Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-07-09
Helena, Montana, Thursday, July 9, 1874.


what Seven Women Have Done
From the Chicago Tribune.
A recent English book, "Facta. nor
Eerba, contains the history of the philan
thropic labors of seven English women. L
is full of interest, not only for its facts, bu
for its differences. Believers and disbelieyers
in the enfranchisemept of women can draw
arguments from it. 1t will delight the for.
mer by prOving-tO their satisfaction, at leas,
that women can plan and execute rs well
as men. 1t will convince the latter that the
| proper field for feminine energy is philan.
| thropy, not politics. The AthenRum says:
''If the volume does nothing else, it at any
rate gives US new notion of how much
there is for women to do. and how much a
woman can do il she is in earnest about her
work.
Miss Rye began her efforts few years
ago. She had q capital of $50. Its lasting
capacity has been rs miraculous as that of
the widow Cruces OIL" She has helped
17S governnesscs to emigrate to the British
colonies, where they have all, mainly through
her efforts, obtained employment: She has
domestiCs. in Australia and New Zealand.
She has personally taken to Canada and
placed in respectable families |, 200 children
Of the London streets Nine-tcnths of them
are girls. ''who, but for their benetactress'
efforts, were condemned inevitably to a life
of the lowest degradation"
Miss Macpherson has done the same good
work for 1900 children.
Miss Chandler decided, some years since to
found charity for the paralyzcd. There
was then no such thing in London. She be-
gan by taking care of poor paralyzcd car
pcntcr. As fast as she could, she assumed
charge of more paralytics, one by one. She
has now opened hospital for paralysis and
epilepsy. in Queens Square, London. 1t is
not excclled by any of the same sort in the
world She has also established conval-
escent hospital, which ls doing great good
She has, moreover, secured the endowment
of forty eight annuities for permanent parsl-
ytiLs and cp'cp,iCs. She is now collecting
large amount Of money to be applied in the
same way.
Miss Gilbert, a tlnd lady; opened blind
school in uolborn cellar, for which she
paid eighteen pence week. She has now q
thousand pupils, whom she has taught TO sup
port themselves They maintain the institu.
tion that gives them home, an education
and an occupation. Its snaintainancc costs
$4,000 year. This work of poor blind
woman may fairly be compared with any Of
| the marvels history records ~ wrought by
blind men. We admire the sightless King of
Bohemia, with his blazOaed mottOe, ''Ich
Dien." for lis dauntless ride TO death on the
battle field of Crecy, but here is a blind wo-
man who puts that n,ctt0 into practice, and
saves life instead Of destroying it.
Mrs. Hilton has built up . day nursery at
Ratcliffe. 1t is one Of the best of its kind,
and has served IS . model for many. Miss
Cooper has opened md managed q combined
club, reading. room and lecture course for
costermongers Miss Whately has organized
great schools for MOhammedan children at
Cairo. The author closes the account of the
work done by these seven women In these
words: ut may be SAID that there are many
others who would have furnished me with
good types of the philanthropic English
woman, quite equal in the magnitude of their
labOrs to those have mentioned, but those
whom wish to take a. my types are those
who have had to fight their way up against
difficulties, frequently themselves in restricted
circumstances, and not those whose position
snd wealth render philanthropic efforts less
Onerous."
These great works are the fruit of purely
feminine effort. They have been planned by
women and wrought by women. The author
of "FxCta, non Verba' considers them as
proof that women can do better by thCmsel-
yes, unfcttered by conventual rule, than when
organized In masses. 1t IL, he says. . simple
rule.of.three sum. II Miss Rye and Miss
Macpherson have cared for 5000 children,
fifty women ought to care for $4,000. What
sisterhood, fifty strong, has done 20? The
economy of the good work IL another strong
point. If the London charities, which are
supported by taxation, were managed % we'll
the taxpayers of the city would save 1500, 900
g l. E hnen In ~
of the damaging disclosures James Gordon
Bennett has made in regard to the charitable
organizations of the East. Some of them
pay 8 In salaries for every dollar spent In
their nominal work. There IL Bible Society
in Virginia which Is said to spend % In or.
der 10 induce its self-denying agents to buy
and distribute one dollars worth of Bibles.
There are few men who would be disposed,
save for fear Of establishing precedent that
might be abused. to deny the suffrage to the
seven women whose work We have outlined.
There are few who would wish to deny Il to
feminine lawyer who had gained . suit for
them, or feminine doctor who had cured
their wives when masculine skill had proved
vain. The moral is not hard to draw. Amer
ican women will 6nd that the franchise Il 70
be gained BY f"esa. not serbo-deeds, not
words.
TINS is pretty fair confession for lead
ing Democratic paper to make. Speaking Of
the platforms of the Democratic and Rcpub.
lican parties of 1858, 1t says:
To repudiate Of not 70 repudiate: This
VAS the question On which tho issue was real
y made and contested. The country beheld
10 the Democralic,party a Organism which |
had championed The wicked cause OF slavery. |
and whooG came forward - champion Of
project 70 rvpudlaae ~ psh)ic dDi4 1ncofsed |