By Miss Lizzie Stevenson.
Tuesday, Jan. 16.—The heavy rains since my return from the North, Jan. 3, have kept me much at home. This morning, however, I started out, and soon found myself at Aunt Judy’s door, but she had gone to a neighbor’s to get warm. When she saw me, she said, “Missus I’s so glad you’se come back. I was just talkin’ about you. We folks don’t have nobody to come roun’ and see and talk to us since you’se gone.” She has been a cripple for years, but this winter is unable to work, on account of rheumatism. She has always been contented and happy, and “proud” that she could pay her rent, fifty cents a week. But to-day it made my heart ache when she said that it took all that “Wes,” a grandson ten years old, could make by picking up rags and papers to get something to eat and a little coal. The landlady had just been there for rent, but she did not know where she could get the money. After reading a few of the Saviour’s words, and commending her to the Father’s care, I gave her a little toward the rent and left her. I next found two children about two and four years old hovering around a handful of coals; talked with them a few minutes, gave them a picture paper and passed on. I then stopped at Aunt Gracie’s and knocked, but no answer; so I pushed open the door and went in, and spoke several times before I could rouse her. Then with great effort she told me that she had been in bed several days with rheumatism. Her miserable shanty is but poor protection from the rain. Every thing in the room was damp, and not a stick of wood or a mouthful of any thing to eat. I carried her a little food and sent to the wood-yard for wood. But the streets, which are not paved, were so muddy they would not deliver nor sell even an armful.
Next I find Mrs. Williams, who has been sick for two months. She is very old, and has for years supported herself and two orphan children by picking up rags. As soon as it was light she could be seen with her sack on her shoulder going to her work. She is quite sick, but fortunately she belongs to a society, which provides for her. From here I go to see an Auntie who is over one hundred years old. She is unable to lie down on account of asthma. As she sees who it is she exclaims “Bless the Lord, honey, I knowed the good Lord would send you back, kase we old folks haint got no one to come round and read to us when you’se gone! ’Pears like the rest are so busy. I prayed the Lord would send you back, and I felt it in my bones you’d come;” and she thanked the Lord again and again for sending me back. And at so many places their first exclamation was to thank the Lord for sending me back to read to them. Another poor woman, who has not walked for years, and whose husband has deserted her, is entirely dependent on the neighbors for her support; and no doubt she goes hungry many days. She said to me as I was leaving, “Miss Lizzie, I didn’t get no Christmas ’cause you’se gone.” After making several other calls and distributing quite a number of Sunday-school papers, I came home with a sad heart to think how little I could do to relieve these poor needy ones. Sometimes I feel that it is mockery to offer to read to them, when they are so cold and hungry. If I only had the means to make their bodies comfortable, they could enjoy so much more the food for the soul.
DAY’S WORK FOR JESUS—RALEIGH, N.C.
By Miss E. P. Hayes.
Wednesday, Jan. 17.—As this is the day for our woman’s prayer meeting, I had taken that day to call on the members of our church. After breakfast, I was preparing to start, when Georgia came in to inquire if I had heard from the ladies who were coming from the North. Then Mr. Smith, our pastor, called to decide upon articles to be read at the concert the next Sabbath evening on the work of the A. M. A. I wrote a postal to thank the lady who sent a nice silk hood to an old, sick auntie, and started.
It was raining a little, but I determined to proceed. I made the first call at Mr. Young’s, close by. Mr. Y. is blind and paralyzed. They were eating breakfast. It was then 10 o’clock. Mrs. Y. said they had nothing to eat till she went out and hunted up something. One day during the snow, as they had no wood, they were obliged to remain in bed till three in the afternoon, and the Saturday night before they had no wood, and nothing to eat. I furnished them with enough to last over the Sabbath. As Mrs. Young is a reader I gave her a paper, and went on to Mrs. Hills. Mrs. H. has two little children, and cannot get out to church, but is very fond of reading. I found her with a good coal fire, and looking very comfortable. I left a paper, and stepped into Mrs. Smith’s to see if her children were as destitute as she had represented and to request her to send her boy to the wood-yard to order some wood for me. I met her husband coming out half drunk, and talking in very loud tones. The boy was stretching a line around the room in which they lived for his mother to dry the washing she took in. Some wet wood in the fire-place was making a feeble effort to burn. I couldn’t see how clothes could dry in such a place as that, and said so to Mrs. S. She replied that she was compelled to dry them. When I came out, the rain was pouring down, but I was obliged to go to the Bank to get a check cashed, as I was out of money, and was expecting a barrel of clothing with a freight bill to be paid.
After going to the Bank, drug store and post-office, the rain and mud conquered and I turned my face homeward, feeling thankful when I entered my door that I had so good a shelter. I built a fire, or tried to, with wet wood, as all our wood is soaked with rain when we buy it, and spent an hour in selecting Bible verses for a Sunday-school class coming in the evening to study for a concert the last Sabbath in the month, partly wrote a letter to thank the ladies of Hopkinton for a barrel of clothing, and to interest them further in the work.
After lunch, Dea. Jones called to inquire about his part for concert. As the rain had slackened, I went to prayer meeting at three o’clock, at Dea. Dunston’s. We meet with the different members of the church. Dea. D. is our oldest member, seventy-three, in feeble health, and enjoys having us meet with them. But five were there, and three of those members of the family. All took part in the meeting, and after its close, I assisted the daughter, in selecting an article to read at the concert. She chose for her subject the Indians.
When I came home I looked over the mail, and went to inform Mrs. Bembry, with whom I had engaged board for the Northern ladies, that they would arrive Friday morning. On my way I stepped in to see an old lady who is paralyzed, and called to tell Georgia when the ladies would arrive. In the evening a Sunday-school class came to study verses, and get temperance cards. Then I finished my letter, wrote another and retired, feeling that I had accomplished but little.