200 CHARITY'S SECRET.
from her and her like. There may be much ignorance and thoughtlessness among the one half of our population with regard to the other, but there is not want of sympathy.
Before I was married I had gone through the usual round of established duties—district visit- ing, and Sunday-school teaching, enthusiastic enough at first, but cooling off when I fell in love, and ‘soon ‘afterward found some of my élass (mill-boys) in the county jail for pilfering.
But with Dr. Brettler it was different. The suffering and vice of the world were always fresh, terrible, real to' him; to work to remove it, like his Master, was the first work in life for him; fame and comfort came afterward. Now, for instance, I was proud of our boy, ambitious, eager, anxious for his future, baby in the cradle though he was. But the only wish for him I ever heard his father utter was that he might be a “helpful man.” Yet, I knew George loved him more than I, heing more tender, and like a woman in some things. There were times when I felt coarse and worldly beside my husband. But not on that winter morning, when we stood in the midst of this burned district. My very soul was wrung with unselfish pain—the reflec- tion of the misery I Saw around me, I remem- bered Madame Recamier’s wish to hold the Almighty’s power for an hour when she looked at some such' scene at this. No other would suffice.
There had been about fifty families turned out homeless on the street; inside, the houses had burned to the ground, but a few feet of the outer wall was standing, black and crumbling, and piles of smoking rafters lay around, here and there bursting into flame, about which there were crowds of filthy, and more than half-naked children ‘gathered. It was bitterly cold; the water thrown by the engines lay in masses of ice on the street; the walls, the blackened door- jambs and window-frames were crusted with icicles; a biting north wind swept the fine frost into our faces, cutting the skin like salt spray.
At the end of the street were two lager-beer sommer-gartens, one on each side; two or three wagons belonging to them, laden with immense hogsheads redolent of pitch, were drawn up in the midst of the confusion, their drivers clapping their arms about their breast, smoking, and muttering, “Ach!” as they looked about them; and among it all swarmed women, their hair tangled and greasy, a petticoat, perhaps, tied about their waist, but with feet and breast; bare, red and dirty, just as the flames had driven them from their lair. They were gathering out of the miserable mass what they could find of their own; here a torn straw mattress, there a broken coal-scuttle, a child’s shoe, bottles; a tin candle-stick, in one instance, I remember, so thick with grease that all the fire had not melted it.
There was very little outcry, I noticed, not even tears shed. The women, when I spoke to them, answered in subdued voices, almost roughly. It was not the time to do obeisance to the cloak and furs which yesterday the Irish among them would have paid. But I did not talk much to them—what could I say? I picked up two or three of the children, cried over them, and carried them home to the kitchen fire. Ann afterward had considerable trouble in finding their mothers—but I could not help that,
‘You have lost everything?” I said, putting my hand on the arm of a stout, raw-boned Irish weman, who was hauling. out some dry logs from the ruins.
“The bed from anundher me,” she growled. Then, with a sharper look over her shoulder, “Ef you’ve any money to give, dher’s a lady that lived on the flure above me wants it more than me; her man’s dead, and she’s nine childher. Malone’s her name. There's ony himself an’ me.” A wiry, black-faced little man pushed by me with his arms full.
“You have no coat! My husband’s would fit you, I’m sure.”
“Thrue for yerself, mim,” with a. chuckle, glancing down at his rag of a flannel shirt. “De’il a scrap of duds did we save for the wife or the young ones, God bless ’em! [I'll call round. But if you’d only look in at Missus Clincy, mim, she’s five, an’ two of ‘em babbies- twins. Her man was kilt in Kilpatrick's raid. I've good work meself,”
There was a group of girls gathered together, as girls will be, whether in silk and tulle, or like these in greasy wool stuff, tawdry bits of ribbon fastened in their uncombed hair.
“Where can I find a Mrs, Malone, girls?” I asked,
“Oh! will you help her, ma’am’”’ their faces brightening eagerly. ‘Indeed, and it’s she that needs it, But did you see Mrs.Grew? Her boy, Jemmy, was dead last night, and she picked up his body and run out in the night with it.”
I heard an exclamation, and saw my husband behind me. He was more haggard than any of these men about me; his eyes heayy, but with a strange, far look in them, as if he saw a meaning which I could not, in all this horrible botch work
- of life, and the quiet morning light over it all.
