New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-17
CHARLES READE.
u1s ppACTICAL PHILANTHROPY.

bu1f of or 0iTeCT u N
In nrson has been contrary to what the law deInnhus
has ever beon made to him III VAIN space W III noo
allow me TO attempt the details OF tI,e many caSr
he has investigated. the largo number oil persons
he has relieved; tut will give brle Description
of the last case of official tyranny that came nhueI
his notice. and what he did for the poor tlctin "a
man whose name | am not at liberty 10 luoIsh'
for reasons that will be well understood was uls-
charged short time ago from one of her Majesty
prisons. He had been incarceraten. I3a m'n1
sum of money lie had held n frst-rate position,
and one day he was tempted TO pay PIoS,Ins
creditor with some of hls employers money; AS ~
freouentIy the case he intended 10 refund the cash
Mt the earliest opportunity; but. ike many noIe
who have stile1 the voice OF conscience WIN . ino
same delusive hope, he never Succeeucu III p"'''"S
back the amount distracted. .
For two years he manaced to keep the deficiency
from the notice of his employers AZ ienI.n mi.I
conceament was no longer possible ne "',So on,
and began life afrcsh in another name 10 WIS.,
steady man. and attended Ia his business therefore
be rapidly advanced in ms ms, new Voc x Years nre
vi0n,lv WAS far from his thoughts. he WIS
wanted" A detective had heard of ms where
abonts and ferretcd HIM out lie was taken 10 'ne
town where the offence was COMMITTED anu az
though the prosecutors pleaded Tor hlin, ne WIS
sentenced to nine months imprisonment WIN n"'
The punishment itself was. no doubt, horrible
enough 10 "A man VINO had led an active nc al4 10
is hard to conceive how any person VIII t o ~;
waited mind can exist in vile seryituue; puV ~ ~
nevertheless fact that many DO survive t1cn
DEGRADATION. This man had someone 10 uNe iol
and ne made his mind 10 GO MS ocat' CIV a.. Z"
prison. lie succeeded IN gaining the esteem ol VIC
governor and the warders. There WERE hoW'NrrI,
in tie prison where he WAS confined two tyrants Wil'
we're intTusted with tie greatest suair VI P"muL
tbe docfor and the chaplain. The former was
brutal bully; the latter, wretch VINO pr1cli i
tyranny as tine art nndef the CLOAK Vi ioIE'IIHH
The chaplain preached abuNVe sernloh7' t"ih I'S
unhnnDv hearers thew were tho scum OF tno
EARTH and il they wanted spiritual con no
invariably advised them not to nun pug m,, o,, W.
thev would be marked men. For bread ne PdNo
them a stone. Tho doctor. whose power was hIso
Lutte neglected sick prisoners nntll tncy T r
the threshold of death. w hen IL was lo" lats' no
sent them to the nGrmary, prescribed lot them,
and told them thew could have " hateVer llleS
fancied Men who applied iol melclne W. Win 'V h
that they we're shammlng III was nov uhlH 'Ho
wtetched invhlids fell OF the tcadnll or Wtlc
found lying unconscious on The stono naES OF tot
cells 10y the waider~. that tIis pfqte "oh' a.a,r'
they were Ill and even then ne useu los'Ss
There's not mucn the matter with YOU OF
You're trying it on again II ne man "no'u CIso
came under Mr.. Rcades notice stuck 10 MS W. T,
and made no complaints for eight months. just
four weeks before the expiration OF MS sentence nc
fell sick. The doctor was sent tor ana tne DD"I'y
made the usual remark. You're SpanIih'. .hI s,a
second time the surgeon was called win me SAM
result The chct warder was not SO uard ~ lHo
man of science; he gave the poor iclio" an eAtla
blanket, and tried to cheer nun up oI "a Jay b va
two ,ater the man could hardly crawl out OF hIs
cell and the wardrT told the surgeon that ne inusI
do something for him; he couldn't eat ms iooa.
