THE DISTRESS IN SCOTLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 56, 6 March 1879, Page 4

THE DISTRESS IN SCOTLAND.

Under the head of " In the Homes of the Unemployed," the reporter of the " Glasgow Herald " writes recently —I must close my dreary catalogue this week with another case of sickness in the northern district. It was one of the humbler dwellings in C street. the father, a laborer, had been out of employment seven weeks. He took badly a month ago, and ba3 been very ill ever since. There were four children, the eldest under twelve months old. Mrs T aaid, ' I work from early morning until the clock strikes 2 on the next morning, and yet I can't meke ends meet.' It was bags she made, tweuty-five for 6i. The work was nearly sixty yards of seaming, thirty-five yards of hemming — over ninty yards of eewing for a sixpence ! It was done with heavy, five-ply twioe. 'The time lost on attending my maa keeps me back,' ebe continued. 'I have hud to pßrt with everything — to the clothes off myself and children to keep ub living. Many a day we have ooiiher fire nor meat in the house, and when we lie down at night, I have thought we would be dead in the rqorni°g» • • . I have no nourishment to give my poor man, and he is dying before my eyes. Thb parieh doctor attends him, and gives him medicine, and linseed meal, and mustard for the poultices; but he gives him no nourishment. I have no" help— -none but God. A bit of dry bread and a drink of water is all I can give to my man. The doctor says it is inflammation. . . I would not part with him to the Poor-house would die of want myself before that. Father C Eent me to the relief committee when I told him I bad no fire nor meat in the house. I told them my etory, but they said they could do nothing for roe. h was only the unemployed that they had to do wi'.' A pile of bags was about all the bouse contained. The very bed bad been stripped bare, and tbe dying man had not a morsel of flannel on him, nor a blanket to cover him. Ha tried to speak when he was told that relief' would be given from the ' Mail ' fund, but he could cot find words. I need not say that all these cages were at once relieved from the furnis placed i»t my disposal by the readers of the 'Mail.' Of course it has been impossible to overtake the long list of cases eeut in by City and Church missionaries, but I have been enabled to give temporary relief to a largo number, through my willing helper?, to whom I am greatly indebted. £120 has been spent in relicf — blankets and provisions, inoiudiug sptciul sums for cases Boiected by enbscribtis to tha ' Mail' fund. Several clerpymeu have been added to my voluntary ettif ol helpers, a-nongst wliosi the Ker. Father Car.l--vuill, who had undtrtakeu to relieve the eases sent by him.