The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-18 00:00:00

" I send you a statement of a few cases, which strike me a; being
unusually distressing. There arc many nearly as had, 140 in num-
ber. Very few of the women who have young children (and the
children are nearly all too young to work) can.earn anything worth
noticing, 2s. or 3s. a week at the most. Of course those who enjoyed
the privileges of liyl•sg in the barracks, &c., as,being married with
leave, arein the worst circumstances, end they suffer severely.
They lose the lodging and 'advantages of fuel, company's and officers'
washing, sayss. or6s. a week, and the assistance of their-hush-ands'
pay. Lodging here of a very indifferent sort costs Them 21: and 3s.
a week, and they will be far worse lodged than when in barracks. I
send you the cases of four women all married with leave, one with
six children, anotlaer_live,. ano.her four, another three; there are
many others married with leave having two or three children nearly
as destitute. There ie no enapnoyment that they are capable of,
hampered at they are with 'young children for whose care they must
pay if they leave them at home and seek employment elsewhere.
"A. F.-BOND, Ma,Or and Staff Officer."

Extract from the Report of the Woolwich Local Committee
" Woolwich Rectory. 4th September; 1854.

"The women were Jett in very many cases, I am sure I May say
in almost all, without any means for themselves and their children.
Many were on the eve of confinement. Their only resource mould
hava been to become r aupers on the parish, and their only asylum
would have been'the Workhouse. A generous provision ort•the part
of a grateful country for 'the wives and families of those on whom
they depended, under God, fur a successful lasite.of tlutwar in which
we have been compelled to englge has prevented this. But supposs
this had not been the-ease—how hardly would the maintenance of so
many have pressed upon. the poor-rate payers; and in litany in-
stance how unfairly.' Take Woolwich, for instatece, and the case
would be similar wt• h respect to all garrison towns. We have no-
wards of 200 women, besides their chilrren, ,to be_ maintained some-
how. I think it quite possitle" that the burden would pave been felt
so heavily, that a memorial might have been sent to the Governninnt ;
but however this Might be, the expense would have been unfairly,
thrown tip,,n parishes such as pur own; but th s is a trifling matter
when ebmpared with the padperiztitien cf respectable wives of sol-
diers of our army.

" HENRY BROWN, _Rector of Woolwich."

Extract from the Report'or tha Dublin Dotal :Committee :--
"September, 4, 1854.

" I find that since the Ist of July to the 2d inst. I have made about
3,400 payments (in small sums varying froM Is. to IL 55.), to about
400 women (solliers' wives). We have granted several women free
passages to their friends and relatives, released clothes from pawn
offices for women going Into situations, set up-numbers in a small way
of business, defrayed the funeral expenses of a few children, and in
numbzxless other ways have been the means of conferring substan-
tial benefits upon these poor people, &c. Had it not been for the
small weekly payments the majority would have been in the poor-
hoese. Many women, although they only reedied 3s. 6d. a-week,
were thus kept going, and encouraged to work ter themselves and
children, lice.

" CHARLES HORT, Senior Garrison Chaplain, and
Honorary Secretary to Committee."

Extract from the Report of another Local Committee :

"We have hardly relieved any that were not married with leave
and on the 8' rangtti. By the timely aid rendered by your Society,
much distress was of connie prevented, as, as soon as they were left,
your excellent Society took them by the baud. Bat timely as this aid
was offered, it wan not before, in many cases, the poor creatures had
parted with nearly everything, even .n two cases to their wedding_
ringb. What would have been the condition of these poor creatures
if no such society, as yours had existed ? Many of them, frr too high-
spirited to have become the inmates of a workhouse,would have been
plunged into a a ate of asbery fearful to contemplate. But even as it
is, much misery is to be found. A poor delicate creature, with two
children, married with leave, to whom your society grants a weekly
allowance, has been compelled to part with her furniture. So distres-
sing.% this woman's case, and so respectable a character does she
apmar to be, that some of the other women have helped her out of
their small pittance, &c. Every day I feel pore thankful for the
good your sOCiety is doing; upwards of 30 are receiving help from you
at this place. I only wish those who have contributed large surns to
youi society could witness the gratitude of Lima poor women tor the
help they receive; they would, indeed, feel More than repaid for all
they, have done." ,

