New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-22
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY MARCH %, 1877.

and most theoretical fashion. On the other
side, the vast number of seamstresses, teachers,
head and hand labOrers of all kinds, who crowd
from every side into New-YOrk young, ike
the Others with as active brains, as warm
hearts, as urgent wOmanly necessity upon
them for protection, a home, something TO
love but in most cases homeless ana TREND
less with no share in the life of the great
city but so many hours of daily work, so many
dollars of wages. For the rest bare room
in miserable clearinghouse. No Siberia
could prove more chilling prison than great
city to young woman, If poor and friend
less. She has no money to spend in books
and lectures she has no possible key by which
to enter the home or social life about her,
and nowhere, perhaps, Will her friendlessness
strike home so sharply as when she ventures
into large and costly church, throDged by
young wealthy women, who pass her by I'M
noticed.
Here were the two classes which this help
FIJI woman proposed to bring together by this
Young WOmen's Association, which has now
existed for about six years. The founder has
gone to higher work IN another life, but her
work is going on with, as we believe, honest
practical results of good. The young women
of the Association make it their duty to seek
ont the working-wOmen in the city, by sys-
tematic visitation of stores, manufactures,
ETC., and, by direct personal influence to help
them practically, prove to them that they have
friends, and bring them to Christ At the
new building of the society, No. 7 East Fiji
feminist, there is free library for their use,
A hnUn
drawn during the year; there is also public
reading-roOm well furnished with newspapers
and magazines an employment bureau which,
without charge, finds situations for seam
stresses, teachers, nurses, etc., etc, and COM
mittee which finds proper clearinghouse for
strangers In the industrial department free
tuition is given in writing, bookkeeping, sew
ing-machinc work, etc. Lectures and enter
tainments, social and musical, are given
monthly, which are intended not only to give
pleasure to the poor wOrking-wOman, but to
bring the two classes of young women into
Christian and friendly relations with each
other. 1t is the purpose of the Association to
erect a plain convenient hall for these recep-
tons and lectures, as their present space is
altogether too limited They ask for help to
40 lIIS, anu We Coluidiiy WV "'"N'
taking to our readers who have money to
give. There are many ways i'll which they
can be aided by those who have no money.
Books or newspapers for the library are es-
pecaly welcome.
The whole work seems to us wholesome and
just 1t will require, of course, constant watch
funess to keep it out of the category of charities.
The class which it hopes to benefit are excep-
tionally sensitive and self-reliant. 1t is not
charity which they need, nor should 1t he
offered. The givers will, after all, be quite as
much benefited as the receivers in this instance
A short discipline of face to-face contact with
sster-women less fortunate than themselves
will soon show them how fictitious is the Diff
ference, especially in this country, made by
money or circumstances. The American seam
stress or il-paid teacher is in nine cases out
of ten a woman of as much culture and care
full home-training as her well-tO-do sister.
Any attempt at patronage or even unnecessary
counsel would justly prove bar to any hope
of mutual help.
The sound practical results of this work are
already very great But the chief good will
be reached if it brings young and Christian
women in every position of life into direct
contact, and enables them to learn from each
other the very different lessons which life has
taught them.