despite Its dreary c0lorlng and terrible
background, was rs sweet ana touching as II was
painful and sad. There was no defiance on the
hre; 1t was upturned to ours AZ we entered, and
We learned OF Its misery through its tears. Pow
home: m poverty mad reduced her to penurv and
rags; but poverty had not robbed her OF her
womanhood; It was there as bright and hoy
spark, burning still In the midst OF her despair,
all the more radiant because all things about 1t
were so dark; woman, mother Ia the better days
always be IN the still darker days sure to come.
She Was not altogether destitute nor was the
house entirely without iood. But she sald family,
raising her thin hand and pointing As II the ter
rible thing exlsted to her vision IN tangible form,
'.THE WINTER! THE WINTER"
"Have you any other children save that little
Without word the woman tiredly arose, and, :
taking up the lamp, walked into an adjoining
room. followed her. There was bed standing
in the corner. bed that was old, but clean; she
turb the sleeper, and disclosed the face OF little
girl For several moments there was no sound.
but knew too well the tempest that was raging
In that poor mothers heart. | appreciated the
torrent OF emotion that rushed through ner
breast as, standing beside that lonely bed,
she looked upon the face OF her slumber1ng dar-
ling and thought OF the cod, freezing winter yet
to come. Tne nood was too strong for ner TO re-
sist; IL swept away every barrier; the lamp shook
ike an aspen leaf in her hand and she burst into
tears.
Here, then, l had seen two homes and two
women-one filed with riot and revenge the
otner OF womannood and woe; one ready to rush
into the street aud mete out death to all sne met,
the other raking the expiring embers OF dreary
hearth, working her poor. hungry, iatnting lie
away TO keep ner children clean and warm.
passed out into the night again. Down In the
ravlne below could see the dusky chimneys OF
the furnace and Mills which all summer long were
people @ lee depended, aud now everything threatens
that during the entire winter they VIII run only
upon half time such - Is tine tine case even en- those
how will they pass their wlnterf
1t is useless Tor me to continue the reproduction
twenty homes, to all Of when, unless something
be done, death and starvation must come before
lorms, and saw no home Ihat was comfortable or
weli led. / believe have said enough to arouse
the interest Of these generous people Of scranton,
CONDITION OF HUMAN LIFE
in their neighborhood. The scenes OF poverty and
the effects OF crime are SO frequent that, to the
people who reside here, they have in o great meas.
ure lost much OF their grave significance, and
to treat with comparative indlrerence outlawry
and riot, which TO visitors seems very
Shanty Hin tnat descended cityward and os care
fully studied my path across It's hard, shelving,
slippery rocks 1t was with feelings OF pity and re-
gret, which the season served Only to increase. 1t
was thanksgiving Eve years ago THESE people,
now poor, were wont to go to town with merry,
singing hearts and bring back to those they loved
turkeys, geese, fowls and meat OF every KIND;
were won't to make their children dance ana
laugh with the warm winter garments they would
surprise them with were wont, IN word, to 1--we
like human beings and not a. brutes; were wont
to rush among tneir neighbors unfortunate and In
want and give them 10od and drink and raiment,
woman and child on Shanty Hill would oe
change. Heaven, in the construction OF society,
has ordained great contrasts, but Heaven never
happiness reigns in thousands OF these dreary
homes; no clothes l0r the bodies of these nItle
ones; no shoes Tor their feet; nay. In some in
stances not even loaf to remind them or the
bright, busy days that are passed.
And do no. these same thoughts rage in their
brain and wrangle In their neartf DO not the
memories OF those better noars come to them and
their desoiated heartns. and as demons serve to
urge them on TO madnesss Is not the sight OF q
child once warm, now shlverlng, once happy. now
IN Distress and OF wife he cannot feed calculated
to frenzy any man and lead MIN to Violate any
law, civil or dlvlne for lOafp And when poverty
is rapidly nearing death, as In the nrst ln-
stance given above, when angry men are back.
ed up and goaded on by such women as this
one nave described, do not the recent ou5rages
receive new lignts Or IS 1t strange that, moved
by such utter despair, the infurlated man should
waylay the flrst man better Off than himself, and,
creeping upOn him unawares, strike him merct-
lessly and revengefuly DOWN
nave not Overdrawn the picture. ! appreciate
the position Into which this letter places society
In the coal regions; but simply ask all who douot
to visit Shanty Hill and see TOR themselves-noJ
the brick tenements OF the companies, but the
rOOkeries into which thousands are compelled TO
live. There reside the men who TOR months and
months have been Idle, and there the aDodes OF
many who, unless aided before spring, must
starye and die. There seen groveliing in fifth
and every condition OF debased or
DEBAUCHED MANHOOD,
hundreds, nay thousands OF people who In their
despair are ready at all moments TO indulge in
any outrage that Will give them bread. Have they
not revoted alreadyP Was not Fairawn last
week the scene OF public riot and there, hand
ling the club and hurting the stones, were not the
women nercely determined as the men
destroys The virtue OF law and the sacredness of
human lite
During the past few days parties have visited
my room and shown me letters OF most threat
ening nature parties well known here, and in
many instances holding nign positions These
letters are iu Of bitterness and threaten assault
Upon many were scawled the skull and cross
covered, protected and led, otherwise they Will
iced themselves over burning homes and mutilated
bodies.