Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-13
OUR LONDON LETTER.
noble DEEDS AND NOBLE HEARTS IN
CaARITY's WORK.
The Metropolis Cold and cruel-The socia
ightshade-Pleasure's Cup with
eadIy Dregs-Etc.
LoNpoN. August %. 1883.

bitter conclusion Not that there are no
warm hearts, no hospitable homes, no gen.
aine friendships, no milk of human sympa-
thy here. You can find all these, and the
brightest examples of them that this wide
earth affords. Hands Of help are stretched
in all directions, and the eye of pity is
open by day and night. There is no lack
of churches to minister to the soul, OF of
charitable institutions in which the pains
and wants OF the body are relieved. The
number of societies whose mission is to the
poor and fallen is the chief glory of this
metropolis. Nor does philanthropy con-
tent itself to work only through organized
channels. The private purse opens to
thousands of cases that the public never
hear OF, and many are the noble lives sac.
rificed in this cause. On the sea coasts of
this land brave men are ever watching for
stranded wrecks, and wall of distress, or
the sight Of shivering spar, is the
SIGNAL FOR DEEDS OF HERoISM
Such as the whole world pauses to admire.
So there are always brave watchers on the
edges of the great moral and social sea that
heaves and tosses through the streets Of
this city, and to every appeal for help that
reaches their ears quick and generous re-
sponse is made. The Miss Bakers, who
labor among the poor till the overstrained
nervous system gives way, and insanity or
death ensues, are not so rare as the few
published instances would lead one to sup
pose. A study of the inner life Of metro
politan charity would bring into the fore
ground whole host of these noble charae-
ters. With delicate frames, suggestive of
the loftiest spirits, these angels of mercy
90 everywhere. No slum of misery is too
dark for them to penetrate, no outcast's
form too vile for their fair hands to touch,
and none so low that they do not seek
with kindliest looks and tenderest offices
of love, persevered in often through pa
tient months and years, to win back the
fallen one to virtue and respectability.
Still, London is cold and cruel. Its very
vastness is enough to send chill through
the heart of the unfortunate, and its rush
ing life of business and pleasure helps this
effect.
THE NAtA FIRES Of S1MBAIH1
Burn here, but how many are so far away
as to never feel their influence or see their
glow There are watchers to guard the
coast, but what numbers of ships go down
beyond the range of their vision There
are springs of water and cool oases OF shade
in the desert, but what multitudes perish
before reaching these places, and without
knowing where to seek them Yet, after
all, London is bitterly cold and cruel. 1t
is cruel in furnishing the weak with so
many temptations and with such ready
means of SHINING cruel in those shameful
conditions of its social life which commit
80 many of its blooming maidens to occu-
pations, said to be respectable, which make
them the playthings of base men cruel
and cold both, in that while it offers relief
to few victims, it does little or nothing
in the line of prevention, and leaves the
guilty authors of this scene of havoc with
out punishment and largely without re-
straint.
"LoNDoE Is so CRUEL AND so COLD.
Into woman's lips did the dramatist
put this piteous plant, and women it is,
the unfortunate among women, who most
keenly realize the bitter truth of the
words. A superficial beholder of life in
the metropolis would, however, find it diff
fcult to understand this. There is Pc
riod in the career of this class which is all
gsyety and apparent pleasure "a time
when society, instead of repelling, seems
to take them to it's bosom. They are the
life and soul of the Music Hall audience,
and are tolerated and even encouraged at
the theaters. Few public houses close
their doors against them. At many of
these they take their refreshments side by
side with the most solid men of business
and the most respectable of their own SEX
The public restaurants do not discriminate
against such characters, and they are al
lowed as much freedom in the use of the
waiting rooms Of railway stations as the
bona fide traveller. Many of them have
sumptuous apartments in the most aristo-
cratic neighborhoods, and, barring only
invitations to private parties, they can
mingle with the best This is the butterfly
geason Of their existence-bright, sunny,
novel, and, alas in most cases very brief.
Little or no coldness now. To look at the
gay trappiDgs, and to listen to the merry
laugh, you would scarcely think that
LIGHT. WINGED CREATURE
Had ever felt the sensations of a crawling,
loathsome worm. But she has, and it will
not be long before the old feelings of ab.
horrence and despair come back. The
cheeks which glow now with artificial
tints were once crimsoned with shame, and
those lightly-tripping feet, keeping time
to night to enchanting music, were, per-
chance, not many months ago, as they may
be soon again, just on the point of carrying |
her madly to the Thames. This brief sea. |
son of gaiety and sunshine is generally |
preceded, and frequently followed, by a |
time of gloon. The darkness first gathers |
when a life of sin In all its herrid repul- |
siyeness first presents itself to the mind. |
Death, which appears to be the only es-
cape from such a career, seems to many to |
be the most preferable. The limp body of |
tone more unfortunate floating in the |
river tells story of London's coldness and |
cruelty, and of pure woman's hopeless |
struggle against the forces of evil that |
abound here, such as might well bring
tears even into the eyes of lust. Those |
who are carried by love of life or fond |
dream of speedy reform beyond this first |
temptation, emerge, possibly, into the |
charmed existence pictured above. They |
find the lot from which they had first |
turned away in horror not only tolerable, |
but IN some respects enjoyable. Soon, |
however, terrible change comes. Not |
always by the same means, but it comes, |
and is not long delayed. The meshes of
a FALSE AND GUILTY LOVE
Are woven about their frail hearts, and |
there is sudden swapping of these deli
cate cords; or, the passions being strong,
trivial quarrel with an acquaintance may
be all that is necessary to waken in their
bosoms the sleeping demon of despair. Or,
If nothing else shows them the blackness
and hollowness and hopelessness of the life
they are living, then, very soon, old Time
draws the veil aside for the distance be-
tween the gilaed hall of pleasure and the