The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-02-26
Practical Humanity.

ing very sensible and practical remarks
Let any mother fancy her children
left destitute, as by the strange work
ings of fortune any mothers children
may be, and let her judge from her
knowledge of charitable homes and man.
ayers, if there are any within her
knowledge; to whose kindness or pru-
dence she could trust their health, their
principles or their affections. Yet can
she point to anything in the tenderest
care which can be omitted without SER
ious loss to child's growth or spirit I?
1t is easy to hear the sniff of disdain
with which such suggestion is re,
ceived. "Would you give paupers the
training of well-to-do children q every
matron and superintendent in the land,
with few honorable exceptions, will
ask. ''Shall we be expected to find the
children in silver mugs, and daisy blan
kets next!" they will add, with finishing
satire.
TO which we answer, unabashed, why
notl The State and private charity
yearly furnish funds enough with wise
and unseltish management, to give ev-
cry child thrown on public care the best
training and influences, both physically
and mentally. No genuine advantage
offered the children of middle class fam
lilies, either of education or comfort, is
denied the children of charity for want
of funds. The same want of intelligent
economy, of liberal taste-wbich is the
best teacher of economy in the world
and of skill, which distinguishes Ameri-
can housekeeping in private families,
and makes this the most wasteful, ex-
travagant nation in civilization, plays
ruin with our public charities. We
have in mind one of the oldest and what
is supposed one of the best kept homes
for girls in this city. 1t is selected, be-
cause it has few faults, and those only
which are common to nearly every other
institution in the city. AS usual, the
best rooms in the house are set apart for
reception and for officers. The sunny
parlor is for visitors, the sunny second
floor rooms are the matron's own, while
the girls herd in the gloomy basement
and back rooms, bare and inviting with
board benches. The visitor is taken
through the dormitories, where floors
and white coverlets are kept spotlcssly
neat, but respectable girls dread to sleep
in those white nun-like beds for the
swarms of parasites brought by less
clearly occupants. Matron and assist
ants say that this evil cannot be avoided
where so many girls of the lowest class
are admitted. But why does not every
institution begin its improving work on
the threshold, by making the simple con-
dition of admittanee purgatory of
warm bath, combs and wash Of dilute
carbolic acid, which would prevent such
evils The experiment has been tried
of inviting the shivering outcast to a
cold bath, which singularly does not ap-
peal to the sensibilities of the object
Yet such bath would cost practically
nothing, except oversight enough to
keep the towels from being stolen. A
change of clothing for each new conner,
to be worn while in the house, froek,
petticoat and undergarments, would cost
precisely 81, if made up by the girls out
of work, instead of allowing them to loll
about idle on the hard benches. The
entrance to such homo would practi-
cally be a baptism into life of de-
cency and seemliness. The fare of the
place spoken of is course and not nour-
ishing. 1t might be still cheaper, yet
relishing, and such as would strengthen
its inmates for future work. The
branches Of domestic service are profes-
sedly taught 10 such houses, but how :
Let any employer who ever took girl
from an Institution, recall the slow rou-
tine, outside of which the servant was
helpless the dull, cramped intelligence
which characterized her efforts the
botching and slackness. Nothing has
been taught such girl because there
was not fitness in the teacher. What
care is taken to choose the officers of
such institutional Some worthy women
without support, entirely correct as to
morals. with a will to carry her point,
is pushed for the place of matron by
friends glad to see her provided for.
That she has neither insight nor sympa-
thy, nor any fitness for her work, little
knowledge Of human nature, and pro
found contempt for that class Of it she
considers beneath her, makes no differ
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