Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04

now, and Mr.. Wilson told her that the As
ISOLATED Charities Is going to arrange q
plan SO that she can save something
through the summer for rsext winter. The
woman looked SO menacingly mystfhed at
the mention Of the word "save" that my
heart went cut to her, and I'm afraid I've
put an obstacle in the way of reform in
this home.
Why. how on earth can they save any
thing" I said. Don't you know that when
they are without money they get SO out
of everything that when little money
comes In 1t must all go to repair the past
and not to fortify the future?'
The woman warmed to me for this de-
Tense Of her fmprovtdence, II improvidence
1t be. then suddenly. without any visible
cause, her face clouded and she became SO
silently befliserent and inhospitable that
We babe her goodbye.
Outside the window was the explanatio
of her cooling frfendliness-a hard-faced
woman, who was muttering against US as
We reappearef in the alley. and whose in
fuence upon the other suggested that the
UNIVERSAL brotherhood Of the submerged Is
/ bar to human progress with which the
reform impulse Of any individual is power
less to cope.
| As we went along to the next place on
our visiting list quarreled with Mr.. Will
son over his having pointed out to the wo-
man that 1t was a shame to beg
l
IF she and her children are in want brute
Instinct must triumph and the hungry brute
whines for his meat and IL whining does
not bring It what eise does he know but
THAT 10 all right for q brute but q hui
man being IL deficient in character that
does not choose rather to suffer the pain
OF want than the disgrace Of asking aims, "
said Mr.. Wilson.
'Is Is not a Disgrace insisted. "It is
fatality q man or woman may choose
| such suffering for himself or herself, but
when little ones dependent on you are hum
cry. and you know there is food anywhere
to be had for the asking, you beg as help
lessly as you die II wall falls on you. Be
sides. what can such people possibly COM
| prehend-I don't myself comprehend any
thing Of the value Of that ethical abstrac-
ton. character. as an end of suffering"
Scene of wretchedness.
/ Mr.. Wilson assured me my pessimism
was bordering closely on a creed Of profit
| gacy, but our discord grew silent at the
| door Of the next house We entered.
There was no need to advocate suffering
Eere, for freed even from the pain Of hun
! ger. there was wretchedness not to be es-
capped Dy charity bestowed from any hui
| one dark and the front one lighted by
| only one window that had nearly every
| pane filled In with paper instead Of glass,
i've woman and five children under seven
become the mother OF sixth child. The
father Ia in lunatic asylum, where he
has been for the past three months. All
the children except the eldest were huddled
by the one dismal window, the woman her
self was stretched in bed, covered with
GingY quilts She has supported herself and
family going out washing, the five-year-old
girl taking care Of the younger ones dur
| ing her absence, and the absence of the
| eldest child, who attends school. Now, the
" oman Is unable to work. She is depend
ing on chance help during her confinement
depending on her children for nursing
and on whatever professional service Prov
fdence may dispense. The swift current
Of human i'll seemed to have stopped in
ing il mire Of distress even the motion
Of any sort Of sensibility. The mother and
the children were stupid, stoHd. 1 couldn't
faet sorry for them. they so clearly felt
!. children whimpering for bread, and l
could fancy how the mother might strike
! thsm to hush their noise, and how they
might then scream loudly. until the wo.
an would doubtless wish they were all
dead and it would not be strange il she
should. some dark. sitting day, help kill
them.
r. could fancy also the horror of hearing
the wall of rev voice added to their
number, yet ] knew perfectly this was all
my morbid Imagination, and that life for
these wretched ones is like my own life,
merely D. succession Of sensations, with
varying means of satisfying each in its
| turn. Mr. Wilson pointed out to me how
lonely this woman was, and said surely
must see that Or anybody could do good
visiting her. l do not see it. The infinite
difference between us would be but to
change her solitude for the worse loneli-
ness one feels among strangers.
SOilcd, DtnEy Places.
We went into one more house, but the
last was the same as the first, and the
second. and the third-an so many soiled,
dingy pieces Of the crazy patchwork OF
human life. that however the size, shape
and color and quality Of it's various pieces
may differ, is everywhere. in the alleys. in
the streets and avenues the same cover
ing Of the same body Of human misery I'M
derneath. One Of the houses in a wretched
row We learned is a mission, where reli-
gious services are conducted twice a week.
It is grimly symbolical. A huge iron pad
lock securely binds the door of this dis
pensary of Divine grace, indicating the nat
ural barriers that intervene between the
submerged and salvation for their souls.
r When we emerged from the alley section
Mr.. Wilson wanted to know If cared to
enter another. 1 did not. 1t was no diff
ferent from other quarters OF the SUBJ
merged with which I have long been famil-
taught me nothing new. The gentleness
the eas.s with which Mr. Wilson is able to
place himself In the channel of the inter-
ests of the poor must command any ones
admiration and profound respect But it
revealed to me no hope Of any possible
Utopia.
We've come too late, the world Is swollen
h. hard
With persisted generations and their sins
The civilizer's spade grinds horribly
On dead mems bones and cannot turn I'D
soil
That's otherwise than fetid."
This alas. must remain the conviction of
the Improbable soul Of
PAULINE PRY,
Wash Tub Philosophy.
From Judge.
Mrs. Vansook Gndignantly)-"Mrs O'Lone,
the color all came out of my new table,
cover on account of the horrible washing
fluid you use.'
Mrs. O'Lone OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES moind,
mum. Shure 1t all whit into the other
clothes num-"