The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-02-08
Rates for Legal Advsrtlsing :
BROADBRIM'S N. Y. LETTER

Bitterer than the CRY that went out OF
Ramah was the wall of poor, destitute,
starving, foFsaken Mrs. Henderson, as she
leaped from the roof of four-story build
ing on Second Avenue and dashed her des-
perate brains out on the pavement. A
few almost illegble lines, on a bit of soiled
and crumpled paper, tells her pitful story
"a story so narrowing and soIrowful,
that the heart aches and the tears well
into the eyes as sou ponder over IL. Once
she had happy home and loYiBg hus-
band, but the husband took to drink and
squandered his money, 80 It is SAID, and
eventually they were reduced TO want
Then sickness came, and the husband
drifted into the hospital, leaving the poor
wife TO fight the battle of like alone. No
person need starve in New York who
knows the city and its Institutions; but
how many know them? how many know
where to apply or what to do2 To a
stranger, know nothing more desperately
hopeless than TO be in great city without
money or friends. Reduced to the direst
=
her husband had at one time been book
agent, and she tried to earn enough to buy
bread at that. She applied for work da
after daY and failed; she answered adver-
tisements for housekeepers only to find
that they we're inserted by wretches whose
home should be in the Peniientiary.
Wherever she went she met insult or re-
fusal, till couple of days before she ended
her sorrowful life. The rain came pour
ing down as she sailed out to sell few
pamphlets her husband had left her. The
cold winds howled through the streets,
and with her feet wet, and herself drenched
TO the skin, she went from door TO door.
Not morsel Of food had crossed her lips
for nearly dav and half, and as night
fell she came back to her cherries garret
under the eaYes, and sat down chilled to
the bone, to think upon her misery, and tc
speculate, perchance. If there was any
thing in the great hereafter bitterer or
more sorrowful than that she was suffering
here. She took that bit of soiled and
crumpled paper and told the pitifu story
OF her struggle, then catching up knife
she drew it across her throat and opened
the veins in her wrist. But death was
slow in coming, so she climed out of bel
attic window to the roof One last look
--one desperate plunge-and all was oyer.
"Bad from Life's history,
Glad of deaths mystery.
Swift to be hurled,
Anywhere, anywhere,
Out of the worldr'
Who can read this account without a
thrill Of horrorP Merciful Godl is it
possible that here in city WI ich rates its
wealth at thousands Of millions, whose
granaries are 1rsmmed 7i.h abundance.
whose stores are Aied With the arth's
richest gifts, and whcss bank vaults are
bursting with silver and gold, that the
humblest creature that God ever made
should perish for want of food. Two days
before, the telegraph informed that CorneI-
ius Vanderbilt had paid One Hundred
Thousand dollars sor a small picture to
hang upon his wall, and when it hangs
there it will cost One Hundred and Thirty
three Thousand dollars, for he must pay
Thirty-three thousand dollars more for
the privilege of landing it on our shores.
Five or ten dollars would have been sal.
vation to Mrs. Henderson, but she had it
not and so she died. But what story
that soiled bit of paper tells. The strugg e
of Virtue for life, if she wanted, she could
have sold herself, body and soul, and have
obtained all the comforts that Earth can
give, by bartering for them her hope of
Heaven. Everything had drifted away
from her but her good name, and she
carried That spotess with her into the pre-
sence of her Maker, trusting to the mercy
of him who hath said Come unto me all
We that are weary and heavy laden, and 1
will give you rest" How did this occurP
you ask. | don't know. For while she
was starving 10 death, there were thousands
in this city looking for Just such cases,
who would have given her food and shel.
ter and employment and have tided her
over the evil time. New York Is a great
citYi but 1t is neither uncharitabe or heart
less. Let a case of worthy distress become
known, and on the instant, hundreds are
ready to give immediate aid. For cases
like Mrs. Hendersons it seems impossible
to make adequate provision; their extremity
is not known till the catastrophe comes,
and then they have passed all human aid
II is mournful, II is shocking. What can
be done TO help the genteel poorp All can
be saved; how can we reach themP Some
thing must be done-but howP
But while worthy poverty starves aud
peIishes, bold faced crime thriyes and
hourshes, and It's high priests 60 clad in
purple and linen. Before me lies paper
called Cupid" published in this city, the
ostensible object of which is to procure
husbands and wives for those who desire
TO get married. This paper is circulated
through the country towns and Villages
throughout the United States, and ruin
follows In its track. In every town and
village are plenty of male and female fools,
young and old. In this delectable paper
are advertisements for husbands and wives.
Just suppose a case. Here is such All
advertisement, OF young and handsome
bachelor, age 80, health good, connections
of the best, his family is one of the most
aristoeratic in the State in which he lives,
his income is i've thousand dollars per
year. He wishes an affectionate woman
for his wife, who has an income equal 10
his own. He proposes to take a trip To
Europe immediately after marriage, etc.
Now, does any sane girl suppose that
man Of that description would have to 20
hunting about shabby matrimonial agencies
for wiieP bhY, the girls wnere he lived
would almost olosk their ne-hs trying 10
catch him. Yet there 40 thousands of
foolish Young girls IS, and foolish old