Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
I went to a church in the place to a Woman's Missionary meeting and
got permission to speak to the ladies in public about the awful
conditions I found in their so-called hospital. They were surprised
and greatly incensed, and told their husbands, and so there was
awakened an interest that resulted in further investigation. Facts
were found as I had stated, only, if anything, worse.
The outcome of these things being brought to light was that the old
shanties which served as a so-called hospital were replaced by good
buildings and kind caretakers took the place of the cruel
superintendent--who died some months later after a long illness.
ANOTHER VISIT TO A HOSPITAL.
The following is a description of a visit to another hospital, as
published in a paper at Chattanooga, Tenn. This was also early in my
work.
A BAT CAVE.
A SANITARIUM FOR CATS AND HOTEL FOR DOGS--CALLED BY COURTESY THE CITY
HOSPITAL OF CHATTANOOGA.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton, the eloquent female evangelist, who has been
in the city for the past week carrying on a series of prayer
meetings in the jails and houses of ill fame, came into the
_Commercial_ office yesterday afternoon and gave a full and
detailed report of the neglected condition of the city hospital.
She says:
"As I approached the building I could not convince myself that I
was really in sight of a hospital, for it reminded me more of a
stable than anything else I could conceive of. I approached the
gate and met a colored female mute who raised her hand in a
deprecating manner as if to warn me of some unseen danger that I
was about to come in contact with. I motioned the negro girl to
lead the way and followed her into a dreary looking house that I
had been told was really the only hospital of which Chattanooga
could boast. Just as I opened the door six big hounds sprang
from the different beds within the building and would have torn
me to pieces had not I hastily slammed the door and shut them in.
I applied to a poor cripple man who had the appearance of a
half-fed mendicant where to find the keeper and I was informed
that he was asleep, but if I would wait he (the cripple) would go
and wake him up, and in a few moments he returned accompanied by
a healthy looking man who seemed to care little whether I went in
or remained out of doors in the rain.
"As I followed the keeper into the room six well fed hounds and
one emaciated looking man occupied the beds that were in the
rooms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account