National Republican., 1882-09-22
SWEET CHARITY.
NOBLE WORK QUIETLY PERFORMED.
Graphic Picture OF the Associated CHARITIES
Men and Women suecored In the Hour OF
Their Need-Frauds Prsciiced on
Sympathetic People.

OFFICE OF THB ASSOCIATED CHARITIES. 14ls +
STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, ID. O., Septcm-
Der, 1SS2.-This central Office has been kept open
every day. Sundays and legal holidays excepted.
ever since we established local habitation jan
uary 20, 1882. from 10 m. to AZ p. m. to receive
applications from persons needing assistance In
obtaining employment or advice as to how to oh
tain temporary relief from immediate distress,
and for consultations with persons IN every con-
dition of life interested In giving or receiving
assistance The registrar has been In constant at
tendance, and the general secretary hash pres
ont once and generally twice day for conference
and direction of the work. The summer months
arc now ended and the work for an autumn and
winter season are hard upon US. II is a mistaken
idea that chari able organizations should suspend
operations during the summer months. 1t is true
there is not 50 much suffering from want OF food
aud fuel, but it is good tlme for profitable work
for the winter In aiding tho poor to get employ
ment and In educating and stimulating them to
save portion of their earnings for the winter or
for day of adversely. lam able to speak, not from
an oh, ervaiion of one, but from many years expe
rience in this kind of enterprise The work at the
central Office, with the reports coming constantly
TO 1t from every part OF the District has been in
teresting and attended thus far with most gratiy-
ing results 1t has been conducted quietly, but
has extended into every part of the District with
careful investigations and with n helping hand
Many saddened heart has been cheered aud
strengthened for another contest with poverty.
Many tear has been brushed away by timely en-
enlargement and kind words. Many despond-
ent man has been been put upon his feet again by
little tiding over.
THE VISITORS TO OUR ROOMS
nre as varied In character and circumstances as
can well be described or imagined At one hour
may be seen number of persons sitting In differ
ent parts of the room waiting 10 relate in privacy
to the secretary their peculiar circumstances and
distress, with view OF obtaining advice or SOME
clue TO an opportunity for earning something with
which to feed q hungry family at home. No one
is to hear the recital in detail but himself 10 one
TO know the circumstances which made 1t neces
sary to call for aid but him. The burdened soul
finds relief in opportunity to relate their trials
in confidence. The world will never know
THE KEY TO THEIR ADJEcr CONDITION.
Once 1t Is mother--a widowed mother with sew
eral little children at home-exhibitipg the best of
evidence that hunger has driven her here after
persistent effort to resist the shock which the con-
dition inevitably brings upon her delicate sensi
bilitis and her natural pride. She appeals for aid
as the last extleme measure for feeding her hungry
children The stfed grief is easily discerned, and
not unirequently the famshed and almost broken
hearted mother gives vent to the pent-up grief in
tears and sobs which no imposters are able to
initiate, and i'll which no experienced and we'll
trained worker in such an enterprise as this can
easily be deceived. Again, 1t is Il man just rally
iIg from protracted sickness, with a sickly wife
and large family Of dependent children at home.
destitute of food and proper clothing He lost his
place Of employment when he lost his health, and
during the long, weary weeks his devoted wife has
watched over him. Whatever opportunity she had
to earn anything with her own hands are cut off
now. The little they had laid in store when he
was stricken down has gone, the last article of
furniture which can be spared has been sacrificed
for food, the children are crying from hunger and
the poor distracted mother, unwilling that her
real condition should be known to bcr friends aud
neglbors, finds her way 20 orr Office and, vii.
our pledged system OF confidence, reveals chap
ter which wcdld str
~, ApAMANriya HEART TO TEARS.
ono at.er another OF the littleones are sick for
want Of proper food. Credit at the market.place
has gone Asking alus where II can be set against
them in The circle OF friends is so repulsive she
cannot bear the thought, SO she comes to us in
confidence and we cannot belray the trust. Her
needs met, and soon the weak man risessowly
from his bed and finds his way to our rooms His
emaciaed form speaks n pressing emergency and
an important GRAND We listen attentively to the
tale that is told, and, treading softly upon his
tender sensibilities, we profrer the needed relief
again. The poor mans wife has taxed herself be-
yond her strength and now she, too, is i'll. He
leaves us with substantial tokens of apprecia-
tion of our enterprise, and, with tears silently
stealing down his face. A thank you" comes
from the lips, which indicate by their quivering
that emotion of gratitude is agitatjng him be-
yond his ability to control for the kindly bene-
factions of unostentatious institution. He
comes again with recuperated strength, not for
aid, but TO assure us that he has found employ
ment and is able once more 10 earn enough by the
sweat of his own brow
TO FEED HIS FLOCK AT HOME
and to thank us again for tiding him over at q
critical moment and for putting him in communi-
cation with some one who desired the service
which he is able to render. Again, 1t Is an edu-
Gated and refined man or woman for both are
here Of such at times, unaccustomed to manual
labor They have been reared in luxury and
wealth. No thought of want or the necessary
measures for preventing 1t ever flashed across
their minds but misfortune has overtaken them
and they are adrif. They are absolutely brought
to condition of dependence and distress. No
friends within calling distance, no home to
shelter them for single night, and what is worse
than all, they are without the health strength
necessary to encounter the seventies of manual
labor. They seem dependent, absolutely depend
eut, and we are perpeXed to know what remedy
TO apply or what advice to give. If it is man it
is all the wolse, for he does not naturally have
the sympathes of the world SO much besides, we
have nothing in the line of employment to offer
II
that he should be robust one, able to perform a
full days work of manual labor We have no
work upon which he can engage for portion of
day and gradually bring himself up able 10
cope with his moro fortunate brother who hard
ened his muscle in his youth.
If 1T Is A WOMAN WE CAST ABOUT
for place to make garment, sew by the day,
serve as ladies' maid, to nurse children, or some
light work, for she knows nothing Of the house
hold duties, or if she be without place TO stay
the "Womens Christian Home" affords home,
aud we send her there until she can find some
thing that her hands can do. She has long ex-
pecled an appointment in one of the departments,
but it is slow TO come. These are no unusual
occurrences to record and they are diffcult pro-
blems to solve. Again. a foreigner puts in ap-
pearance with letters Of credit and Tepute. He
has been lured here to make a fortune, he has
been disappointed, and floats from one city to an
other, until what little he had with him when he
came is gone Some interested friend directs him
here, and then he has nowhere TO stay, and much
as his respectabilily may have been, the station
house serves him as his only home at first, and
now he comes 10 u.s. We rack our brain to find
his status and at last we seek the pastor of some