The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-09

find ready and abundant employment.
sho would work steadily for week or
two and then disappear. While at work
she was lady in manner, conversation
and general department.. Then she would
suddenly disappear and when next seen
would be hardly recognizable TO familiar
GcQuaintances. Sloveuly in attire, with
unkempt hair, shoeless feet, and q reck.
less disregard of appearances, she has
been known TO totter through the streets
ct midnight in her mad search for chloro-
form. one druggist on Beale street in.
formed an APPEAL reporter that she was
his best customer.
SHE BOUGHT CHLoRoFoRM by THE POUND,
and consumed Us much as dollars worth
day. In private families where she OBJ
tanned temporary home while doing q
continuous job OF needlework, she has
been known to stay locked up in her
room for weeks at time, pleading head.
ache, imploring those who came to rouse
her to leave her undisturbed. After one
OF these spells, as il wrthing under the
goad of an awakened conscience, she
would seek other employment and bury
her shame in oblivion, purchased by in
diligence in drug not as active as
chloroiorm, but sufficient Tor her purpose.
One lady for whom she worked says that
she always carried her pocket full OF
Walls and used the contents habitually She
was regarded as marvelously expert
seamstress, and in the circles where she
was best known people rave about her
Language" Some say she talked like
book" All speak OF her in terms OF deep
est sympathy.
That she was not without
AN ASPIRATION FOR HIGHER THINGS
is evident from an episode that sheds the
luster OF redemption upon her recent life.
One day, homeless, penniless, starving for
word Of human sympathy, she CHANGED
to pass a house on Shelby street, where
beautiful girl sat reading on the piazza.
Something in the girls face, some d.
vine intuition, doubtless, told her that
here was what she yearned for, tho
sympathy OF spotless soul. She
entered and told her pitiful tale,
briefly, eloquently, with the manner of
lady and the bearing OF dethroned queen.
The girl was moved to pity and TO tears,
and the homeless wanderer was taken in
and given such welcome that the angels in
heaven must have sung for joy. In tho
girls own bed-chamber comfortable
couch was arranged for the stranger, and
for three weeks she occupied II without
lapse from the path OF purity. The very
contact OF that pure presence seems to
have lifted the inveteratc opium.eater
above herselfto alevel TO which she had long
been stranger. But alas, the dreadful crav-
ing that had fastened itself upon her very
soul was not long TO be denied, and one
day the horrible truth was revealed
10 the whole family. The very air
was poisoned with the fumes OF morphine.
II Is needless to relate what followed.
| Yesterday while the reporters were gazing
upon the rigid features OF the corpse, u
girlish figure entered and stood for mo-
ment spcechlcss at the head OF the unfor-
tunate dead. Then the tears trickled down
her cheeks and fell upon the liyid face and
consecrated them in death rs no holy
water could have done in life.
SURVIVING coSFEDERATEs
win be requested today TO contribute to a
fund TO bury their distinguished comrades
widow. tbs APPRAL will cheorfully take
charge OF any sums contributed for that
purpose, and Is already the custodian Of
800 contributed by an unknown lady.
God bless her.
One Of the dearly cherished desires Of
the deceased lady was that she might DO
spared a pauper's grave and a pauper .
shroud. Her ingrained refinement shranlS
with horror from the very thought OF 4: !
/ She babe her friends remember II, u
oven sho were found dead, as she
sometimes OWNED she would. She also
expressed desire that her remains might
be permitted to rest by the side Of her lata
husband. Her husbands late comrades
and the charitable souls OF Memphis will
doubtless see TO 1t that both requests arg
| hold sacred