The evening times., 1896-01-14
NIGHT AT THE MISSION.
Miss wilbur Slept Among Mendicants
ard With a Drunken Woman.


ard with a Drunken Woman.
7 / went home after this call to rest and
,reconnoiter. 1t seemed inevitable that
must go back and stay at the Central Union
Mission, for otherwise l was not going to
know anything about it. l waited until an
hour after dinner, and then started to walk
down to the Mission.
l walked slowly, and it must have been
about 8 when 1 got down there. 1 found
THE crowd just pouring out of the chapel into
lthe street, and 1 squeezed my way through
and asCended to the third floor, where the
,woman's ward is situated.
j found the place in darkness, to my great
surprise, and was about to turn ba ok
from The door. stood a moment before it
hesitatingly, then turned the knob gently
1T yielded and so went into the big dormi-
tory and stood in the darkness, at a loss
to know what to do.
I lis the matroD here?" / asked.
"Who is that" came from the corner.
Its Jennie Elliot, ma'am. 1 just got
back from a place found where they want
ed extra help for the day. I'm sorry to
jbe so late. ] stayed to wash up the dishes
after dinner, and it's a long ways from
here"
While ] was getting off my apologies
was inwardly reprimanding myself for
mot knowing more about missions and
their regime and what was a proper time
10 go to bed in such places.
Miss Fish jumped up and lighted the gas,
and some one else got up to help her get
some clean sheets and fix my bed, and every
other woman in the place sat up in bed
ana stared at me.
"Did she get place, Miss Fish, sew
eral of them asked.
II guess SO: don't bother me-" said that
lady. as she went about fixing my bed
continued TO apologize and explain and try
to help her. and she was very kind and
called me dear" and otherwise made me
feel that it was all right.
While was standing by thestove warming
my hands and telling her about my place
a gray-haired woman got out of bed and
started for my bed, where l had laid some
OF my things.
go away from that bed. you woman"
called Miss Fish. You let this girl alone
and keep away from her. If You don't stay
in your own bed now III have the watchman
put you out, do you hear? Don't you get
uot of your bed again. Then she expla ined
to me that the woman was drunk, but
said / needn't be afraid of her.
I was afraid of her, however, and all
night long | slept with one eye open. sit
ting up 10 listen every time ! card stir.
The bed was not uncomfortable. 1t was
thin pallet on-a woven wire mattress.
had c.edn sheets ana Pillow cases, anu,
though the ooverlet was very dirty, had
perfect means of protecting myself from it.
The room was warm and ather close. Over
head was the most remarkable shuffling
OF feet and tramping and moving about.
The noise continued for nearly an hour,
and was broken by the singing OF Home,
SweetHome, and oidhymns.
The woman next TO ME moaned out as
she listened, '.Oh, dear Lord" either be.
cause of the reoollections which the songs
forced upon her, or because of the continued
disturbances, couldn't decide which.
1t was a strange surrounding and q
strange night; but 1t was shelter for home-
less woman WHO hadn't elsewhere to go.
And it seemed to ME q great charity.