The Washington critic., 1886-05-08
HELP IN NEEp-uELp INDEED.

Where is there place In this great city
that young girl or young woman can go
with the full confidence OF being cared for
and protected when she is without a home
and without money! There must be such
place In a city where there are so many So
cieties OF good women. But how, for in
stance, would a young girl or q young
woman find It, say this evening" We do not
mean an orring womau's refuge, but re-
spectacle womau's refuge-a place where a
decent, well. bred person might seek shell
ter without subiectiug hC'self to humilia-
tion or insult. We shall bc glad 10 name
the place when II Is named to us. Chicago
Mail.
The MAI has propounded an inquiry
which 1t should keep propouuding un-
i'll 1t gets an answer. II is splain enough
from the manner in which it puts the
question what the answer will be. 1t
will then become the duty of our es.
teemed contemporary to keep hammer
ing away upon the subject until the
necessity of supplying the urgent want
1t points ont is beaten into the money
getting heads and calloused
hearts Of the seven hundred thousand
people of the great city of Chicago.
But what is true of Chicago is true
Of many other cities. There are
noble giyers of charity all over the
country, but their beneficence drifts
too much in one direction. 1t pro.
ceeds too much upon the theory that
money, TO be well spent, must be spent
as an afterthought rather than fore
thought. 1t is fashionable to give for
hospitals and asylums and inebriate
homes and refugees for fallen women;
but it is not so fashionable to do those
things whereby the need of these in
stitutions may be to a greater or less
extent obviated and men and women on
the downhill of fortune be rescued and
made happy before they become mis-.
erable sinners"
The Young Mems Christian Associa.
lions are doing much good in one Of
the widest and best fields of effort.
Theirs is the work of encouragement
rather than of reclamation. They
take the wanderer by the hand and tell
him to 60 this way instead of that, and
he will be safe. 1t is great point
gained for poor and friendless Young
man TO be kept out of the station-house
and the soup house, and surrounded
by decent influences till he can get 4
sure foothold for himself. How much
more so with the poor and friendles'
young woman, with not only hunge,
and rags to contend with, but pitfalls
and suares and insidious allurements tc
Iuin on every hand.
There is nothing so much wanted az
homes for womanhood in adversity--
homes for girls without protecting arms
TO shelter them; homes for widowet
mothers and orphaned daughters who
by cruel force of fate, are compelled tC
struggle along life's pathway, with the
cold pride of the world towering above
them on the one hand, deep and darl
declivity upon the other, beggary anC
pauperism ahead. These are the
women who have heavy crosses to bear
with failing strength to bear them
hands that are willing, but hearts tina
weary with waiting. There cannot b,
too many refugees for such as these
wayside inns, as it were, where the,
can stop to rest and drink from tn
springs of hope. 1t will be paying
investment to the benefactor. In pro
portion as the good and pure are helped
to homes will the need of homes TO
the erring grow less. The best way tt
break up the business of the reforma
tories and houses of correction is t,
stop the supply by eliminating it
causes; by encouraging men and wo
men to maintain their self-respect, in
stead of deferring our sympatheti
charities until they have lost it, 1t /
always in order to do good, but bette
to help when help can save than it is t
help when help Is too late.