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Ellen Norbury, or, The adventures of an orphan. Bennett, Emerson, (1822–1905).
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ELLEN NORBURY;

OR, THE ADVENTURES OF AN ORPHAN.

BY EMERSON BENNETT.

AUTHOR OF "CLARA NONELAND," "VIOLA," "THE FORGED WILL," "PIONEER'S DAUGHTER," "BRIDE OF THE WILDERNESS," "KATE CLARENDON," "HEIRESS OF BELLEFONTE," "WALDE-WARREN," ETC.

Price Fifty Cents in paper cover; or a finer edition in cloth for One Dollar.

T. B. PETERSON, NO. 102 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, takes pleasure in presenting to the public this celebrated work, the scenes of which are laid in the city of Philadelphia. It is the most thrilling local tale ever issued in the Quaker City. Mr. Bennett has a philanthropic heart, which beats for humanity, and he has performed a noble work. It is a work destined to achieve a reputation for its distinguished author, second to no living writer. It boldly portrays the vices of a great city, in language which must reach the heart of every lover of truth and virtue. It will live as long as a Christian heart can be found to beat with sympathy for suffering humanity. It is a fiction founded on facts, gathered from actual observation of human misery, by the author himself, and gleaned from the records of a distinguished philanthropist. It is a picture of light and shade, presenting the widest and most striking contrasts. Its shadows are as dark as vice and crime can make them, while its lights are the brilliant gleams of purity, truth, and love. It is a work to command the attention of all noble hearts—of every clergyman, jurist, and legislator in the land—and especially does it commend itself to every Christian. While it boldly tears the mask from the face of canting hypocrisy, it upholds, in the strongest language, the pure and simple religion of Jesus Christ. Mothers will read it, and will weep over the wrongs and sufferings of the sweet little "orphan"—the child of innocence and purity—who, amid all her trials and tribulations, never forgets to appeal, with the trusting faith of tender years, to her heavenly Father—imploring protection and deliverance, patience and resignation. Whether among friends or enemies—whether surrounded by beauty, purity, and goodness, in the bright abodes of luxury—or by vice, crime, misery, and pestilence, in the dark haunts of the most degraded—whether in the hands of pure and loving hearts, or in the grasp of thieves, robbers, and murderers—on the downy bed of wealth, or the filthy pallet of the gloomy prison—in all places and all situations, she is ever the same sweet, gentle, affectionate, prayerful child. The scene of this truly great work lies in the very heart of Philadelphia; and the characters page: vi-7 (TitlePage) [View Page vi-7 (TitlePage) ] acters, so skilfully portrayed by the pen of a master, are still living in our midst. And we would add that, besides the great moral beauties enumerated, the story is characterized by purity of style, intricacy of plot, and individuality of character, combined with incidents of so thrilling and startling a nature, as to make the heart bound and the blood leap. It should be in the hands of every lover of literature. Every page glows with the beauty, strength and power of genius; and every passion and emotion of the human heart, is depicted with a fidelity to life never excelled. Of all the popular works of Emerson Bennett, this is certainly his chef d'œuvre; and we may safely venture the assertion, that, through Ellen Norbury, he will secure the blessings of the wise and good of the present and succeeding generations.

From the Waverly Magazine.

"The author of this book has been long and favorably known as one of the best novelists of the day. We doubt whether there is in all the west an author whose writings have been so universally read, and have received so much attention and praise, as have those of Mr. Bennett. The frequent appearance of his thrilling stories in the columns of some of the first literary journals in the country, speak no less loudly of their worth and excellence, than do the high prices which they at all times command. Though he has often followed in the footsteps of the illustrious Cooper, in describing with a truthful pen the character and eccentricities of the Red Man, the success with which his books have met, proves him most decisively to have been no servile imitator, for he who can write a good book, locating the scenes and events on ground passed over by the world-renowned author of 'Leather Stocking Tales,' must, indeed, wield a pen of more than ordinary strength; and this we, without a moment's hesitation, pronounce him to have done. Whether as the delineator of border life and wild western scenes, or the more pleasing aspects of civilized life, he ever wields the same graphic pen. The drawing-room and the prairie seem alike familiar to him. We can award this book no higher praise than to say it is better than any which have preceded it from the same pen. The moral of the story which stands out boldly upon every page, cannot fail to produce a good effect upon all by whom the book is read. We are clearly shown, that though the guilty and vicious may for a while elude detection and exposure, virtue will eventually triumph and meet its just reward."

Copies of the work will be sent to any person, to any part of the United States, free of postage, on their remitting the price of the work to the publisher, in a letter, post-paid.

Published and for Sale by T. B. PETERSON, No. 102 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, To whom all Orders should be addressed, post-paid.

ELLEN NORBURY; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF AN ORPHAN.

