199

ONE WOMAN'S HEROIC WORK

Miss Wells and Her Struggle to Help the Poor Little Children

This Noble Young Woman Is Laboring Under the Greatest Disadvantage and Should Have Help.

Here is an Opportunity for Some Christian to Show That the Name Means Something in Reality.

Ten little children and one overworked young woman in six tubmbledown, ill-furnished rooms. That is the condition in the cottage back of the Burt street Chirstian association home, where Miss Wells endeacors to do a work more difficult than most mothers are called upon to perform, for the helpless and hapless boys and girls, who, like driftwood on the human sea, have floated to the kindly care of the Christian association.

The association never deliberately and with mercy aforethought planned to care for children. Circumstances thrust this charge upon them. Mrs. Tilden and Mrs. Ford, leaders in the association, are both intensely opposed to permitting walfs to stay, even for a brief length of time, in our crowded city jail, where they cannot but overhear that which will be injuroius to them. The poorhouse is not the proper place for them. Indeed, the poorhouse, as it is now conducted, does not appear to be a fit place for anybody. The creche is fill to overflowing, and was not at any time intended fro aifs, but for the children of parents who could not give them proper attention, and who could place them at the Creche as boarders. The Benson Place orphanage is intended for rather a different class of children, though its work is allied to that attempted by the Christian association. But Protestant women did not wish to feel that they were permitting the Roman Catholics to assume all the responsibility and care of orphans and deserted children. They wished honestly to do their share. Moreover, they do say the knees of the youngaters out at St. James' are sore with much kneeling, and it is hinted that the good sisters somewhat uppress young lives with excess of devotion.

But however that may be ten little children are now at the Christian Association home, crowded together in a building which looks as if it ought to be condemned by the building inspector, and under the charge of the noble, but over-worked young woman, who, haveing been trained as a nurse, come naturally into this work, and devotes her life to it with a self-abnegation which is as unusual as it is beautiful.

'Who are the children in the Home? Well, there are two belonging to Bachman, the devil-driven wretch who has caused such a sum of misery, and who was recently released from imprisonment. These children are legitimate, and he comes sometimes to see them. Being separated from his wife, neither of them are in a position to care for them. On the innocent heads of the children breaks the stoms brewed by the passion of the father. There are two other children brought by a drunken father one stormy night. Bareheaded, half-clothed, thorougly frightened, the little ones were dragged to the home, and left there. Their mother is not dead. Their father is not dead. The children say that once the mother left the father, taking the little girl with her, but he went after the child, and brought her back, and the two are at the home. There is one little girl, who, being left an orpahn, was adopted by her uncle and aunt, whose cruelties to her were and unspeakable nature-the least and most tellable of which was the filling of her mouth with soap till the tender lips were turned out like those of and African. The aunt went to her reward-she had consumption-and the child was sent ot the home with bruised and lacerated flesh. There is another girl whose mother committed suicide last year, saying taht God would surely raise up some one who could take better care of her children than she could. Her husband was a drunkard, and the chldren were hungry when she did it-so perhaps a merciful God will forgive her! Byt why repeat any more of these terrible stories? The ten little children are there, and each one has been born and nurtured in tragedy. They cannot be turned a drift. There is no place else in this city where they can go. They must be cared for just where they are.

The question is, can they not be provided with more comfort? The Christian association would like another for them. It does not ask to have a new house buildt. It wants an old one donated. It must of course be a house worth moving it should be sifficiently commodious to accomodale at least fifteen perosns, and it should have a bath room in it. At present the ten children eat with Miss Wella in the kirchen for theire is no dining room. In order to work in the kitchen, so small is it , the chairs must be moved into an adjoining room during the house of the day. This room is called the play room. It has folding bed, a wash stand, six or eight chairds and a lor of toys in it. At night the chairs have to be piled up in the kitchen in order to lower the folding bed. The excessive work and irritation cause by all this, is really breaking down one of the noblest of young women. She has no intention of deserting her post. She means to work on where she is as long as strength is spared her. But surely, her task could be lightened. A new house would lighten it past expression. And it may be that some one, reading these words, will go to the Home, investigate the situation for humself and furnish shuch relief. There is room on the lot for another house- though really the best use to which the rashackle building now used could be put, would be to make kinding wood out of it.

Miss Wells certainly needs an assistant, too. Whether one can be provided or not, is a doubtful question. At present she is to all intente and purpose, a prisoner, for she cannot leave her charges even to go to church. If some of the women who find time hanging heavily on their hands, could manage now and then to look after the place for a few hours, while Miss Wella goes fro a little recreation, or shopping or to church, it may be that such an act would fill the door with the joy which comes from the consciousness of a good deed perfromance

To think that some people should fime and fret for want of ways to "kill time," when these poor children need the care which fate has denied them from expected sources! If time hangs heavily with any woman, she is indeed to be pitled, for she has neither brain nor heart to comprehend what is required of her!

Ah, well What use to rail? One grows extreme, in thinking of these poor, poor children- of the young siant who works among them and for whom there will be no canonization. Railing wins nothing at any time, either. But-not to rail in the least, but only to appeal to the thousands of kind hearts which makes the city one of the friendliest and most neighborly of places-will not some kind soul find a way to better the condition of these little ones?

Elia W. Peattie

ONE WOMAN'S HEROIC WORK

Miss Wells and Her Struggle to Help the Poor Little Children

This Noble Young Woman Is Laboring Under the Greatest Disadvantage and Should Have Help.

Here is an Opportunity for Some Christian to Show That the Name Means Something in Reality.

Ten little children and one overworked young woman in six tubmbledown, ill-furnished rooms. That is the condition in the cottage back of the Burt street Chirstian association home, where Miss Wells endeacors to do a work more difficult than most mothers are called upon to perform, for the helpless and hapless boys and girls, who, like driftwood on the human sea, have floated to the kindly care of the Christian association.