Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-11-16

libetal donation OF money to the Relief so
clety the name was changed in 1889 to
Howard Relief society. Hi. interest vas
due in u great measure to the influence OF
dis sister, Miss louisa II. Howard. By
her correspondence with the secretary Of
our society a relation to the work of the
industrial school and her keen question
ing, when she was in Burlington, about
the usefulness Of the wo.k among he
destitute, she was enabled TO judge OF its
merits. Miss Howard presented the
society, december q 1850, with deed Of
,ths north third of Exchange block on
Church street, valued at $4,000. thus Civ
Jug rs yearly income Of some 500 From
that time until her death, March %, lsS6,
her warm interest in our work never
ceased. she lett the society Legacy OF
$4,000, and also one-half OF the
amounted to $i5,7G2 a. With this
we have been able to build this
beautiful Louisa Howard Mission
House" where at least our work can be
conducted in large, sunny light, well
warmed and well ventilated rooms with
oul risk as before to the health OF our
ladies' who do our work. Weare also able
TO enjoy the services Of an experienced and
able uperintendent who will take the per
sonal charge of cur work.
Our gratitude for this legacy can not be
expressed, but We know That the name of
Louisa II. Howard Will be blessed and re-
membered not only by those in distress
and poverty whom her generosity enables
Us to relieve from suffering and by the
children of poor parents Wno owe their
education in the public schools to the
WatClfull care that we are now able 10 give
them, Dut also by all the citizens of Bur
lington who believe Mat the prosperity of
our charming city Is materially aided by
the Howard Relief society.
The board of trustees is composed at
present OF Addie c. Abbott, president
Katharine A. Hagar, vice presid Mt; Har-
ret B Willard, secretary; Elizabeth
Lowrey, treasurer; Augusta b. Stearns.
auditor Ann Eliza Russell, superintend-
ant Maria Il. Hagar, Emily VI. ClApp,
| Helen NJ Phelps, Antha O. Taft, della
! II. Allen, Martha l.. ToNle The advisory
| committee are Elnu 3. Taft, o. =. Ray,
! Heman w. Allen.
Our work is 50 varied that it cannot cas-
| lily be described. 1t Is shown however by
the absence of begging and desututiou on
our streets. Mr.. john p. Howard told Us
| five years ago that this was the only city
| he had ever visited where he found nc
| begg6rs.
One item will show something of our
| labOrs. Two years ago we sent a blind boy
| u be educated at the Massachusetts school
! for the blind. His improvement there Is
satisfactory and we keep a careful wat n
OF him and his clo-niug and travelling eX
] a
/ attn of our society has been to ameliorat,
| suffering by proving "a friend in need tc
| the destitute, and IN re especially to aid
any poor man in mis- efforts to give hi
chAdren an education in the public
| schools.
We had during the past year a list OIL
names OF l52 children who, on coudtiO
| of regular attendance Al school, received
aid from the society ard this work will be-
continued From June i, 1857, to June /
1855 our expenditures for the relief of the
poor OF our city were SL2l9.5I
And now in this beautiful house espec
tally arranged for our work the howard
Relief society, remembering that the tru'
idea OF CHARITY does not content itself witt
giving bread to the hungry and clothiul
TO the naked, hope to euter upon new anC
larger plans for relieving and preventing
the distress caused by improvidence anC
! sickness among the pOorCt this city. Will
all our future satisfaction, with the com
forts and couvenleuces of this new build
ing we shall cherish in grateful remem
| Orance the memory OF the kind hearteC
woman TO whose philauthropic spirit tn
city of Burlington owes the Louisa How
ard mission house.
President BuckhRm was next introduced
and spoke rs follows:
PRESIDENTS BCcKUAM's REMARKS.
One of the uses we should make OF &C
CdSlOIIS Inc INC illCsEEl = tulOllSu LIltll
10 keep alive in our mind aud the publ
mind, the memory OF oar beuefactCrs W
in Burlington have a COOdly list of ben
efdctors 10 remember, and We shall ne tn
most uGgratefui OF men and women /. "
90 not keep tnelr names ever fresh an
familiar to Us and our children. Let u
for a few moments llnger upon our thre
most cous icuous public charities and NJ
on the names aud virtues OF their found
ers.
First in order of time comes the HON
for Destitute Children a charity which wa
conceived and in all its early stages plan
ned and provided for in her slcA room AM
we might almost say on her sick bed, b.
one of the gentlest OF our Burlington gen
} tie women, Miss Lucia Wheeler, who wa
an invalid during most OF her adult life
but whose days OF langu0r and seeI
: less nights We're comforJed ana brlgh
ened by her loving care Tor III
Home. Gifts of money larger tina
hers, though hers and those OF her famll
We're large, and minds more at ease auC
} stronger have since hullt up The Home III
70 u prosperous Institution, but we shoul,
remember that IN these undertakings it I
the first steps which cost, that the fat
= and patience which carried the epterpris
/ through its earl est feeble stages have III
chief merit, and that the merit belongs [
Miss Wheeler. We must not let he
| name die out OF remembrance The pee
pie not OF Burlington only out OF on
whole state should keep in mind tn
: name of her to whom many generations {
, homeless children will owe the blessing
of Christian nurture.
, Next IN order came the Mary Fletcbe
: Hospital. OF this most noble charity {
. its ample endowment, its generous equil
ment, its wide usefulness, IL is not nece
sary for me TO SPEAK. IL was my prvileg
5 to see good deal OF Miss Fletcher durln
e. the later years OF her life, aud | count
: one of Gods favors to me that was pc
mitted to look upon such an utterly uuse
= fish and devoted life rs was hers. II give
: me a conception of human saintlinvss.
! few days ago a stranger writing to ii
= directors inadvertently named the no
) pittl st Mary's Hospital Happy il
advertence, we said 10 each other. 70 Il
5 at least, and to the thousands who heN
1 received the heuediction of her gift, she
2 and will lWays he q saint.
5 And now we have this Howard Relit
Mission. Miss Louisa Howard, 70 us WI
r. have known her for many years, stands {
e the representative OF practical in distln
- ton from sentimental charty,ot that tori
/. of charity which does not give ont of mel
e policy or as relief TO ones own feellpl
+. aud conscience, but which invest cat,
4 and dscriminates which wisely retus'