Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-09-02
Homeless.

Mr.. EDITOR: On seat at the court
house door yesterday morning sat
woman with very young babe in her
arms. She was scantily dressed, hav-
ing scarcely clothing sufficient to hide
nakedness. Her face was partially
hidden by a faded sunebonnet. which
she drew back at request. revealing
the fact that she was bind! A series
of question brought out the following
history. she was bound girl. One
eye was put out when she was quite
small. The other she lost some two
years ago, while living in Greene
county, in this state, where she fou nd
home at the poor house. Her name,
Mollie Pickens. She came to Knox
about year ago. Her babe is seven
weeks of age. She gives the name of
a married man living in Knoxville as
its father. It was born at the city
hospital in Nashville, whittier she
went not great while since. She has
no parents living, no home, no friends,
| no misunderstanding but the thin
dress in which she was clad, and her
| lit lie child.
| Our heart was moved. What if her
SHINING had brought her to this, was
she not, nevertheless, to be pitied I?
Wasn't her babe innocent? How
| could she take care of it? What
would she, in her restitution, do
with it?
And the cold world passed by and
gave no thought as to the future of the
poor, sinful creature. Ii she and her
babe should be found some morning,
in an out of the way corner or garnet,
or in the gutter or the creek, or half
/ hidden In the river drift-starved,
drowned, dedd-who would be re-
sponsible Let every one who has
plenty-who has home, friends com.
furts and hope of heasen-think of that
poor woman's condition, and repeat
the question. aVhO is responsible?
Are We not all responsible when we
see distress aud might relieve it, but
do not? What if the law makes no
provision to relieve--shall We sigh
and sympathiZe, accuse and ex.
cuse, aud do nothing more?
/ verify believe that professed Chris.
tians but mock God when they prey
and proclaim their love for the poor
| sinner while unheeding the call of
such unfortunates as Mollie Pickens.
II hold that Chritian grace abounds
Where charity is seen that when
We climb to heaven, It's on the rounds
/ Of love to men. =:
IT'S not the wide phylaetery,
Nor stubborn fast nor stated prayers,
That makes as saints wv Q judge the tree
By what it bears. 81 .....f-E- e<t y.
And when q man can live apart
From works on theologic trust, f.
J. know the blood about his heart
is dry as dust"
| We need some legislation in behalf
OF unfortunate women aud children.
% two occasions / have prepared bills
intended to remedy the existing
defects in our statutes. But the solons
gave but little attention to them. A
legislature having at heart the inter-
ests of all the people, would provide
without delay, ref trma,ory prisons,
houses of corrections and Rsylums.
The law relating to county poor-houses
should undergo change. But 1t is
hardly TO be expected that we can get
any thing dine until that all>absorbing
state debt question is settled. ~
In the meantime, many unfortu :
mates will find home in the county
graveyard. En- s.e **
/ A. w. Brown, NJ. D., of Providence,
/ r. T., says ~ have used HUNTS
REMEDY in my practice for the past
Is years, and chserfully recon- mend IL
- 4 = L ~