The Portland daily press., 1873-02-14
A Noble Charity.

er to vote. PENUAIIoW.
A Noble Charity.
Mr.. EDITOR,-Those of our citizens who
lind the parable of the Good Samaritan
pleasant reading, and enjoy being told who
their neighbor is will be interested in the fol-
lowing extract from a speech recently deliv-
cred by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher upon the
opening of "Young Woman's Home" in
Brooklyn, and in some remarks which come
after it:
There exists in all our cities an increasing
large class of persons who present no exterior
helpless sign, that refuse to be mere objects of
charity, persons of good repute and excellent
qualifications, who have an intention in life
who are glad to do something which they can
do well, and so contribute to the welfare of So
ciety j but they find themselves thwarted in the
city by an almost absolute want of homes, and
this falls especially on woman, for the evils of
life which are hardest to be borne seem to fall
more on woman than on man through life
Young women of energy, of ability, of un-
spotted character, come to our cities to teach,
to carry ON the work of the artist or to engage
in the thousand industries that are every day
opening up to them. Strange as it may seem
to us the difficulty she meets with is not the
difficulty of being received nto'genteel fami-
lies, but the difficulty is to get place at all to
live in. The hotels will not take her, the FAM
lily boarding houses will not take her. and she
is without protector, of good character, able
to pay her way. But she is too much trouble;
they can make more out of men; they are less
in the house; they come and go at stated Sea-
sons; and so this monstrous condition of things
has grown up-that multitudes of young women
able to take care of themselves, are absolutely
driven out of the city, because they have not
where to lay their heads. A home for women
who are workers in the city, for those who ply
the needle, for those who ply the peEcil or the
brush, for those who are teaching in our
public schools, and engaged in the various
departments Of decorative art, those in
stores, to all these such home as this
would be invaluable. 1t is not offered as 3
charity, saying to them, ssYou cannot find a
support, and we will give you shelter" No.
it is simply opening mansion aud saying
You shall have these rooms at a reasonable
price; you are to pay for them, and whatever
you have is yours at fair price; you have ev-
erything without lowering your self-respect."
Such home as this is one of the most blessed
OF systems that God has put into the hearts of
the benevolent wise women to adopt. How
many heartaches will be saved. How mauy
persons on the verge of despair will be brought
back to hope by so simple thing as this. AS
society grows older new wants are arising aud
we are not simply to succor the sick and the
poor, and attend to the dying. We have got to
take of the living not the living that either
by their misfortune or by their faults go down
below the line of hope and responsibility, but
the respectable and eminently those above the
line of responsibility, that have in them gre,
good.
Probably few Of us can read these words
without feeling stirred by them to some de-
gree OF indignation and sympathy. We have
always had vague impression that society
did not give to women who were obliged to
work for a livelihood fair chance; but most
likely we did not suppose that it was SO
odiously unjust as to refuse them a decent
home, because they were women. The vivid
description which Mr.. Beecher gives of the
mean disadvantages to which an industrious
and high-minded woman is subjected because
of her sex, has more power over healthy
mind than oceans of frothy declarations
about woman's political wrongs. And the
simple and efficient remedy which he pro-
poses has common sense and practical ap-
pearance, which commends it to judicious
people.
The need which Mr.. Beecher sets forth
in the above extract of a place in which young
women who come to the city to obtain live
lihood can find comfortable and respectable
homes, is deeply felt in Portland. 1t is es-
timated by those who are acquainted with
this class, that at least one hundred of them
are now among us, placed in the annoying
and perilous situation described above. 1t
cannot fail to crafty those of our citizens
who are interested in whatever makes our
SIbJ q UCtGCA ctuu bdppICA pldCC W i've LII W
know that the Portland Woman's Christian
Association have set at work to establish for
the benefit of these victims of our bad social
system flor are they not this p home, such
as Mr.. Beecher describes. To state in the
words of one of the members of this Associa-
ton just what they propose to do: "What we
want is Boarding Home, as simple in its
making and transformations in name as posi-
BILE, which shall provide cheap but healthy
lodgings and meals for its inmates, made self
sustaining, so that to become an occupant
shall not be badge of poverty or disgrace
where care in sickness can be given by COM
petent persons, and where sitting-rooms will
afford comfortable place for evening rest
and recreation"
This is not merely beautiful air CASTLE
Subscriptions for the erection of such home
to the amount of about $4,000 have already
been received. A few thousands more are
needed to complete the amount necessary for
the purchase and furnishing of suitable
house. 1t is the hope of the writer of this
article that many of our citizens who have
something OF the good Samaritan in their com
position will see in this noble undertaking an
answer to the question, old but ever new,
Who is my neighbor?
CATHOLIC CLERGYMEN FOLLOWING PERE
HYAcINTHE's ExAMPLE-There has been some
trouble in Catholic church at st. Paul. The
Bishop of that diocese has removed from pas
toral charge of the st. Lents church the Rev.
A. Schirmer The story is romantic one.
Some time ago the Rev. Mr.. Hilmar, pastor of
the St. Anthony Catholic church, yielded to the
tender passion, fell in love with his house
keeper, and boldly Drawing all consequences,
married her. The BishOp,as matter of course,
unfrocked him. He went to the Episcopal
church and is a minister thereof. Now Mr..
Schirmer is taken in the same way-has fall
en- in love with sweet young Irish girl,
friend of his sisters. The Bishop orders him
to cease all association with the fair lassie, and
send her away from his sisters house. Schir-
mer refuses to do as the Bishop directed him,
and the Bishop has accordingly Withdrawn
his faculties" He too, will probably marry the
young Irish girl, and go into the Episcopal
church, like his FREUD Hilmar. Sympathy is
mainly with the Bishop who is conscientiously
trying to do his duty, as he understands it, I'M
der such unpropitious circumstances.
A New MOVE IN THE Coal BUSINESS. THE
Reading Railroad has issued circular indicat-
mo the nlan of Onerations decided unon in ;to