National Republican., 1877-02-26
SCENES OF MISERY.
4 sUNDir rIETERSOOS IN THEsLU.us
or THE CTTr.

publican" Reporter Saw In SaiIor's Alley
"Old Marm's" Religion-A Dairy Farm in
the City.
"If you will como with mo I'll show you some
thing TO write about" said Police Sergeant Dons
more to REPUBLICAN reporter yesterday, as he
was passing everything he ever know in mental
review before him, to think Of something to WRITE
up. The Sergeant meant the slums ot the city
Sunday afternoon. Ho led tho reporter from
Pennsylvania avenue, down Thirteenth street,
past palaces Of vice, past low brothols. The
faces Of women indelibly stamped with iniquity
and excessos, peered from the windows as the In.
truders walked through tho quiet street.
A short, thick.sct negro, in u small, bob.tailed
coat, was standing at tho mouth Of an alley
drumming his heels against tho cobblo.stones.
He bore indications OF having spent the previous
night in wild and brutal carousaI.
Hello, Wat" called out the Sergeant.
How do?n
"Drunk last night, Watt"
"Yes."
"who hit you in the noscP"
Didn't no one hit me In the nose! Nobody
don't want to hit me in the nose" grumbled
Wat, with an air, as II something terrible would
happen II any body should hit him in the nose.
NArLoR's ALLEY.
"Comc down this way said the Sergeant to tho
reporter, as ho led the way down the alley,
picking his steps through the filth that had set
tied between the cobble.stones. The mouth Of
the alley is on Thirteenth street, between U and
ID streets, right In the heart Of the doubtful por.
tion OF the city. Passing down between the
gloomy walls Of the buildings, fronting on the
street, the explorers soon entered q space where
the alley spread out on either side, fronting a
sort Of court Under foot, was rubbish, nth aud
pools Of water, slimy and repulsIve. The
buildings were low, and Of all sizes and
shapes. Most Of them wcro frame structures
and the paint had worn away, leaving the bare
wood to rot and crack In tho sun and rain
Everything was confusion and irregularity.
Board fences, torn or blown down In many places;
rickctty stairways on the outside of buildings
tumble.down brick chimneys, clothes. lines, heaps
OF dirt and rubbish, broken Windows, the gable
ends Of houses-all struck the eye at once II
was Sunday. and none of the Inhabitants Of tho
alley could bc secn outside except wat" 1t
was a day Of rest from dissipation. Dusky faces,
white faces, crowded to some Of the windows to
see what the police Sergeant wanted in the
alley.
"LiEe, when did you get out Of iail:" sang out
the Sergeant to young black girl, bearing ter
rible marks Of depravity. She drew her head
away from the window. and mumbled something
TO herself In sulky way. In the midst of all the
squalor there were attempts to adorn some Of the
houses.
kwoNAN's HAND.
Women who have sunk to the uttermost depths
of depravity, have still n love for the gay and
beautiful. Bits Of tawdy cloth, with faded colors
in many instances, did duty as cur tains. Upon
O window ledge stood o little broken flower. pot
from which sproutcd feeble plant. The hands
Of some woman, whose body and soul had been
sold to crafty the most brutal passions, whose
wild laugh had rang out In the rudost reyels,
who had sunk, sunk, sunk down into the mire Of
inlquty, until she de1lcd the pure air OF heaven,
had tenderly cared for the plant, and had put
two little sticks across the carthen pot to form Q
trells for II to rest upon. 1t is not diiicult to
Imagine that when she watches and waters the
little shrub, she thinks Of the days Of purity
when the scent Of flowers were to her
like heavenly incense-and hot tears force
their way through the swollen eyes and
ss Nature made it, Is the only thing % on earth PrS
that she loves. or that does not shrink from the
touch Of the abandoned woman.
"wREcK."
passage between two fences, into the rear Of an
old tenement, which he called the wreck"
h s Ss ans wcnsn
some black and some white"
The explorers passed throu gh the low rooms,
which were empty and desolate.
1--WE found woman sick In here" said the Ser.
geant, pointing to dark hole or cupboard not
"Many a man has been robbed In this house,
ond story by means Of forlorn pair Of stairs at
steps were missing.
wRETcHEp FAIR.
At the foot of the steps was q little shed In
waiting for somebody to feed him. Ills eyes were
melancholy and sad, and as the visitors passed
oT Something To- eat bnt he eng Sd not mpEe peaaca
little dog in the corner turned around. and was
about to bark, but he thought twice, decided that
pieces, and laid his irame down again at the
heels OF the horse. Misery loves company,
OLD "MARN RICHES"
The visitors passed again into little hut. On
took up half the room, In the other half was
store, In 'front.' OF which sat an old colorcd wo.
body shook and tremblcd. She sec seemed ed to b1 be a
permanent fixture en- the stool upon which she
was sitting, as she tried to ian a few mbers into
.blaEc. There were several cooking utensils
about tho stove, but they did not appear as
though they were called Into service much. A
stove, and the old woman was trying to get t6e
nre TO burn, so as to warm 1t for her supper.
This is .'old Marin" RIshie's place, said the ser
In the door and entered. The old woman turned
on her stool. How do you do to-day, old wo-
NAM"
The ncgress placed her hands to her fat sidos
and seemed TO explode with laughter
why, i:,o doing very well, what you
callers, struck her again very rIdiculousiy, and
her whole immense body laughcd-laughed and
shoSE and tTsmnisd TIL her breath came short
"Ip there" gnsped the old woman, pointing
with round pudgy finger towards the ceiling
IVA. was Insara ne drunk II, last nIsht'
In the corner was ladder or rude set Of steps
leading through dark hole IN the smoky cell
ing. On one OF the steps pcrched cat with it,
hair dirty and pointing In every direction. A
huge dog, who seemed to be no better fed than
the rest of the denizens Of the alley, had skunk
along after tho strangers, and now lie forced his
way between them into "Old Marm'sn hovel.
The cat rose up, curved Its back, spread out Its
tail and jumped one step higher, so as to be out
Of reach OF the dog. From that elevation she
kept watch OF the Intruder with one sorn eye and
closed the other. Tho dog had no hostile lnten.
tions though. He waRged his way up to the old
woman, and placing his huge head in her lap,
looked into her face as IL he had met an old nc.
qualntance.
"Scat " shrieked the old woman. striking the
dog on the head. The animal skunk away Into a
corner and looked tuIured.
"Are you suffering any MOVE" inquired the Ser
geant, resuming the Conversation with the old
woman.
"oLD NARN's" DREAMS,
"SGnering2 guess 10. l haven't been away
from here for two years. will suffer un-
a go up there" she said pointing again to
the ceiling.
"up stairs?" asked the Sergeant
mo" replied 'Old Mnrm,' with prcmonltOTy
symptoms of another laughing 1T; II mean
there when die, fhaye given up hddling and
dancing and all those things. won't stay long
here, lam troubled with shortcnIn' OF the breath,
and i will shorten and shorten until 1t stops al.
together.
5You are not bad any more?"
~ never was bad-real bad like some folks.
Don't you know the Lord showed hisself to me
That was wi han Nat was on n oygler EdroUyi I