“You can find no worse cases than these, Lou, “You had better
from her and her like. There may be much find of their own ; here a torn straw mattress,
ignorance and thoughtlessness among the one there a broken coal-scuttle, a child's shoe, bothalf of our population with regard to the other, tles ; a tin candle-stick, in one instance, I rebut there is not want of sympathy.
member, so thick with grease that all the fire
Before I was married I had gone through the had not melted it.
usual round of established duties - district visitThere was very little outcry, I noticed, not
ing, and Sunday- school teaching, enthusiastic even tears shed . The women, when I spoke
enough at first, but cooling off when I fell into them, answered in subdued voices almost
love, and soon afterward found some of my roughly. It was not the time to do obeisance
class ( mill-boys ) in the county jail for pilfering . { to the cloak and furs which yesterday the Irish
But with Dr. Brettler it was different. The among them would have paid. But I did not
suffering and vice of the world were always talk much to them- what could I say ? I picked
fresh, terrible, real to' him ; to work to remove up two or three of the children, cried over them,
it, like his Master, was the first work in life for and carried them home to the kitchen fire . Ann
him ; fame and comfort came afterward . Now, afterward had considerable trouble in finding
for instance, I was proud of our boy, ambitious, their mothers-but I could not help that.
eager, anxious for his future, baby in the cradle
"You have lost everything ?" I said, putting
though he was. But the only wish for him I my hand on the arm of a stout, raw- boned Irish
ever heard his father utter was that he might woman, who was hauling out some dry logs
be a "helpful man. " Yet, I knew George loved from the ruins.
66 The bed from anundher me," she growled.
him more than I, being more tender, and like a
woman in some things. There were times when Then, with a sharper look over her shoulder,
I felt coarse and worldly beside my husband. "Ef you've any money to give, ' dher's a lady
But not on that winter morning, when we stood that lived on the flure above me wants it more
in the midst of this burned district. My very than me ; her man's dead, and she's nine chilsoul was wrung with unselfish pain-the reflec- dher. Malone's her name. There's ony himtion of the misery I saw around me. I remem- self an ' me. " A wiry, black- faced little man
bered Madame Recamier's wish to hold the pushed by me with his arms full.
66 You have no coat ! My husband's would fit
Almighty's power for an hour when she looked
at some such scene at this. No other would you, I'm sure."
suffice.
"Thrue for yerself, mim," with a chuckle,
There had been about fifty families turned out glancing down at his rag of a flannel shirt.
homeless on the street ; inside, the houses had "De'il a scrap of duds did we save for the wife
burned to the ground, but a few feet of the outer or the young ones, God bless ' em! I'll call
wall was standing, black and crumbling, and round. But if you'd only look in at Missus
piles of smoking rafters lay around, here and Clincy, mim, she's five, an' two of ' em babbiesthere bursting into flame, about which there twins. Her man was kilt in Kilpatrick's raid.
were crowds of filthy, and more than half- naked I've good work meself. "
There was a group of girls gathered together,
children gathered. It was bitterly cold ; the
water thrown by the engines lay in masses of as girls will be, whether in silk and tulle, er
ice on the street ; the walls, the blackened door- like these in greasy wool stuff, tawdry bits of
jambs and window- frames were crusted with ribbon fastened in their uncombed hair.
" Where can I find a Mrs. Malone, girls ?" I
icicles ; a biting north wind swept the fine frost
into our faces, cutting the skin like salt spray. asked.
At the end of the street were two lager-beer
"Oh ! will you help her, ma'am?" their faces
sommer-gartens, one on each side ; two or three brightening eagerly. " Indeed, and it's she that
wagons belonging to them, laden with immense needs it. But did you see Mrs. Grew ? Her boy,
hogsheads redolent of pitch, were drawn up in Jemmy, was dead last night, and she picked up
the midst of the confusion, their drivers clap- his body and run out in the night with it."
ping their arms about their breast, smoking,
I heard an exclamation , and saw my husband
and muttering, " Ach !" as they looked about behind me. He was more haggard than any of
them ; and among it all swarmed women, their these men about me ; his eyes heavy, but with a
hir tangled and greasy, a petticoat, perhaps, strange, far look in them, as if he saw a meaning
tied about their waist, but with feet and breast which I could not, in all this horrible botch work
bare, red and dirty, just as the flames had of life, and the quiet morning light over it all.
driven them from their lair. They were gather"You can find no worse cases than these, Lou,
ing out of the miserable mass what they could I think, " he said, quietly. "You had better
