National Republican., 1874-04-01

taken In charge by her son, Valentine Roper,
who Is employed in the establishment Of Philip
s. .Solomons.
ST. JoHEs HOSPITAL.
ONE OF THE NOBLE PUBLIC CHARITIES
OF WASHINGTON.
Among the many public charities which grace
the national capital, not the least worthy, though
one Of the least praised is the St. Johns hospital
and home although the institution Is in but the
second year Of its career Of usefulness, in this
short journey can be seen its footprints Of noble
deeds, which have been leu as the best and most
enduring memories Of the past and the most sub
stantial indices Of future usefulness.
It was formally opened as q hospital for chill.
building, with capacity for but ten beds. This
was but the fneipiency OF Q futurity Of ever-in-
erea:ing usefulness which is destined like several
institutions Of similar character, to hll sn ex-
tended space In . community where want and sin
exist as twin objects Of pity. 49,
spacious accommodations for the Increasing appii-
cations Of the suffering for care. and the nst.tu
its then modsrste demands. The large, airy and
light apartments seemed well fitted for the pur-
poses Of hospital, which were enhanced by the
which rendered It cheerful and gave opportuni,
ties for convalescents to enjoy the outdoor air.
Here the Institution had capacity for about
those helpless little vain which the multifarious
forms Of disease has thrown upon society, of
which thsse noble institutions constitute the
usefulness here dawned upon the noble ladies
having the interest In charge, and the Increasing
demands upon It's attention. soon caused 1t to
search for larger accommodations. -. -r.
An appropriation Of SIS 900 was made BY Con-
gress to enabie the ladies to consummate plans
where the hospital Il now located was purchased.
II consists Of two oldtimed but substantial DWELL
ing-houses situated on the south side Of H street.
o few doors west Of Nineteenth street, known as
the Scott and Whelan residences, one Of which
was for many years the dwelling place Of Oommo-
dore Warrington These residences being iden-
mansion, with . front Of about fi:fy feet. After
cOiOfs in imitation Of freestOne, trimmed with
brown, and Is at once attractive and remarkable
to those passing for its modern neatness.
Entering the building at the bidding Of one OF
its juvenile inmates the visitor 10 ushered into
ATTRACTIVE PARLoR .. ..
the LEFT Of the yestibule, where only SUFFICIENT
furniture Of neat design Is found as Is in keeping
with cultured taste and the economical admins
tration OF charitable Institution. The walls are
finished Id deep lavender, and the cornice which
envrons the ceiling is artisteally finished in sub
dued coiors, interspersed with gold leaf There
. ine photograph Of Rev. J. Vaughn Lewis, to
whose supervision as the parish priest the man.
diocesan bishoP,) which is hung between the
In the rear Of this and separated from 1t by fold
ing doors, Is
which Is htted up In the style peculiar to the Eps
copal church. Its holy purposes are emblemn-
is capable Of accommodating about thirty per-
sons In their devotions and gives an air of sanctty
to the entire house. Mere morning and evening
answers Of mercy steal silently back upon the
afflicted ones who patiently linger on couches OF
suffering for the coming Of the angels to bear them
command Of the Great Physlcian-"Rise up and
walk" -. .-....
Crossing the entrance hall you are ushersd to
two connecting apartments similar In size and
architectural nnish to those described, put each
furnished with o complete chamber suit Of black
sdorn the % ioor, and the Sunlight Streams IN tPo@
the windows In rich brightness, making these
rooms CHEEKY and inviting, as IL the very sur
roundlnRs were Intended to make n patient forget
her illness by drawing her mind of TO the eontem-
plation of the beautiful.
The two floors above contain six rooms each In
the main or front building. Each OF these Is oc-
cupied at present by two single bedsteads, and
three OF the rooms contain patients who are now
eSnvalescng under tns I ansctiGnsts a attention Of
ing, and on the second floor, o large apartment
has been fitted up for the especial accommodation
Of men, the entire front building being designed
for the reception Of lady patients. The two rooms
for the slck on the rst floor are intended only for
paid patients who may come to the Institution to
tsnrion which cannot be provided at homes how
The hospital is in charge Of the sisterhoOd of St.
organization 10 that Of the Sisters Of Charity Of
the Roman Church, and yet II is lacking In many
points Of seeluson and rigid probationary steps
necessary to devoting ones life to religious pur-
poses. To enter the Sisterhood ol st. John a lady
must be either virgin or widow, and while no
John mary hsr Sisterhood wonId At once ceass
The obligations arc assumed for life by common
consent or understanding among the order, rather
the si:terhOod Is by irst becoming a 'svistor" in
the hospital for o term Of two months and then as
"probationer" for the remainder Of the year
having been thus proven, the probarioner becomes
o full Sister.
with which Il originated about twenty years ago,
In the celebrated Slsterhood Of St Margaret, or
ganized at East Winston, England, by Doctor
tsblished schools for neglected children and hos
pitals for the sick, both adults and children, in
several localities in Britannia. This was followed
by the widsly-known Clever SIsterhood, which
has for Its special mission the
RECLAMATION OF FALLEN woMEs,
and has q home Situated near Oxford. In this
country the most extensively and fayorably known
sisterhood Is that Of Saint Mary, established
under the efforts Of Doctor Morgan Dix, of Trinity
church, New York city. This has q numerous
and Is favorably known throughout
the country By its noble deeds in behalf Of all |
The SIsterhood Of ST. John in this city is yet of
recent organisation. But four ladies have yet
whom '.sIster Liliy" is the governing Sister The
hospital, as trst organized by these ladies, was
for children 1t was, however, soon so changed
as to include female adults, and now Its useful
ness has been extended to embrace mon, and the
hospital as at present organized must commend
itself irits purpose and management to the gen.
It has suffered the misfortune to lose by the
failure of Jay Cooke Co. the $2S, 900 appropriated
by Congress to aid IL in developing It's plans, 30
pregnant with good for the entire community.
The contract for large additions to the property
now owned and occupied BY these Sisters had been
made and the work begun, when the sudden fall
suspension Of all work thereon.
The hospital Of st. Johns Is In nowise secta-
tribaioas soms pfi q which have come from aeSCss
the waters. The only condition of entrance to its
benefits Is that OF being needy and sick. The la
clothing medicines and medical attendance, but
all kinds Of apparatus for the lame and deformed,
the most liberal allowances being made in every
In the ranks OF hospitals for children. Its drst
annual report showed that 50 OF these little waits
had been treated In its wards during the year, 80
of whom entirely recovered, and were discharged
sound Of body and with many seeds OF good
planted IN the virgin soil Of their childhood 70
Iipen for the good q q future generations; sI. iSIf
II was fondly hoped by the Sisterhood that ~ |
would have been able to establish home for indl-
gent children In connection with tho hospital, put
Providence has decreed otherwise. Twenty-Five
OF these little ones who were to make this their
home have been transferred to the care oi 81.
Johns parish, and are now housed In the ius- |
tin Snuggery,h recently the cottage home oi the
yenerated DR.. Tustin, but now the property Of
st. Johns parish. Future plans ior tnelr care |
az ht into one Of the dwelling places Of charity In
our midst; one Of those sacred habltations |
Uhere the wicked can learn virtue, tho afflicted bs
rnised under the gentle mlnistrntons OF love and
the outcast hnd protection from the many iniu-
ences which ever seek TO drag them to deeper
The following eminent gentlemen compose Its
s...,.-n -noARp OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS;