wages-this, however, is one of those evils which a change in municipal power will correct. The people can always right a wrong. But when societies are established for the express purpose of reducing the price of labor, compelling the necessitous poor to accept their inquisitorial propositions, these we contend are evils of such magnitude, that the human mind can scarcely imagine a remedy; they are evils springing out of religious cant, and cloaked so fashionably, that the most sceptical doubt if such things actually exist in a community like ours. These, indeed, are evils which cannot be corrected—they are the canker worms of the heart, gnawing the vitals of the poor, and ultimately destroying life itself! * Mrs. St. Clairville finding it impossible to support herself and child, pay house rent, and buy firewood by making shirts at ten cents, endeavored to procure a situation as a housekeeper. She was recommended to a lady with whom she engaged, but her sensitive mind shrank from the task. She now took rooms with a poor family, and thus lessening her expenses, she once more sought the society, related her situation, and again commenced the Herculean task of making the shirts at the prices purposely fixed by the society. The coldness of the weather increased, the snow lay upon the ground, and the hail of the winter night patted against the windows. There alone in their little room sat the widow and her child. Agnes was now old enough to be of much use * Lest we should be accused of treating these liberal societies too severely, let the following extract from one of their printed reports, speak for us: The Board purposely fixed the rate of wages at the lowest price, to prevent application from any one who could procure it elsewhere!! In the same report was a statement of the account of the Society, amount of shirts on hand, money loaned to the rich-real estate, &c., which gave it a high character for wealth and respectability. to her mother. It is true they had little or no wood; scarcely bread enough in the house to keep hunger away, and as the eyes of the parent rested on the pale cheek of the child, a deep sigh escaped her, and tears-angels' visits to a wounded heart-came to her relief. "Dear mother, what makes you so unhappy?" asked the trembling child, who alas! knew but too well the source of her mother's grief, but was anxious to lead her into conver sation for the purpose of diverting her thoughts from the reflection of it. "You ask me to tell you what you know already. Look around, my child-look in that broken glass, and see the reflection of your own pale cheek, look at your motherthen ask what makes me unhappy." "True, mother, we are poor." "Poor, child! poverty I can endure, wretchedness and squalid misery, but it is not for them, but thee my daughter, these tears flow; what will become of you, when I am dead and gone. It is the thought of that which haunts me ever!" "Dear mother, why torment yourself thus.-Cannot I make a shirt? look here at these stitches, are they not true? and have I not just read, that they have established a society where they give the poor soup, and a good fire, for the mere working all day!" "Yes, my child, this reads well in the paper, but look on the other side of the picture. This society was established, as stated, to benefit the suffering poor. But how? we go to their room in the morning-where, it is true, there is a comfortable fire-we sit down, and work at a quilt, for which when completed, they get two dollars, for the cost to them is only the fire and the soup, which may be fairly estimated at about five cents a head. This, my child, is called benefitting the poor!" "But do they not pay, mother?" "I have already told you the payment for a day's labor; ah, my child, little does the public know or care of such For the poor there is no sympathy—their sufferings are their own." matters. "Their motives may be good, mother." "No motive, child, can be truly good that would operate against the suffering poor. Religion is thus trifled with, the widow and the orphan insulted, and the proud and the arrogant looked upon by the unthinking as saints, when in fact they are-but no matter, let us strive, my child, to live without appealing to them; what was the reply of Elder Jones, when I applied to the Church for assistance? It was that the decoration of the pulpit cost over six hundred dollars, and that there was no money in the treasury. These facts, my child, give me more uneasiness than any thing else, for if the followers of Christ forsake us in our misery, and the institutions established to benefit us, speculate upon our industry, to whom are we to apply?" "To Him, mother, you have so often taught me to pray to, and who will not forsake those who put their trust in his power." "Right, my child. To that being let us apply in our hour of distress, and as this is a moment of sore trial, without food-without fuel, let the widow and the orphan offer up their fervent prayers to His throne." The widow knelt down, with her daughter by her side, and prayed to the Most High, the only head of the church, the one and the only true God, Jehovah Lord of Hosts. The storm raged without-the wind howled fearfully around their lonely dwelling, and yet, though hungered, and sorely afflicted in mind, the widow slept soundly, for her faith was strong in the Lord.* CHAPTER II. "What is youth? a smiling sorrow, Blithe to-day, and sad to-morrow." The theatre was crowded, beauty and fashion filled the boxes, and glances from many a bright eye, blending with the rays from sparkling gems, mingling their light with the glare from numerous lamps, gave to the whole scene one of a rich and gorgeous appearance. Wealth was represented on this occasion; and were the poor forgotten? Yes! for when does fashion think of the needy and oppressed! Did those bright eyes but rest for a moment on a suffering family, emaciated from the want of food-children trembling with cold, beneath an old coverlet, and muttering for food, in their unquiet sleep; could these bright eyes have glanced on such a scene, would they have beamed as happy and joyous? For the sake of humanity we answer, no! The human heart is the centre of kind feelings, and it is the curse of a modern system of education, to which alone can be attributed all the coldness and insensibility which are engendered there. Wealth and poverty can never assimilate, but why *❝I visited a widow woman in Third street above Poplar lane, who had been sick for a long time. Her domicil presented a most wretched appearance. No fuel, and of course deprived of many of the neces. saries of life. A little girl, her daughter, was her only nurse, and for three weeks the poor woman and child lived on nothing but rye flour! She had strived, and is still striving, to earn enough to buy bread by making shirts at ten cents per piece!! A poor pittance for labor." Vide Rev. John Street's Report for December, 1844. should wealth despise it? Ask the heart that beats beneath silk and satin, and the true answer will be given. He was fond of sport, still Among the most gay and fashionable on this occasion, was Alfred Clement. He was the only child of a wealthy merchant, who, so busily engaged in commercial pursuits, left his son to the full enjoyment of his means and time. Upon his actions this was no restraint; Alfred, however, was a noble, generous youth. Although scarcely nineteen he had already attained high academic honors. He had none of the vices of the age, or its follies. more fond of theatres, but his visits to them were not made for the purpose of displaying his person in the lobbies, but to hear and appreciate the "cunning" of the histrionic art. Alfred was a critic, one upon whose judgment older heads would rely, and his remarks upon dramatic literature, and acting, were ever listened to with the most profound attention. If Alfred had a fault, it was one his parent was alone responsible for, and that was he had no occupation; a profession his father despised, and the counting-house was beneath the notice of the son of one of the wealthiest merchants in the city. Hence, he had to seek for excitement in a busy round of pleasure, affording it is true all the enjoyment for youth, without any of the advantages calculated to benefit him in the great future. This was a most grievous oversight on the part of his only surviving parent, and one which entailed all the misery upon his son's head which we have yet to record. After the performance was over, Alfred, having lost in the crowd those who accompanied him to the theatre, started for home alone. It was a cold night in the month of December. Heavy clouds were careering through the sky, and there was every indication of a snow storm. The moon, now in its full, ever and anon, darted forth her rays |