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But a great change came over the family. Joanna married one of the young merchants of the town, and her prospects were bright and her heart y/as buoyant and happy for a time. At length the dark cloud began to gather round her, and she lived to follow to the grave every one of her father's house. And her husband became, as alas! too many have done in whom the hopes of wives, loving through all changes of life, have centered, confirmed in ways of intemperance, and saw the ruin of his fortune.

In this advanced life they were glad of the humble station of keepers of the turnpike gate, and when the death of her husband left Mrs. Dodge a widow, it was not long ere in her infirmity of body and mind she was forced to apply to the town for support.

And now she is "the widow Joanna Dodge, with the red cap." And she who was the "belle Joanna Martin" in her youth, and the excellent Mrs. Dodge in her middle life, sensible and chatty and benevolent -- good to all -- even to the poor, may go and come as a town pauper any where, it makes but little difference where or when, provided she is no bill of expense to him who, for a stipulated sum, gives her her daily food and yearly raiment. Nobody feels in duty bound to carry her if lame, weary or sick, nobody to feed her if hungry, or clothe her if her garments are tattered and soiled. She is too poor to make one any return for his benevolence to her; or to merit the attention of society, as the principle on which benevolence generally turns with them is this: to do good to those who can in some manner repay us the same again. The poor people have a very slim chance therefore, considered as so much per cent, of society under marketable valuation, or as so much to the loss and gain of community -- they are despised, and turned from as of less value than good working, hearty servants, be the same white or black. The town paupers as such, are not regarded as eligible to office, as capable of any business or trust of importance above that of a child, or a half idiotic, sputtering dunce. (3) In the old poor-houses they were, and now are, a cast-off portion of humanity, moaning in weakness, hunger, thirst, nakedness, filth, disease and moral contamination, too de graded, too loathsome often to awaken other than revolting reflections. Accordingly, following this fashion of the world, the church, and the individual Christian cast them off, and passed by on the other side. The "contributions for the poor" at the Lord's table, were not made for the poor paupers -- they received them not, such monies were carried past them, to some sick or weak, though respectable poor brother or sister in some respectable family, or under what might still be his or her own roof. How little of it, if any, ever visited the poor-house!

Thus it was and is, that the principle on which it stands, of reducing the poor of the town to the condition so nearly of chattels, is wrong. Nobody will seek to relieve distress that is provided for by the public vote and law. The persons who bind themselves to feed and clothe and comfort the paupers, are expected to do this in their own way, especially as the bargain made is a tight one for the contracting parties, as all concede! They are not to be interfered with by my ways and directions! How can they carry out their plans securely if you and I, and others, may dictate to them, and undertake to do anything that will create among the subjects of pauperism a state of ingratitude -- a complaining, jealous spirit? Hence the paupers are often worse off than slaves. They are sold for the year to one who, if he cannot work them some, will be sure to make up his loss from their food, raiment, and shelter. And their position is the more degrading, that it is often a perfect contrast to their former life. Many a one has known the luxury of wealth; many have been in large business, in offices of trust, in places of fashion and amusement; others have traveled much abroad; and again, others have been great readers of books, and instructor in science; they have been advocates at the bar, and ministers at the altar. The changes of Fortune are many and wonderful. Look in at one of our prisons, and see who are the operatives there at the anvil, on the work-bench, at the loom, at stone cutting, at coopering, tailoring, and so forth. Are they not from every grade in human society? And so is it with the poor. Misfortune, infirmity, disease, and old age, instead of statute crime, have made men paupers. Unfortunate, though often personally vicious in their ways, they have come to be imbecile and harmless, instead of strong for crime and cunning for evil. So they drop out of the leaf of the book of humanity, and are known no more. They may suffer, may be horribly, cruelly treated, may starve, sicken and die -- die of fever, of cold, and hunger and nakedness; but it makes little, if any difference to other men. The world is glad to let them go to their last home!