BY

EMERSON BENNETT.

AUTHOR OF "CLARA MORELAND," "VIOLA," "FORGED WILL," "PIONEER'S DAUGHTER," "HEIRESS OF BELLEFONTE," "KATE CLARENDON," "WALDE-WARREN," ETC. "The interest of the plot commences with the first chapter, and is maintained throughout. It is a native novel, in which the scene is laid in the city of Philadelphia, and the incident detailed with a truthfulness of description which constitutes the great charm, of Mr. Bennett's writings. In his previous works, Mr. Bennett has described border life, prairie scenes, and Indian warfare with a pen so graphic, as to bring the scene bodily before the reader. In 'Ellen Norbury', he deals with every day occurrences of domestic town life in the same minute and elaborate way—forcibly rendering us of the descriptions of Bulwer in 'Eugene Aram,' and other works. 'Ellen Norbury' contains throughout a moral of which the reader is never permitted to lose sight—that crime sooner or later leads to retribution, and that virtue, even when exposed to severe trials, eventually receives its reward." —International Journal.

PHILADELPHIA: T. B. PETERSON, NO. 102 CHESTNUT STREET.

page: 8-9 (Table of Contents) [View Page 8-9 (Table of Contents) ]

TO
ISRAEL AMIES,
Of Philadelphia,
THIS WORK,
WITH SINCERE FEELINGS OF FRIENDSHIP AND ESTEEM,
IS INSCRIBED,
BY THE AUTHOR.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by T. B. PETERSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

CONTENTS.

IN presenting the following story to the public, I think it proper to introduce it with a few remarks. I had for a long time entertained the idea, that a novel might be written—founded in par upon the thrilling scenes and incidents of everyday occurrence, amongst the poorest and most degraded class of a large city—which, while containing all the essentials to make it interesting to the general reader, might be subservient to a higher purpose—that of calling the attention of sympathetic and philanthropic individuals to the awful vices and miseries of beings bearing the human form, who are actually below the brutes in the great scale of progression, and of whom it may be said that they do not really live, but rather drag on a horrible existence, till death by famine, death by pestilence, death by drunkenness, or death by suicide, puts an end to their earthly career.

I knew it was fashionable to take up collections in churches to promote the propagation of the gospel in our own country; I knew it was fashionable for different church organizations to raise large sums to send gospel missionaries among the heathen; I knew it was fashionable page: 12-13[View Page 12-13] able in certain quarters, to talk very sympathetically about the slaves at the South; but I knew at the same time, that within fifteen minutes' walk of the head-quarters of some of these charitable associations, hundreds of human beings, both white and black, were annually perishing of cold, starvation, and neglect—perishing for the want of the most common necessaries of life; and I reasoned that these benevolent organizations could not know of such scenes of distress, lying so easy of access, else charity would begin at home; and so I thought it my duty to tell them, in my own humble way—hoping that a few, if not all of them, would be induced to do something for the starving poor of their own city.

I am aware that there is a great difference between a sermon in a novel and a sermon from a pulpit; but if the writer in the one case, and the preacher in the other, each proclaim the same great truth, I cannot see that the truth itself is altered by its different modes of conveyance; and the seed thus sown, I think as likely to spring up and bear fruit to one sower as the other. Hence I hold, that the writer of novels and the minister of the gospel, may both have a mission to perform; and both be able to effect much good, if they will, each in his own peculiar way and field of labor.

I know it is fashionable for what is called the religious community, to cry down novels as a whole—applying to them all sorts of offensive epithets—such as degrading, demoralizing, vicious, and licentious; and I know, too, that certain wiseacres—who care nothing about religion, but wish to be considered very knowing, learned, and scientific—take a peculiar pleasure in adding the adjectives—trifling, nonsensical, insipid and trashy; and although I so far agree with both classes, as to admit that, all these terms may be properly applied to some novels; yet I must record my solemn protest against the sweeping denouncement—against the indiscriminate application of terms that are in many cases false and slanderous.

Two modern writers, of marked ability, have very justly observed:

"Sometimes a good novel is found the very best medium for conveying a useful lesson when other means fail."

"The disguise of fiction has been, in all ages, a far more effective way to inculcate lessons of life, than dry didactics."

We all know that when our Saviour desired to impress some great truth, upon the minds of his hearers, he spoke in what was called a parable; and a parable, according to Webster, is "A table, or allegorical relation, or representation of something real in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction." In other words, it is a great truth, enclosed in a garb of fiction, for the purpose of making it more impressive and effective; and if it is not a species of novel, it is at least, I think, a happy illustration of a distinction without a difference. Then wherefore condemn a novel, simply because it is a novel? or because somebody has written a reprehensible one? Why not discriminate between the good and bad?

