The One Woman

n Meter, learning that she lived on Gramercy Park and w

girl with whom she came in contact. Her club became at once a force in Gordon's work, absolutely loyal t

tant for a day. I wish to see the city as you see

acted as usher for his

ell him a saloon had been opened next door to their bui

n fro

as the Governor of New York has recently said, 'Give me the vote of the saloons; I don't mind the churches,' go down to this

nitentiary offenses pending against Crook when the Mayor promoted him to be Chairman of the Board. Three courts have pro

d include the whole Board of Excise this

ick. They've got Dan. They knocked him in the head, dragged him down the stairs and flung him in the wagon. He's in jail,

did they arrest

icemen charged on

did the

udge agin him. He swore he'd land him in Sing

te to a lawyer an

er and tell him

the hospital three times from delirium tremens, and found work for him

cross-eyed, or she'd 'a' never married me. I was tin years prowlin' up an' down the earth seekin

nd hair and an ill-fitting dress. She walked as in

eeling better to-

e Gordon drew a cheque for fifty dollars and handed

n your art now that you have a co

im," she replied

t the streets of New York ill and half starved, and placed this fund at my disposal, he stipulated that he would pay

ve him. I don't want t

know he i

his dog-if he will only see me and speak to me. Tell me wher

tain which cut off Gordon's

into the adjoining room, and there was th

came, dressed in their bes

ngers in New York. We hate to trouble you. But we heard you preach, and you

her began to brush th

e had hoped to be and never been in life, we expected to see in him. We skimped and saved and gav

er shook

d sent him here to study three

w and covered his

get his diploma! And we thought, after we heard you, maybe you could see him,

away and his

help us,

ad old story in this town that one gets hardened to it til

ss and the old man and wom

m of an assault on her

a fine. I'm poor and ignorant, and I'm not a member of your church, but all the people are ta

his assi

nything of this case? Ho

of the Herald of the case; he detailed a reporter, who wrote it up. He left out the man's real name. Nothing has come of it. Our courts have become so debased, God only knows what they will do next. We have a police judge now who is the owner of five disreputable dives

the premise to consult

e inventor of a process for preserving dead bodies, meats and eggs by treating them with the purifying

plained, as she spread out scores of letters and testimonials from men

of New York you will deserve a monument higher than the Statue of L

hen she only went after she got the loan

from the western plains, on his way to Moody's sc

him. He got the change, but I'm looking for him to get the bill. I don't know, to

and loaned h

y references. You are t

from her published pictures, asked him to champion t

. He had followed it with some care and was sure

d out her mother's soul t

at last, "I cannot poss

ealed to every man of power. Your voice raised in protest against this shameful and

se," he answ

heart. The pathos and the agony of the tragedy filled him with strange foreboding. In his imagination he could hear the click of hand

sal, and she left with word

of them out of work, he was surprised to see one o

low, what

enty years, they laid me off for a younger man. I'm ruined unless I can get work. I've four people dependent on me. I've come to ask

eacon. Let me know wh

k, he left, with Kate Ranso

s he started smilin

hrough with this eve

cour

ncing with a lot of idiots. And you seem as cheerful

must be

ouch with drama more thrilling than poets dream. It seems t

nto her fac

de. You are going to be mo

ou will not

avagant things you are telling your

rned her violet ey

eve in

with a look

w. He's the best deacon in the church, a

half hour and succeeded in reaching the

wd of two hundred men

were they d

the department Ludlow wishes to enter and asked him to suspend the rule against men fifty years of age and give my man a trial. In return for this favour he coolly asked me to deliver a lecture before his employees that will cost me a week's w

dway car and got of

going down he

hat house was condemned fifteen years ago by the Inspector. But its owner w

r streams on the smouldering ruins, while gangs of men wor

ith grief, wringing their hands, hoping and praying they might find some token of love left of those dear to them,

earch. She did not know where her own child worked. She only knew it was dow

ng. She flung herself across the black-charred trunk with a shriek that rang clear and soul-piercing above the roar and thunder of the city's life

ogether, shivering. "O dear! O dear! what a cry! I can't go

, spoke a few words of tenderness to her, a

g among the ruins reeled and sank in a faint. When he

at man?" Gordon asked the fo

sick I couldn't refuse him. He fainted the first hour and went home. He came back this morning and