and no one except the doctor had me lower 10
alter the diet At last AN order for the inirihary
was obtained and the change from damp stone
paved cell to a warm room win Wooeh IooI
soon improved his condition Int before ne ha'l
1roperly recO,ered the doctor told him that tnere
was nothing ut all the matter win MN ahu
ordered him TO be- taken back to ms cen. ne HSAt
dav the man had to be led from the e~ercse yard TO
his wretched habitati0n by warder ne was
seriously Ill. and the chief officer sent tor the sur
coon although the sick man begged hlm not 10
trouble the bully. When the cruel doctor arrived,
he abused his victim for about ten mlnutes, ana
Threatened to send him to the trcadmli II ne uareu
TO complain again. The prisoner Ina'e d'SpeI"le
lear ~ OF
ccedod: but when he was discharged ne WAS ony
shadow of his former sell De clothes SEN iot
the last had been too much for HIM. Tie managed
TO reach hone, n perfect wreck: a. DANGEROUS
llness ensued, and for long time ms ne nunf ~
a thread. When he was able to real, iilenr rent
HIM COPY Of Never too Late TO Mend" lie was
wonderfully impressed with the book; ne He-
cIared to hts wife that he felt certain the author
was i'm earnest when he wrote that story, ana mat
he must know deal about the tyranny oil pt!sou
officials " He might put me III The wav OF getting
some redress from the Covert uent for the nhuInah
treatment have received. lie wrote 10 ChuIes
Reade explained his condition, and anXously
awaited the result Ihe neAf ino nnnn me pf fo
nIorfow and | will have y talk " ith Won. wrote
the philanthrOpist. The poor fellow was 100 great
an invalid to bear the Journey so his WIG went m
stead A short time ago | had an interview Win
that amidble lady. when she tod me thaI she
should remember TO her dying day her hfst VlNI' 10
Charles Readc. d" | felt at homo the moment ! en-
tered bls house. He 40 different 10 what cX-
pected TO find him. He asked me g. have some tea
and treated more Ike uauGllier lhai Il
sfranpcr | was suffering from neuralgia, and he
pressed me to accept box of ointment that he
hoped would give me relief. lie Salu ne must CON
denim my husbands fault but, he continued me
niuishIlent has exceeded the offence As he can't
come TO me- ! will 90 TO MIN. Tell HIM that am not
very formidable individual; but as he IS 20 III;
will send "a telegram 10 prepare him for my VISIT
As The lady left the house Der emotion chOkcd her
utternncr At the door her newly found friend
sliuned some gold into her hand. and told her to
get her husband whntevcr he needed.
Two DAYS later Mr.. Readc called upon the nnior
tunate couple. They resided at the East End OF
London. in a decent hUuse their heneiac'pr has
since told ne that he found everything neat anu
clean They had paid their way at tho expense OF
their health. All they had possessed Of any value
had long since gone 10 the pawnshOp. For some
weeks they had barely existed. The wife was a
single hearted woman who from the commencement |
Of their trouble had stood by me Side 3t hef Pc
loved and deicd the worlu ana lis opinions for
nine weary months she had borne The tauntS and
rcproaches of her relatives and so-clled trends
but her love increased III popoilonO the bitterness
of her rSbauls caumu'ltoTs: perhaps the WON |
an suffered more than the man, for lie was protected
from society, while she had 10 listen to the attacks
made on The man whom she loved, without the !
power resent them. her story ana moi iali Ia |
excite the compassion of one whose who'll life had |
been devoted to deeds Of mercy. The visit of tho |
eminent author was too much for the inan'' shat
tered nerves, and IT was some time before hr could
articulale. After while When the victim of pli-ou
tyranny had gained cOnndencc-tOr who & ult long |
remain silent and uncOmmunicailVe in he presence
of the eentle-heartct Charles Rcadc he gave "A !
tc particularS OF the place where he had bccn tor
tureu what pleased his dIstingui he'd visitor most !
WIS tlo fairness OF his report He did not say that
ali the officials OF the prison in question ~
rants: they were not all bad: indeed, scyrra Of the
wardcrs were men who, in spite Of thcIT trimming |
and the example of granIte-heart'd comrades had !
stI some pts Tor SUFFERING humanity. But, said |
Mr. Kcadcs pI0tcnc, neither tho WarloIs nor th.
povoInors have any control over the actions of an
unptincipled surgeon. I'm gao the doctors power
Is absolute. and If II amuseS him 10 do g uIn Ia !
drat il, there is 40 one within the walls VINO cares 10
oppose him."
The good Samaritan, instead of preaching a moral |
lesson. or commenting on the enormty 81 Ills !
offence began to ask practical Questions. You |
must have change of air and scene. The strain upon
yonr mind has been too much for You Yod will gct !
better # YOU Will take my advice. Despair is the |
III. .-ur.t nnn1nN auk Il naN-- cnIue d.. xDnll Nl.