The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-11-15
sad Death oT % iowog American
TosfU fn London.

sod death or % Towsg American
Iasy ~ Iosssop.
God help the poor women who have
gone down to the gates of death in
London, Paris, Dresden, Berlin, and
other placcs-victims Of ambition
which, at home, might have secured
them employment in some respectable
capacity; but here, no door offering,
they have perishedl Is this fancy
sketch? Listen: In 1872 there came
a young lady from America as COVER
ness. II appears that the lady who
engaged her discharged her from no
fault but that Of refusing to take a
servants situation in addition to the
duties of those Of a governess. The
following letter speaks for itself. In
despair she went toWestminster bridge
threw aside her hat and shawl and
plunged into the Thames. A police
officer who saw her went to her res
cue, but too late. Life was extinct.
Next a funeral was gotten up for her
and a monument was erected over her
grave. Thus for bread she was given
a stone!
This letter was found in her room:
LONDON, Sept. 3, 1872, No. l7S
High street, Shadwell.-The crime |
am about to commit, and that must
suffer for hereafter, is nothing com
pared to my present misery. Alone
in London, not a penny or friend to
advise or lend helping hand, tired
and weary with looking for something
to do, failing in every way, footsore
and weary,I prefer death to the dawn
ing OF another wretched morning.. |
have only been in Britain zine weeks.
| came as nursery governess with Ia
dy from America to Wick, in Scot
land, whence she discharged me, re-
fu'ing to pay my passage back, giving
me my wages, which amounted to
e3.10. After my expenses to Lon.
don found myself in the great city
with only 5s. What was / to do? !
sold my watch. The paltry sum re.
ceived for that soon went in paying
board and IN looking for a situation.
Now | am destitute; every day is mis-
cry to me. No friend-no hope-no
money. Oh! God Of Heaven, have
mercy upon a poor, helpless sinner
Thou knowest how | have striven
against this; but fate is against mel |
can not tread the path of sin, for my
dead mother will be watching me.
Fatherless, motherless, home | have
none! Oh, for the rarity OF Christian
hearts! | am not mad. For days |
have seen that this would be the end.
May all who hear Of my end forgive
me, and may God Almighty do SO,
before whose bar | soon must appear.
Farewell to all this beautiful yet
wretched world.
- ALICE BiAscH OSWALD. %
Iam'twenty years Of age on the
10Th of this month.
The Daily Ne,s. touching the sui
eide of this young lady, says that the
thought of her awful situation-fath-
erless, motherlesS, homeless-was too
much for her brain. The severe self
respect which restrained her from tell
ing even the people with whom she
ladged Of her difficulties seemed, as
her letter shows, to shut her up to the
fatal course she adopted. The letter
also shows how tremendous was the
struggle that took place in her mind
before the last resolution was taken.
1t is evident that she had nothing 10
learn of the character OF suicide. In
the first line of her letter she desig-
mates her act as crime, and in the
last she cOmmends the Whole ciscunI-
stances of her case to the judgment
which is unerring, the. lhefcy that is
infinite. And so she lett the world
without vindietisehess- -hot 50 much
as mentioning the name of the woman
who had used her haidyAbot with
humble, trustful prayers. A sadder
story it has never been our lot To re.
cord--the more sad because it seems
that so little help, had il. come in
time, would have saved one for whom
the world would gladly have found or
made a place. = London Letter.
Ropidify Of ThouShf.
Nv WAY of aseertaininO inst how f,st