The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-07
THE WIDOWS HONE.
What Charleston has DoEe for Confed-
crate Widows and Orphans.


| Correspondence OF the Savannah Republican,
CHARLESTON, s. c., January 27
There is a building on Broad street of thi
city, once known as the Stewart House, b!
many as the Carolina Hotel, but now
known by partial mlsnomer, which shall
be explained after awhile, as 1.-THE Confed
crate Widows Home" Last evening, half
past seven o'clock found me there, by earnest
invitation of its noble-hearted lady president
Judge OF the surprise Of visitor, however
when, on entering the spacious reception
room, he found it occupied-not by widows
nor even by matrona, but-by fifty or sixty
young ladies and children, daughters of The
Confederate dead of Carolina, and represent
Ing, in almost every case, q once wealthy but
now impoverished family.
| It Is easy to conceive what must be the as.
pect of an assemblage of gentlemen's daught-
ers, even though compelled for q time TO
tread the humble vale OF poverty. But con.
fess being taken by surprise In the sight that
every age, from eight to eighteen yeare, all
clad with tasteful simplicity, as became an
elemosynary Institution, but all cheerful and
happy, many of them radiant with beauty,
and most of them attestiDg, in form, feature
and tone, the high blood Inherited from a
noble line of ancestry. In the names given
me I recognize families over whose marble
thresholds / had passed In happier days, and
In whose prlncely mansions 1 had enjoyed
many pleasant hour.
Two little cherubs, about eight or nine years
| old, interested me much. Que of them had
seen, few minutes before, standing on o
chair to which she had climbed or been lifted,
/ fbafr r1,a oirxhf ri ar
sunny face into contact With the cheek OF an
elderly, benevolent gentleman who had as
sumed the expense Of her education, and
whose heart evidently yearned over the little
orphan. The face of the other child also was
very sweet, though marked with somewhat OF
| q pensive cast. Both Of them were brought to
me, to receive few words OF cheer, and while
1 held the hand of one and put my arm around
the nesting form Of the other, 1t was hard to
keep the eye and voice from the signs of emo.
| tIon. These were the youngest of the
crowd. Soon after tall, graceful girl,
of sssWeet SIXTEEN" was introduced to
seat near me. Ny attention had
| already been excited by the unusual grace
with which she, and sylph-like companion
had whired and glidtd IN waltz. to the
sound of piano; and my interest was by no
| means diminished By the interchange of q
! few thoughts with them both. These, I be-
| lieve, were the eldest with whom 1t was my
privilege to become personally acquainted.
After half an hour thus spent, during which
about twenty or thirty visitors came drop
ping in, there was heard tie tinkle OF o little
bell; pair of folding doors flew suddenly
apart; the company gathered 10 dense
semi-circle around the open space. and
there we saw q grotesque assemblage OF
apparently ,oaG figures. 1t was tableaux,
capitally acted by the parties, and humor-
ously explained by the exhibitor" OF the
| wax works. An acted charade was followed
| BY some rich music, both vocal and instrll-
mental, and then your correspondent retired.
The history of the institution, and of the
partial mlsnomer In its title, Is as follows: at
| the close OF our late disastrous war certain Ia
dies of Charleston, beholding with grief so
many families ef the noblest and most heroic
citizens Of the Slate left in perfect desttutlon,
resolved to establish Home, where at least
the female members should be cared for. One
limore, Obtained free ticket over the roads,
and went there to inspect 1t. During that
visit poor widow In that Institution urged
upon her acceptance one dollar, all she could
spare, to help In the work. That one dollar,
| thus urged until 1t was accepted, determined
the lady to begin. She returned home, mort
gagged her own handsome house aud lot as Sc
curity for expenses, rented the old Carolina
Hotel, or Stewart House, on Broad street, at
| two thousand dollars year, as necessary
preliminary, and united with other ladies In
| inviting the 'm0thers, widows, sisters and
daughters" of impoverished Confederate SOL
| diers to come and enjoy the refuge thus pro-
vided.
The original aim being mainly the relief Of
CopfedeI ate widows, it received naturally the
title of 'sThe Widows Home" But II was
soon discovered that the daughterss these
| families were more In need OF help than the
mothers, and the result is that, during the
| last three years, the chief effort has been to
maintain and educate these daughters as
nearly as possible In manner betting their
| former position.
There are now about thirty widows and
| mothers connected with the Institution, while
there are sixly-hve daughters In course OF
education, of whom all but ten are boarded
as well as taught in the house. Three -of
these young ladies have already become as
sIstant teachers; several more Will soon be
ready to 20 out into the world as teachers and
Qoyernesses, and all are In course OF prepa-
ration to earn their own livelihood, being
| taught all the branches of education usually
| in demand, and also music and dancing as
mpllshments.
The pupils, with the exception OF four, who
are residents of the city, come from all parts OF
| the State. The expenses, amounting to Six
| thousand dollars year, are betrayed almost
wholly by the cllzens of Charleston. And the
education is conducted mainly by two sisters,
cousins of the distinguished DR.. Palmer, oil
| New Orleans, and grand daughters OF the elder
DR.. Palmer, late pastor OF the Circular Church,
Charleston. supplemented by instructions 10
Latin and French by schoiarly pastor IN tne
city, and by a lady professor OF the latter
language. .u,,u Hp ror,n,vo
i