» 436 [Assembly 



callous Speak of her early life, and the fountain of feeling seemed 

 to break up, and the tears would flow. A deep impression rests upon 

 my mind, that lost as she was, if she could have been placed in 

 circumstances of comfort and cleanliness approximating to those of 

 her youth, the probabilities would have been in favor of her moral 

 renovation. As this was beyond my reach, attention was turned to 

 more hopeful cases, alas! in too many instances to meet the same 

 disappointment from the same cause, and she was again lost sight of. 



Truly, yours, 



J. H. BULEN. 



From Rev. Isaac Orchard^ Missionary of the \bth Ward 



Bedford Street, August 20th, 1844 



Dr. Griscom — Dear Sir — In relation to the questions you have 

 proposed, I would group together the 1st 2d, and 3d, as relating to 

 a prevalent evil, and ihe 4th, 5th, and 6th, as relating to r. proposed 

 remedy; and this I do the more readily, because the points suggested 

 under the former class, appear to me to be almost self-evident, and 

 the remarks I may make upon the latter class, may be more conve- 

 niently made upon the three questions collectively, than singly. 



1st, 2d, and 3d. The extent, concerning which the first question 

 inquires, is, I fear, very great, and frequently leads to actual evil. To 

 the points suggested in these questions, I would give an affirmative 

 answer, regarding them all as general rules, liable to some exception. 

 Thus a person of coarse mind and manners may be found associating 

 with the refined and polite, or a refined and polite person with the 

 ill-behaved and uncouth; but it is not there we would seek for them. 

 Applying whatever experience I have obtained on this subject, I am 

 induced to regard it as a general law of our nature, that minds and 

 manners should take an impress from those with which they associate; 

 and this is painfully evident in many cases, where we observe those 

 who have fallen from opulence, fashion, and high standing, into 

 poverty. Suppose a lady accustomed to luxury and elegant society, 

 so reduced that she has to earn her living by labor, and necessarily 

 to mingle amongst the poor. You may see traces of her former 

 condition, yet they will be but little more than traces. Compelled 

 to bring her mind to her circumstances, to associate with, and per- 

 haps receive instruction from, persons whom she once would have 

 avoided, she must either be solitary in her manners, or despised as 

 seeking pre-eminence, or she must come down to the standard of 

 those around her, and the last of these will be in most cases prefer- 

 red, although it will involve a great diminution of self-respects 