With the design, as I have said, of writing a novel page: 14-15[View Page 14-15] which might ultimately be of some benefit to my suffering fellow-beings, I began to look about me for facts for a foundation. I soon perceived that, to effect the purpose I had in view, it would be necessary to make my story, to a certain extent at least, local; for I considered it very important, if I made the statement that human beings were annually freezing and starving to death in our land of plenty, to tell where they were freezing and starving to death—so that should any kind-hearted individuals feel disposed to relieve their wants, they might find the sufferers without difficulty; and none might be able to ease the troublous qualms of conscience, by supposing the scenes described to exist only in the imagination of the writer. Having been for the last four years a resident of Philadelphia, I naturally looked about Philadelphia for a locality suited to my purpose; and I regret to say, I had not to look long, or go far, to find such scenes of degradation, destitution, and misery as made me shudder to contemplate.

I had heard frequent mention of the philanthropic labors of William J. Mullen amongst this suffering class of our population, and I thought he might be able to furnish me with such facts as I required. With a letter of introduction from the Hon. Judge Kelley, I therefore called upon Mr. Mullen, and made known to him the object of my visit. He received me with that kind and gentlemanly courtesy which is so characteristic of one who labors for the good of his fellows, and said it would afford him great pleasure to show me around through the haunts of misery, and put me in possession of any number of thrilling startling facts which had come under his own observation.

A day was appointed, and we visited the County Prison—of which, by the way, he is now the visiting agent—and though I had no fault to find with the prison itself, nor with the way in which it was managed, yet I soon learned that our statute laws, as construed and abused by here and there an unfeeling, unscrupulous magistrate, are made most terribly oppressive to the poor wretch who has neither money nor friends. I learned, for the first time, that a man for being merely suspected of crime, might be more severely punished than one actually proved guilty. And in this way: the man proved guilty receives his sentence, and, when his term of sentence expires, is set at liberty; while it sometimes happens that the suspected man is required to find bail for future good behaviour; but being poor, and without friends, he cannot give the necessary security, and is forthwith sent to prison; and he may remain there a long, dreary year, unless the Judge or the Lord see proper to set him free; and even when his year has expired, it sometimes requires the exertions of a friend to secure his release. I saw one poor fellow there, who had been confined in his cell six months. And for what? Why, simply, for being too poor to give bail that he never would be a rogue! Well, heaven help us! those of us, especially, who have no money nor rich relations.

There are quite a number of other pleasant things connected with our laws and those who administer them—though I wish it to be distinctly borne in mind, that, in page: 16-17[View Page 16-17] speaking of the abuse of power displayed, by our magistrates, I refer only to individual cases, and have no design of casting reproach upon them as at body, for many of them are honest, honorable men. One poor wretch having a spite against another, or perhaps to conceal his own guilt, goes before a magistrate, and makes oath that such a person has stolen something, or is about to steal something, or has threatened his life, or something of this kind, it little matters what, and forthwith the victim is arrested and brought before the judicial functionary, who hears the case, already, prejudged, and thinking only of his fees, and nothing of justice, takes no pains to ascertain whether the accusation is false or true; but coolly informs the trembling defendant that he must find so much bail for future good behavior, and pay so much costs, or be sent to prison. If be can pawn the coat on his back to pay the costs, (and this is sometimes done,) and get some friend to go his security, he is to be reckoned among the fortunate ones; and is to be envied by hundreds who have no coats to pawn, and who are sent to, prison, to remain there till such time as some kind-hearted individual, like Mr. Mullen, takes their case in hand, and, either by setting the magistrate to release them of costs and bail, or by paying the one and entering the other himself, or by some such hook and crook, frees them from durance vile, to return to their starving families, persons have been known to suffer a long, dreary, health-wasting imprisonment, to say nothing of its other horrors, simply from being forgotten—the committing magistrate having neglected to make a return of the case to court! Some are bound over for trial, and the trial is months in coming on; and then they are found to be innocent, and are allowed to go home and find their families starved, or starve themselves in disgrace. Witnesses in important cases, when unable to enter bail, are frequently confined in the debtor's prison, or in an adjoining cell to the accused, till after the trial, which may be months hence, instead of their depositions being taken, and they being allowed to go at large. It is therefore a dangerous thing for a poor man to see a crime committed and tell of it; the gloomy prison is his reward; and doubtless this interesting mode of managing witnesses keeps many crimes concealed. All these things are true, of both sexes.

The foregoing are only a few of the many startling facts connected with the Philadelphia County Prison; and had I time and space, I could narrate tales of individual suffering, that would make the blood of a feeling heart curdle, and bring the blush of shame to the cheek of a Choctaw!

