Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-05
HEROES AND HEROINES.
A Bright Spot i'm a Scene I'm the
Slums of London.

Slums of London.
You pass through the hideous Lon.
don slums the oil lamps fare and f1utter
in the wind, the hoarse hawkers sing.
ing, the ragged children cry shrilly. and
within the public houses come the con-
fused rabble of laughth er and cursing,
and the rank watts of acrid smoke.
Blowzy women; draggled women, brazen
women. drunken women, pass you; ugly
male night.birds scow at you with
savage eyes; toul-mouthed young girls
mere children, alas.-salute you with
impudent COINCIDENCE; and the night is
full Of rank odors and bleared lights.
You enter narrow alley, watching care
fully the maneuvers of the skulking
creatures who slouch around with
bumped shoulders and evil gaze. A
door opens and you are in the midst of
strange assemblage. A bevy of
women gather around some long tables
and watch you with dull curiosity.
Here is one who is pinched with hun.
ger; her thin fingers and knotty at the
joints, her hair is wofully scanty, and
she looks beaten, bloodless, sorrowful.
Here is bold creature who meets your
look with hard, brutal stare; she has
heard the chimes of midnight. Here is
a specimen OF the ordinary dirty, gar.
rulous trollop so freely produced in the
wilderness OF London. Here is a mere
female animal, a creature without soul,
who sits callously glowering at vacancy.
A coarse laugh sounds out narshly, aud
then a quiet voice with the tone of
mellow bell scars along the low room,
and instantly the disorder is stilled.
You move to the head of the room and
you are greeted by white. haired
woman dressed in black. Her eyes are
like eteel, her lips are composed, her
forehead is very placid, and her man
ners are the manners of great lady.
She is fit to move in any assembly of the
world, and her dignity would draw the
eyes of men or women wherever she
went. Beautiful she has been, and the
exquisite remains of her fairness remind
you of some splendid build ngs grown
gray with stress Of years. When she
speaks you hear that indetiuable accent
which is attained only by those who
live among ultra refined people from
their earliest years. A lady this of the
highest breeding. You feel as if you
were in the presence of queen, yet she
puts you at ease instantly and falls into
conversation with polished grace. Witty
she is in subtle way, and her wit is so
strangely blended with pathos as to pre-.
sent an unique product of intellectual
chemistry. She knows the world and
flashes out an occasional speech worthy
of the scion rather than this dngy
shed; but the ruling aspect of her face
and the essential tones of her vuice are
those of one to whom the affairs of the
world are OF small moment. She mas
ters the evil assemblage in front of her,
and the boldest slut that ever disgraced
her sex is ever reverential toward the
grave, kind lady whose VIII dominates
all. AS you talk she tells you OF her
work This refuge is open every night
for the homeless, and her duty is to help
those who are poor, to heal those who
are sick, and to raise with loving, mer
ciful words and deeds those who are
fallen. None are too base for this love.
ly all-embracing charity. Romances in
plenty she can tell, and she does so with
q soft, matter. Of fact sweetness. Every
form of hum,n wretchedness is known
to her, and her eyes are fixed day by
day OH lights of woe. Does she ever
leave that fearful quarter? Never! Think
of that, o discontented, pulling folk.
This lady who was once beautiful, rich,
courted, has given up all for the sake of
working benefcently in the weary world,
and she passes her days in an appalling
London slum. Lords and ladies of her
own class see her, but they remain only
for a little time; she stays at her post
with still constancy, and bears the squal
or, the ennui, the loathsome sights and
sounds, the recital of wringing records
of misery. She is content to even forego
her name, and her very identity has
perished from the brilliant world that
once knew her. 81 am Sister Zillah,
she says, with her courtly smile, and
that is all. Here is one who is an honor
to London, to England, to the human
race, toiling obscurely in place where
every man of the better class hardly
dares venture. Fa mily Herald