Wichita eagle., 1888-11-08
HELPING THE SICK POOR.
an HOUR WITH ONE OF NEW
YORK'S DESERVING CHARITIES.

Ehe Plan or (Which the Diet kttchon1 Are
/ Conducted-A Brisk LAdIing Out Of
| Fresh MILK, Mutton Broth. Beef Tee,
| Etc.-Gratitude.
| A mite Of q girl, with scrap Of shawl
| over her head and dress of faded, tattered
| print draping her attenuated little form,
waited outside quaint, old fashioned black
! doorway on Third avenue. with a small,
shining brass door knob and bell Presently
she was Joined BY pale, anxious woman, with
puny baby moaning al each feeble. autter-
| Ing breath on her shoulder AI'other woman,
with sick child in her arms, had her sleeves
rolled above the elbow, and her shining,
braided hair unbonneted. One or two more
children stood there, and refined looking
man. with well WORE, patched suit, which,
IN spite of It's shabbiness, had an appearance
OF gentility, and an expression OF mingled
tenderness ana despair on his thin, careworn
face as he looked down into the face Of .
little sick child in his arms, whose rings Of
| brown hair shaded dark eyes wide and wild
with fever An old decrepit woman, with
crutch Ia one hand aud pail in the other,
hobbled UP to the little group, and ladylike
looking woman with q sad face waited
quietly with the tears dropping on the dish
she carried in her hands.
Presently the little brass door knob, that
was as shiny as daily securing could make it,
turned briskly, the door swung back, and the
neatest cheeriest dearest Of gray haired
women, with a strong uotherly face full Of
sunshine, appeared in the wihitest Of caps and
aprons, and exclaimed: ''Bless your hearts,
IT'S only o'clock now, whatever are you in
ouch hurry for; but come right in, every
thing is all ready"
Down through the long, cool passage into
tie tidiest Of kitchens she hurried them,
where every board was secured as white
cs sand could scour it, and every dish re-
hected her own bright face as she hustled
about pouring out quarts of milk and pints
OF beef tea, dishing up bowls Of delicious
cooked oatmeal and rice, and pressing into
the hands of the woman and children clusters
OF fresh daisies and crimson roses, faint with
fragrance and blushing at their own beauty.
''And how is the baby todaya" she said to
the man with the sick child, land isn't her
mother any better yet9 Well, keep up your
courage, this beef broth will bring her up if
anything will and the man went away CON-
forted with the hopeful courage in her voice.
And TO the woman who stood apart with the
tears IN her eyes she had some sympathetic
inquiry for the oonsumptive husband at home
as she filled the pitcher with beef broth and
tucked an extra large bunch Of roses through
the handle. While to the children a smile
accompanied the daisies, and pleasant mes
sage to the sick mother at home or some
kindly interested question about the sick Sis
ter or father or baby for whom the food was
given.
For four hours this brisk busy ladling out
OF fresh milk and wholesome nouTishing food
went on almost uninterruptedly, and when it
was finished the white apron was y ied
off, the tidy dress turned UP over t tdff
petticoat, and the boards and benches and
tables were subjected TO another scrubbing
and scalding before she was ready to go up
stairs and tell to whose bounty those most
wretched of all the citys poor were indebted
for SO welcome and practical a munifcence.
Now" said she as she tucked up her
sleeves above the hard round arms, "rll tell
you all about it. but, if you don't mind, I'll
keep on washing up my dithes. hate to
have them settin round This is one Of the
five diet kitchens where nourishing food is
given to the sick poor, free of all cost, ON re-
ceiving certificate from one Of the doctors
are connected. One kitchen is on Thirty
sixth street and Ninth avenue, one on Third
avenue near Twenty first street; one on Third
street, in the German quarter; one il connec-
ton with the New York dispensary, among
the Italians, and new one was established
this spring, in April.
THE first kitchen was opened fifteen years
ago, through the efforts OF Mrs Gibbons, who
is now our president and one of the best and
kindest women that ever lived, doing ever so
much active charitable work, though she is
IS years old As soon as funds were raised,
another kitchen was opened Then rooms
were offered free of rent in the German quar-
ter If they would establish a kitchen there,
and that was opened Rooms have been Of
fered in other parts of the city free of rent,
bpt from lack of funds the society has de-
cliued them.
slow are the kitchens supportedF'
by voluntary contributions from people,
churches and societies.
"W hat kinds of food do you give the peo-
pier
Whatever the doctor orders. We buy
the best and purest milk there Is; milk that
cannot be bought in the shops or Of the milk
men that go into the tenement districts. Our !
beef tea is made OF the best beef in the mar
ket, and | get up at o'clock in summer to
make the tea fresh every day In the Italian !
quarter great deal of rice Is given out, and 1
there are oatmeal, farina, barley and NUT /
ton broth, all given subject to the doctors
orders The Flower mission sends flowers
for US to distribute all summer, and wealthy |
people send in jeliies and dainties. At Christ
mas toys are given to the children, and cloth |
ing is also sent TO Us for distribution among |
the needy. At present we are expected TO
receive orders only from the physicians con-
nected with the dispensaries, but in extreme
cases we do supply orders from other doc
tors, through the district nurses"
"Wnen is your most busy season.
well in the summer; for 80 many chill
dren are sick, and then work is scarce, so that
We have a different Kind of people coming to
Us; nice, respectable working people. clerks,
teachers and mechanics who are out OF en-
ployInent and cannot buy the norrishing
food they need and are so grateful TO us
for it,
do you find people grateful, usuallyr
'Yes. really needy people are almost al
ways grateful The idle, INDECENT worthless
people that come are very independent. and
take things as Il they belonged b them, but
the unfortunate sick people who have known
better days and are in real distress, are very
thankful. a great many Irlsh come to this
kitchen. and they are profuse IN their graft
.ude, SAYING over and over: God bless you.
ady,' the saints ire you and all that, but
tel them they NEEDN'T bless me, but tie
Christian men and women OF New YORK who
supply the funds to helD them in their need >
Ii the past year 4, 3oS people hsverecsived