'poor man when affliction thus comes upon him!' His consolation is scanty, his grief more than plentiful.'

This picture may be overdrawn, but there is much, very much that is true in it. And is it just or humane? Reader, remember, "It is your Father's good pleasure that not one of these little ones should perish."

Such are our views of the Prison and the duty of the State and of every individual, toward the prisoner. The reader may condemn them; but we are certain that the more he reflects upon them in connection with the Christian religion, and a true philosophy, the better will he be convinced that they have claims upon his affections and his influence, which he must not disregard. Oh, that the great world would awaken to a sense of what is really divine, and for the good of the human race! Why distrust the power of love? Why be afraid to exercise that charity which is kind, and without which "though we give our bodies to be burned," "we are nothing?" But this shall not always be. The human family is fast moving in the direction of Him who went about doing good, and who was "kind to the unthankful and the evil." ALL MEN shall soon be embraced by the Christian's arms of affection.

"God loves from whole to parts; but human soul
Must rise from individual to the whole.

Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,
As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake ;
The centre mov'd, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads;
Friend, parent, neighbor, first it will embrace;
His country next—and next all human race :
Wide and more wide, th' overflowings of the mind
Take every creature in, of every kind :
Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest,
And heaven beholds its image in his breast."

THE POOR-HOUSE.

A Christian Mother and Children, perishing with cold and starvation, in the great City, and in the very midst of the extravagance of wealth. Page 297.

THE POOR HOUSE.

CHAPTER I.

PERISHING ONES.

Poverty in Christian Lands-England, France, Ireland, Scotland-United StatesLondon-New-York-Pauperism-Beggary-Needle Women-Interesting IncidentDeath by Starvation in Philadelphia and Cincinnati-Romance of a Shirt-Suffering in Philadelphia-Working Classes in Great Britain-United States-Many of them Slaves-Family Stowage in New-York-Inhumanity of Christians.

THE author of these pages cannot send them forth without offering a plea-brief though it is-in behalf of the doomed victims of poverty, that everywhere exist, especially in civilized, Christian lands.

"The POOR ye have always." What millions are scattered abroad in Christendom! As we look out upon the great world, how do we behold them coming up from the dens and kennels-the cellars and garrets-the alleys and lanes of great cities; and from the jails and poorhouses, the highways and by-ways of our earth!

We contemplate Europe-England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Russia-and wherever we turn our attention, what an army of perishing creatures, in rags and wretchedness, rise up before us! In England, every sixteenth man is a pauper. In France, nearly 5,000,000 are beggars and paupers. In Ireland, from the Government report of July 3, 1847, there were 3,030,712 who subsisted on public alms. In Scotland, "thirteen per cent of the population are paupers

and live on the charities of their fellow-men."

In Great Britain (England, Ireland and Scotland), an immense number of ragged, starving creatures, lie down every night on their bundle of straw, or the damp earth, not knowing where they may repose the succeeding night, nor how to procure a loaf of bread to prevent utter starvation. In London alone, there are 30,000 professional beggars. The census for 1854, taken in that city in the night, shows over 20,000 destitute of a roof to cover them. Fourteen thousand were "sleeping on doorsteps, in hay-lofts and alleys, and under boxes, casks and carts, and in barges, boats and other vessels." In Paris there are 40,000 of the same description of perishing ones, and in all the cities of Europe nearly as many, in ratio to *the population.

How vast the number in Europe, then, that are thus cursed with POVERTY. What mind can conceive, or tongue tell, or pen describe, the amount of mental and physical suffering connected with it

When we turn to a contemplation of our own country, the scene is less gloomy and sorrowful, but bad enough. The report for the State of New-York in 1855, shows the county paupers in that state to be 84,934; town paupers, 18,412; the number temporarily relieved, 159,092;—total number relieved and supported, 204,161, at an aggregate expense of $1,279,959.51. Taking New-York for a basis, and our country contains not less than 500,000 paupers. Beggars, of course, are not included in this estimate. In all our large cities this class is numerous. Said the "New-York Journal of Commerce," two years ago: "Those of our city who have good homes, and habitually lay their heads upon comfortable pillows, can scarcely believe that every night hundreds of men and women are wandering houseless about the streets of this