• •• - - -SOLDIERS WIVES at VARNA.
Sr. Ray, formerly the active and intelligent Inspecting Officer o
this Association, writes from Varnaeta the following effect :
" Varna, August 4, 1854.
• r
" Sir,—l beg to draw your attention to the condition of the poor
women here. Many of them have died, and others are dying ; others
who are in a state of convalescence, are not able to proceed. further
with their regiments, and the men are espectgd .o leave this In
about 14 days; and these poor creatures, emaciated and dried with
'the sun, wilt be left in a . foreign land without any protection or
home whatever. What I thought of was, to prreide a house and
food for ruch as have none ; most of them hava blankets, but to those
who have not I would propose lending them some, and to encourage
"theae who are ab:e to get about to. watt on the rick, cook; end wash.
If yOur Committee is pleased to approve of this plan, I shall be most
would relieve many a poor man of Meuse anxiety.. The cold wea-
ther wills be eden' setting is, then what will these poor women do?
If the ladies in "England would send us a little flannel, a few blankets,
and:left-off garments, they ,wouldebeeronderieg us a great service,
&c. The great work that Is going on for the velvet;te sure' tt
happy to superintend the whole mater, and I-
am qui
and families of
the go diers by means or the Association in which you take so pro-
minent and energetic a part, Causes abundant joy to the husbands
arid' fathers here ; and when I remind them of what is doing, they
seem Overjoyed. acid many thanks are. expressed both to yourself,
and the Committee, and benevolent friends, for the syrnPathY.'llewn
them. •Nurnerotts aro the' deaths from cholera and feeers, and doubt-
less many who are cared for by your Association are really widows,
.but news of• the fact may not have reached them. They h lve not
yet entered the field, but every
-day the order for embarkation for
the Crimea is expected, where doubtless many will fall, and, these
poor fellows have their eyes
'Pen Your Assoelation to protect their
wives and childrea. am happy to Say I have bees well re-
ceived by the men generally; to point them to the ".Lauth of
God that taketh away tire sins of the world,' is my ostensible
work, and to tell them' of tire great work" going on in England
for the good of those who have been left behind, is In perfect keeping;
iris Indeed good news. The poor women who have followed their hes-
binds to this place are In a most pitiable condition, and when the ex--
pedlation sails tbr the Crimea teey will be left here. Woul I that we
had an Association here for these poor objects! Varna is in perfect
confusion; how could it be otherwise with such a congregation
of nations, tierce, wild, desperate-looking fellows, armed to the
teeth, anxiously waiting for the signal to summon them to the fight.
Slay you long be !pared in
,your glorious work, of all works the
most enviable, to core for the poor, &c."
Immediately on the receipt Of these letters the Committee met,
and decided that it donation of blankets, shawls, &el'
should imme-
diately he sent to Varna, and the sum of 1051. should be granted for
the use of these wetnen. .0n the let September Soo& 10 the amount
of 341. were sent by steam to Constantinople, addressed to the care
of the Consule•General, who was requested to use his discretion in
forwarding them to Varna. A bill of exchange for 100/. was also
sent to the same authority, with instructions and, authority to Mr.
Ray to act as the almoner of the Association.
Private letters received by the Committee fully corroborate the
fact of tee d•stress of these poor ivbrien, 'for though they receive
what are called rations, no lather .female comforts can be provided
for them. .' • •e. e -

. .
• "Camp near Varna, .itle'ttit 24, 1854.'
•
"Dearest,—Yours dated August 3, came to hand on the I Gth. I
have received all your letters except one. You diet tell me, my
dear, that7i, a week was what you received from the Association ;
and although that is a mere trifle in a place like London, yet we
ought to be very thankful for it, You say you deeply regret you did
not go with me; indeed, my dear wife, much as I desire to 'be with
you, I think it one of the most providential things ever happened for
iyo ' totee-whdre yea are, instead of built.; here ; badly off as you are
no ~you would be utterly miserable here. We have lost already
tw married teen of cholera: I sleep in the staff .tent ever since I''
got:better of the chole.ia. Everything is enormously high here; a
moUthful of white bread and cheese for supper costs Bd. One thing
lately we can always get, a pint of ale for 2d., or porter lid.; in fact,
it li the only thing we r.iiria; for the bread is very bad, and we get
nothing but the nasty beef, which we cannot eat, but boil down and
make soup of. I...get, 113 I sAid before, ii. 101. a day Pay: Out of this,
4%0 . is sto ope 1 fdrratibns, and 2d.a-dav for mess .moner, so that by the
time I pay for sornethlagllt to eat, there is not much left ; still I shell,
please God, send you all I can, Itc. The women here have no way
of making money by washine, the water is too far off, &c.
" I am sorry to say I have been very 111, atid as it is tar the best for
mete let you know the whole truth, 1 must inform you that I have
had the cholera; I was very bad while it lasted, but thank the God
of all goodness for his great mercy, Ile has restore 4 me. The doctors
have been very kind mired tome; everything I could wish fur was
got for me ; almost all the °Miens • and the colonel came to me and
inqu fired about me constantly. Poor L. M. J. M' . and E.
and Mrs. L., have all, died sahus my last; also Y. R. and 8. F. In-
deed, my dearest wife, I rely iu perfect confidence in my Redeem, r,
and feel myself quite unworthy of His mercy ; and during the worst
of my illness, I felt humble before Him in Whom alone my salvation
Is sure.

" Your ever loving husband,
"E. R,

The wife of the writer of this letter (a most excellent noncom-
missioned officer) was left nearly dent tute with five young children.
She bears a most Irrepr achable character, and is mod anx'ous to
exert herieif to obtain her own livelihood; but what can she do with
five young children? Her tw, eldest girls are entirely provided for
by the Association, and she receives a weekly allowance of 7s.
The Committee perceive with pleasure that the with') sties are
gradually sending them home from the East. Three arrivals of sol-
diers' families have a rready been brought Were the Committee.
for no sooner do they laud than they apply to the Association, and
it Is needless to add how readily their application 14 always re-
sponded to.