The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-04-09
sLUM SISTERS
Women Of the Salvation Army ID
the City Of London.
TSe Terrible Scenes Of Distress -
Degradation Witnessed by Them
In Their Visits Among
the Poor.

1De Terrible Scenes Of Distress 80
Degradation Witnessed by Them
In Their Visits Among
the Poor.
One OF our representatives, says tn
Pail Mall Budget, has made personal
inspection of the distress in east L<un
don In company with couple Of salvn1
tion lasses. The following is the rs11
port: J
my friends were not clnd in thei1
coal-scuttle bonnets and blue serge
Jackets, for these would be feathers far
too fine for the slum brigade Long en-
perience in the huts and novels of outii
cast London has taught them wisduup
the slum dweller, If he sees fine fea*h-
ers--and even the salvation bonnet u q
dne feather to him-scents coppers, and
thinks of making up stunning story,a
and the lasses, the sisters want trutH
and nothing but the truth. ThereforI
they don hideous hats and other uRlE
garments, and II you 60 with them yo1
do the same.
'sThey turn into back lane, down IN
grimy Shadwell, and knock at q door
which looks battered and Ill used Tha
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 tfis,
and this house with the riclsety stairs
and the clean, poor-loolking back kitch-
en- Is the slum brigade 8 fortress. Thence
the girls sally forth early and late, and
make their way through the crowd d
poor that stand around their door when
they have said a cheering word to each
OF the hungry women and children ana
taken the addresses of strangers, for
each single case where help is given n
first investigated. The crowd then dis
Perse, knowing that before uightfall
they will at all events have some SOUP
some bread and cheese, and haply also
some coal. On that hope they con en-.
dure starvation few hours longer. and
eheerfully they go home.
"The girls dive into the alleys briskly
and in a business-like manner. Sister,
the little ones in the gutter say, and
smile, and sister the hob bling cronea
salute them as they pass.
""They think nothing Of three-raile
walk to hovel in some yard whence
Ndings Of distress have reached them,
and when they enter some filthy door
way the women from O dozen neighbor-
ing houses rush out to beseech them not
TO pass them over. Wherever they en-,
ter 1t is the same; want and starvation.
tn their cruelest form stare no longer in
ut 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. II had three half-pence,a
whimpers the least infrm, who croucheS
on deal box near the tiny fire, Il could
buy stock and sell some oranges. But
we haint a farthing. It was 80 cold I
used the stock money. and now I owe
her three weeks rent And she points
to ragged bed in the corner, whence
come unearthly groans. Thick dark
ness reigns around that bed, on which
the Iandlady,' the woman to whom the
ruins Of furniture belong, he's lain for
weeks. No, nobody comes to see tho
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-headed
for want OF food.
up the back stairs a large family
men, women and children-stand about
the empty room. Everything Is pawned
and one is i'll. They shiver with hunger,
and cold, and the sight Of ticket for
food OF the value Of four pence lights
up their faces into brilliant hopeful-
ness.
ITO the garret 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
rGgs; o heap of rags-a very small heap
lies in the corner, and by the fro
there is small deal box. On It sits a
creature that may have been a woman
once, but to look at whom now Is IA
turn away with q shudder. She II
naked, with only rag around her; her
hair hangs over her face, the hands nre,
like claws, and as you put your hand ON
the thin covering round her shoulders
you can feel hard bones only, and the
Bhivering creature grins and holds out
her claw-like hands. Look at mel
.As'o uoeuulS W wear, nOtnln8 70 e8ts
have You brought me something to eat9'
Her sister, who shares this home h
out on tho only errand which drives
these creatures out Of their lair-the
search for crusts and crumbs and cab
oage leaves and orange peels.
"She, too, Is hght-hesded and shriekn
and grins and asks for clothes and bread,
and the one idea only has remained IN
her head-that she must try not die oA
hunger. The two have been respects.
bic women, taking in sewing, but the,
,old eame and the furniture went piece
by piece. and now they have neither
strength nor clothes to 60 to work.
They have become lower than beasts.
The cold has done It."
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