The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-05-05
Stun SISTERS.
Women Of the Salvation Army In
| the City Of London.



Pail Mall Budget, has made a personal
inspection of the distress in east Lon
don in company with couple of saliva.
ton lasscs. The following is the re-
port:
MY friends were not clad in their
coal-scuttle bonnets and blue serge
jackets, for these would be feathers far
| too line for the slum brigade. Long ex-
perience in the huts and novels of out
| cast London has taught them wisdom;
the slum dweller, if he sees fine feath-
ers-and even the salvation bonnet is a
fine feather to him-scents coppers, and
thinks of making up stunning story,
4 and the lasses, the sisters want truth
and nothing but the truth. Therefore
they don hideous hats and other ugly
garments, and If you go with them you
do the same.
They turn into back lane, down in
grimy Shadwell, and knock at door
which looks battered and Ill used. The
windows are mostly broken but neatly
mended with brown paper, for the army
money is wanted for other things than
| home comforts in weather such as this,
and this house with the rickcty stairs
and the clean, poor-looking back kitch.
the girls sally forth early and late, and
make their way through the crowd of
poor that stand around their door when
they have said cheering word to each
of the hungry women and children and
taken the addresses of strangers, for
each single case where help is given is
first investigated. The crowd then dis
perse, knowing that before nightfan
they will at all events have some soup,
some bread and cheese, and haply also
some coal. On that hope they can en-
dure starvation few hours longer, and
cheerfully they go home.
1.-The girls dive into the alleys briskly
and in a business-lilxe manner. Sister,
the little ones in the gutter say, and
smile, and sister the hob bling crones
salute them as they pass.
''They think nothing of a three-mile
walk to howell in some yard whence
tidings of distress have reached them,
and when they enter some filthy door
way the women from a dozen neighbor-
ing houses rush out to beseech them not
w pass llCAAl ONCl. lC1CfCl thNV Cil-
ter it is the same; want and starvation
in their cruelest form stare no longer in
at the doors and windows, but are in
possession and look as if they meant to
stay.
Three old women live in this cellar
like hole. If | had three half-pencc,
whimpers the least infrm, who crouches
on deal box near the tiny fire, Il could
buy stock and sell some oranges. But
we hain't farthing. 1t was SO cold |
used the stock money, and now l owe
her three weeks rent And she points
to a ragged bed in the corner, whence
come unearthly groans. Thick dark
ness reigns around that bed, on which
the 'landlady,' the woman to whom the
ruins of furniture belong, has lain for
weeks. No, nobody comes to see the
three; neither of them can work, and
since yesterday they have had nothing
to eat. The third has gone out to pick
up what she can in the cutters; the
others wait and starve on, ight-headcd
for want of food
Cup the back stairs large family
men, women and children-stand about |
the empty room. Everything is pawned |
and one is i'll. They SILVER with hunger |
and cold, and the sight of a ticket for
food of the value of four pence lights |
up their faces into brilliant hopeful
ness.
'To the garnet the parish doctor has
refused to go. But the lasses go. A
cloud of smoke meets them as they |
enter. Every pane of the small win
dow is broken and mended with dirty
rags; heap of rags-a very small heap
lies in the corner, and by the fire
there is small deal box. On it sits
creature that may have been woman
once, but to look at whom now is to
turn away with a shudder. She is
naked, with only rag around her; her
hair hangs over her face, the hands are
like claws, and as you put your hand on
the thin covering round her shoulders
you can feel hard bones only, and the
creature grins and holds out
her claw-like hands. Look at mel
have nothing to wear, nothing to eat;
have you brought me something to eat?
Her sister, who shares this Home, is
out on the only GRAND which drives
these creatures out of their lair-the
search for crusts and crumbs and cab
bage leaves and orange peels.
''She, too, is light-headed and shrieks
and grins and asks for clothes and bread,
and the one idea only has remained in
her head-that she must try not die of
munger. The two have been respecta-
Die women, taking in sewing, but the
odd came and the furniture went piece
~ piece, and now they have neither
strength nor clothes to go to work.
they have become lower than beasts.
The cold has done it."
To Hear Fly Walk.
L. L.. L.. n m.