The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-06
AN ANGEL UNAWARES.
TWENTY TYPES or THEM WALK
THE BOWERY WHISPERING.

tenement" "Luncheon," white
Wings" and bicycle"
New York. Sept. 5.-one of Mrs. Bal
lington Booths volunteers" stood in the
doorway of the volunteer corps on the
Bowery. Within sat Mrs, Booth, sweet
faced. surrounded by her inevitable pile
of letters.
The little volunteer wore the army gray
of the new organization, and upon her
head was the becoming little cottage
shape" At her side hung bag we'll
filled with round bundles. over her shout
der was strung knapsack, and she car
ried basket.
Il am going to carry first aid TO the
injured, said she. Il am not an angel
but help. There are twenty kinds of
angels in New York. Come along while
l tell you about them.
Il don't blame you for not wanting TO
come" said she, seeing the negative
shake, because there's misery enough
that you've got to see, But l forget the
misery in the joy afterward.
Last week / had call. 1t was 10
come to a tenement within a stones throw
of the barracks. 1t wasn't case of
mother and children, but that of a girl
II tripped around there as fast as 1
could. 1 knew the floor, and had the
room pretty well in my mind from q
woman who came here for bread. She
told me there was a girl needed some,
but could not come after it.
Il knocked on the door, but there was
no answer, so l opened ii and went in
There she lay upon the floor, girl no
cider than myself, ana ever SO much
prettier. There was a bed in the room,
but the girl had lain upon the floor to
get cool and had tainted away there. 1t
was during our hot weather. when 800
people died every day. The girl had IL
room on court, through which no light
nor air came. She lighted her room
with a kerosene lamp, and by this glow
worm she did sewing 1t wasn't the old
story this time, burt new one for me.
The girl was trying to support herself
and save money to help her father, who
was doing time In ten days he would
be out again, and had promised to do bet
ter If he could get a suit of clothes to
look for work. The girl was earning the
suit and buying her own bread and but
ter and she gave out
There happened to be an angel in
the barracks, a rich woman, who had
come to offer her services. Go and buy
that girl an easy chair and foot-rest
and some pillows i said, and take them
to her. Work over her yourself an hour
and you will bring her back, and maybe
save her life She did it, smoothing poor
Mays pillow with her own hand for an
hour, and Mag got well. That woman
was tenement angel
do you know we have ammonia an
gels? You don't know what they are.
Well, / will tell you. A woman starts
out on a scorching day with a big bottle
of ammonia and silk handkerchief, also
some sponges. When she sees a man get
faint and turn pale she helps him to a
seat somewhere and hurries away to wet
a sponge for his hat. BY the time she
comes back he is very faint, indeed. She
puts the ammonia to his nostrils, bathes
his head with the silk handkerchief, and
in a little while he goes on feeling bet
ter. If a woman she gives her little
bit of the ammonia to take home, for
poor people do not have the money to
buy ammonia.
eve have bicycle angels, too" chirped
the little gray-coat, looking down at the
bag I'VE do not call them angels in
the army, but outsiders do. That bag
has linen and splints. Bicycle angels are
needed among the poor, where a doctor
asks, viii she payY before he goes out.
Poor people get hold of old bicycles and
ride them. They get two odd wheels and
a broken handle bar and a bent frame
and make a wheel. 1t is their only pleas
ure. They ride and the wheel breaks,
and they get hurt. A good bicy-
Gle angel can all but set a bone. She can
stop bleeding arteries, and she can bind
up cuts, and nurse Sprains. Nothing iS
too bad for her to see.
"Our best angels are wealthy girls that
come down to see what poverty is like.
They are unaware of the danger of the
dark streets off the Bowery, and they go
into them fearlessly. We can't stop them.
| If we suggest bad locality they say they
will go, and when they come back they
| tell us where they have been. Often IL is
| into streets where we do not dare TO go
| ourselves. 1t is no use to caution theml
People think that spring is the fatal
| time of year. You see so much spring
medicine advertised that you think once
| spring is past there is peace on earth. But
| we don't find II So Our hard work comes
| in the fall. One hot day In September
| prostrates more people than three in Au-
| gust. Their systems are SO weak from
| the long heat they can't stand anything
| Then we have sickness from drinking bad
water all summer, typhoid and gastric
| fevers, and the poor children get their
| first fall colds. September is the time OF
united misery for US.
1.-THE 'Tombs Angel who goes around
| engaging counsel for poor people, you
| know all about, but have you ever heard
of the street angel. She Is not in the EN-.
| ploy of the city department. but she
| ought to be. This woman is a friend oi
| the street-cleaner. Her mission Is to helT
him. No. said the little volunteer, not
| ing the quiz in my eye, she does not sup
| ply him with new broom. nor send hel
| hired man to assist him, nor loes she picl
up dirty papers. She goes further to the
root Of things than that
| "As you doubtless know, the street
| cleaners of most cities have to dress ir
uniform. In New York IL Is snowy
| white duck that they must wear, and Il
must look clean every morning. Thu
| poor fellows are dubbed White Wings.
| Now, when the stree cleaning angel seei
a man in solled suit she questions him
Has he got wife? Is she sick? Has hs
| a good homer Are there too many In tht
family for street cleaners dollar and q
fraction day? What Is the matter?
THE man is very grateful, and tells
the angel where he lives. She. dear
worthy woman, visits the wife. Nins
\ times out of ten she takes In washing
and is too poor and too hard worked tC
/ les tbat IA Iar..Ir ettNf IaF