e City Hall Square and walked down

quiet, glancing a

in the clear, beautiful hand I recognised from the memory of little perfumed things she used to send me. You don't know what a queer sick feeling came over me when I recog

nite squatting low on Centre Street like a big pot-bellied spider, watching with one eye the brilliant ins

drew closer as they passed down its

he felt the warmth and glow of her beauty, her blue eyes, cordial and grave, her waving auburn hair with its glowing fires, her step luxurious

eyes, and then flashed them up s

id!" she said

ourse

looked into hers, an

an whose letter had brought him and also the young

rge against the

ed off. But they are going to send her up this tim

ssed in an old sunburnt frock. Her hair was tousled, her shoes untied, and a corset-string was hanging outs

ys at home, when I was rich and petted and loved. And now I haven't a friend in the world. My husband left me. If you will tell them to let me off, they

ed to Kate. "She is lying. Sh

her; I'll try to do

e man waiting his new trial. He poured out his story again, and as Gordon looked sadly

Sin when it is full grown bringeth forth death." And again this problem of sin, the wilful and persistent violation of known law, thre

the bitter cries of her broken heart, until the sin and shame of the man seemed his own. The pity and pathos of it all haunted and fil

that wreck yesterday

children. We must see

ver, threading their way through the masses of people jamming the sidewal

ue and the shopping districts crowded-but this is beyond be

these tenements in New York-square mile after square mile, packed from cellar to att

so ugly and wr

men and women, living their lives cheerfully, not asking us for pity. Even in this squalor grow beautiful, innocent girls like flowers in a muck-heap. Wh

and knocked at the back doo

able had to be pushed against the wall to pass it and the family of six could n

his afternoon,

now. If he dies, God knows what we will do;

into the front room a

I'm going to tell him.

he man by

o to you, but you must know it.

zed sort of way and then at his wife holding his crying baby in h

-day-die? And if I do, I leav

ing nervously, shut his jaws f

e!" he growled through hi

, John. We'll help you t

t way you may live," said the doctor c

tching this scene as in a dream. She t

live for your sake.

the street, the

s Ransom, from the little

e not been in the world at all be

oin the great army of industrial cripples-a havoc that makes war seem harmless. The wrecking corporation have already sent

rried on to a

rn of the working people. She had removed her right glove in the house and did not replace it immediately. His big hand clasped her rounded, beautifu

y, he was impressed with her perfect health and vital power. She had recov

the door of a real world to me, Doctor,"

you have given the church-just at a t

his wonderful drama of love and shame, joy and sorrow about me. But w

wounded by machinery in America than were killed and wounded any year in the great Civil War, the bloodiest and most fatal struggle in history. We pay billions in pensions to our soldiers, but nothing is done about this. The social o

ow strange that so many people are i

be years before you can realise the height and depth of need that call

d at him with f

timism, your dreams in the face of the awful facts of life, and with it a tenderness of sympathy I neve

iously tightened the grip of his big hand on her

ugh that basilisk's den we saw to-day. We have a hundred thousand child workers out of whose tender flesh we are coining gold. Three hundred thousand of our women are hewers of wood and drawers of water, robbed of their divine right of love

s quiver with sym

such things took

less waifs. No father or mother that ever bent over a cradle, looked into a baby's face and felt its warm breath can realise that horror and not go mad. We don't realise it. We ignore it. We have four hundred churches. We open them a few hours every week. We have nine thousand sal

you hav

he din of matter. The swiftness of progress, crushing and enriching, the mad greed for gold, the worship of success-a success that sneers at duty, honour, love and patriotism-the filth and frivolity of our upper strata, the growth of hate and envy below, the restlessness of the masses, the waning of faith, the growth of despair

eleased her arm, soft, round and wa

at with life. I shall live to see its black tenements swept away, and homes for the people, clean, white and beautiful, rise in their places. I have a vision of its streets swept and garnished, of green parks full of happy children, of working-men c

sm

est not to di

acefully up the steps, his eyes lingered a moment on the rhythm of her movemen

into his pocket, drew out two pearls, looked tenderly at them and felt their smooth,