In company with Mr. Mullen, I next visited that awful locality lying between Fifth and Seventh, South and Fitzwater streets; and though the day was warm and pleasant, yet the scenes of destitution, drunkenness, and suffering, which I here witnessed, made a painful impression upon my mind; and I could not help thinking, if thus it was on a day like this, what must it be at the midnight hour of winter, with the thermometer at zero! As I have endeavored to draw a faint picture of the miserable scenes of this quarter page: 18-19[View Page 18-19] ter in the pages which follow, I will refer any who may be curious to the work itself.

And in this connections a sense of duty compels me to say a few words of Mr. Mullen's disinterested labors here among the poor. Some years ago, being in easy circumstances, and hearing much of the awful sufferings of his fellow beings in this vicinity, he boldly ventured among them, at the risk of his life—for here, be it remarked, are the head quarters of criminals of every grade, from the thief who would risk imprisonment to steal a penny, to the bloody wretch who would cut your throat for a dollar—he boldly ventured among them, I say, at the risk of his life, and seeing the state of horrible misery, which now enclosed him as in a vortex of night-mares, he nobly resolved to make an attempt to meliorate their condition. No sooner had he formed this resolution, than, with that energy of purpose, firmness of mind, and unyielding determination which characterize him, he set about his Christian task. It was in the dead of winter, and hundreds were freezing and starving to death; and he saw it was necessary to rent some building, in which to establish his head-quarters, and have a place to warm, and feed, and clothe his perishing brothers and sisters. There was a church in the vicinity, and he applied for that; but the trustees refused to rent it for any such degrading purpose, and he had to look elsewhere. He finally procured a building, and did all that one man could do to alleviate the distress around him. He has continued to labor in this field ever since, aided by other philanthropists, and is still as active among the poor as ever, having spent thousands of dollars of his own money to carry out his noble plans. He is the founder of the Moyamensing House of Industry, where the suffering poor, who have neither home nor friends, are fed and cared for, and has held the office of President of over fifty other Benevolent Societies and Institutions. May God give him his reward!

I must here add a word or two more, for fear of being misunderstood. What I have said of William J. Mullen, I have said without solicitation, and I am writing this without his knowledge. I felt it to be my duty to speak of him as I have, simply as an act of justice; and I can honestly assert, that I would say the same of any other man, friend or enemy, if I could be assured he had done as much to relieve the wants and miseries of my unfortunate fellow beings. Mr. Mullen lives in Philadelphia, and keeps a record of all his transactions, which can be perused by any one who may desire to do so. But I warn you that that record of many volumes, with its details of crime and suffering, would make your blood run cold with horror. Without the strongest evidence of its being a plain, unvarnished statement of facts, no one could be made to believe that such things could occur in our day and generation. It is a record of human wrong, human frailty, and human wretchedness, over which the very angels in Heaven must weep.

But let me hasten to conclude this already lengthy introduction.

After returning front the locality I have mentioned, I found myself in possession of all the facts I required; but page: 20-21[View Page 20-21] having gained these facts—many of them too horrible for narration, in a work making any pretensions to refinement—I began, for the first time, to perceive the difficulties which lay in the way of the accomplishment of the task I had undertaken. I wished to write a novel, which might please the general reader, and at the same time call attention to the vices and miseries which exist in every great city, and especially in that quarter of Philadelphia of which mention has more than once been made. But to describe the scenes as they really existed and do still exist there, without any relief, I very naturally concluded would shock and disgust the reader, and prove an entire failure.

So after much pondering of the subject, I settled upon the plan which I have carried out, and which I hope may meet the approbation of the great public, to whose candid and impartial judgment I now submit the work, well knowing that if it fail of its design, the fault must rest with the author, and not with those who render an unbiassed decision. If it be thought by any that I have lingered more than I should among the scenes of misery, vice, and crime, I can truly assert that I have done so for a higher purpose than that of merely writing a thrilling tale, and that I have labored to relieve and lighten the dark shades of a dark picture as much as I could, without destroying its power of impressing the mind with the truth of a more terrible reality.

In conclusion, let me add, I have aimed at no personalities, and especially at no religion—for true religion, the religion taught by our Saviour, I love and venerate. Of some glaring faults and errors, as displayed by certain classes I have spoken somewhat boldly—perhaps too boldly to please the pompous hypocrites who use religion as a cloak to cover their vices. If such prove to be the case, it may afford them some consolation to be told, that I had no design or expectations of pleasing them from the start—though I think they should rather blame themselves for the facts, than the writer for alluding to them.

It may interest some to know, that I first saw the little "Hunchback" in the County Prison, and subsequently reeling through one of the streets, with a group of ragged urchins following him, hooting and laughing. Of the other characters, I need only say, they have their counterparts in real life.

EMERSON BENNETT,

Philadelphia, January 1855.
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