Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-15
Princess Christian Among the Poor.

GEfhNANS Aeaf Afht~h F~fsaP'ts 49, .
(London Qusen.l
81 an much fattered by the request
which has been made me TO give a short
account Of the work have, with others,
undertaken among the poor at my home
in Windsor. " writes Princess Christian,
OF Scheswig- Hoistein. "Only those
who really work among them can fully
understand and appreciate the real hard
ships of their lives which so many.
if not most of them have to en-
dure. and which as n rule are met
50 OVERWHELMINGLY and so brave
". DESTROYS Of really being Of more
direct use, / obtained the consent OF
the rector OF Trinity church, Windsor, to
take a district in his parish under my
especial care. 1t is situated III very
poor part OF the town the houses on
the whole are good. the rents often high.
When work IL plentiful they manage
fairly well. but when times are hard, as
was the case last winter, the distress IS
great. J. however, rarely heard com
plants, unless asked them 10 tell me
how matters really stood generally
visit my people twice q week, and it Is a
real pleasure to feel that my
visits are looked forward to, and
that they receive me as a friend,
so that by degrees have learned
all their individual troubles and diff
culties. / have cndeavored from the
first to encourage them to help them
selves as much as possible, and then,
when found they could do no more,
! have given them help from the parish,
when could obtain 1t, and more often
from myself. There is no greater mis-
take than indiscriminste charity, which
only tends TO paupsrize. Therefore !
made point of sitting each case most
carefully, and / Can truly say that l
have very seldom been imposed on.
Indeed ! look on my poor people as
my real friends. l am sure there
are many who viii understand the
feelings which filled Ry heart when, on
leaving Windsor for an absence of several
weeks. one poor woman took both my
hands il hers and exclaimed To whom
shall [ tell nay troubles when you are
gomez To me the words were far more
precious than any thanks that could
have been offered me. 1t strikes me
each time afresh how wonderful the poor
are in helping one another, showing 50
much uuselfish devotion, sitting up at
night with the sick, looking after neigh
boris children, though they themselves
have numbers of their own, and, above
all. the child-hke submission and resig-
nation with which they take sorrow and
trouble when they come upon them.
during the last three years great
efforts have been made to organize means
of help in times OF distress, and also
to bring some brightness
into the lives of these poor people. AS
regards the first, | have started fund,
with the help of kind friends, for pro-
viding free dinners for the children of
the town during the winter. This fund
also provides Goals and the loan Of
blankets for those who most need them.
7 have been most generously helped
by many in the town and also
others not connected with Windsor, and
/ sincerely trust this support will be
continued to me. We feed on an
average $50 children twice week, and
in order that only those who really need
it should benefit by these dinners, the
name of each child is taken down, and
the case is inquired into by the clergy of
the parishes, after which they give them
numbered tickets of admission. The
dinners take place in tho Town Hall
(kindly lent by the mayor, and consist
Of soup and pudding, or meat pud-
dings, pics, and stews. ] am always
present to help in serving the children,
and am assisted by many kind ladies in
Windsor. AS there is nearly always
more food provided than is consumed by
the children the surplus is given to
number of poor men out OF employ
ment, usually upward of fifty, who are
allowed to come in and eat 1t in the hall.
These also have tickets, in order to be
quite sure that they are Windsor people
and not Migrants passing through. ="