The Lambertville record., 1888-11-14
HELPING THE SICK POOR,
AN HOUR WITH ONE OF NEW
YoRRs DESERVING CHARITIES.

The Plan onswhiCh tho Diet Kitchens Are
Conducted--A Brisk LadlIng Out Of
Fresh MIX, Mutton Broth, Beef Tea.
Etc.-Gratitude.
A mite Of girl, with a scrap Of shawl
over her head and dress Of faded, tattered
print draping her attsnuated little form,
waited outside quaint, old fashioned black
doorway on Third avenue. with small,
shining brass door knob and bell. Presently
she was joined by pale, anxious woman, with
q puny baby moaning at each feeble, futter-
ing breath on her shoulder. Another woman,
with sick child in her arms. had her sleeves
rolled above the elbow, and her shining,
braided hair unbonneted. One or two moro
children stood there, and refined looking
man, with well worn, patched suit, which,
In spite OF its shabbiness, had an appearance
OF gentility, and an expression of mingled
tenderness and despair on his thin, careworn
face as he looked down into the face Of a
little sick child In his arms, whose rings OF
brown hair shaded dark~eyes wide and wild
with fever. An old decrepit woman, with s
crutch in one hand and pail In the other,
looking woman with 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 1t,
turned briskly, the door swung back, and the
neatest, cheeriest, dearest of gray haired
women, with a strong motherly face full Of
sunshine, appeared In the whitest of caps and
aprons, and exclaimed; "Bless your hearts,
its only 0 o'clock now, whatever are you in
such hurry for; but como right in, every
thing Is all ready"
Down through the long, cool passage into
the tidiest Of kitchens she hurried them,
where every board was secured as white
as 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 todayr she said to
the man with the sick child, land isn't her
mother any better yeti Well, keep up your
courage, this beef broth will bring her up IL
anything will, and the man went away COM
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 consumptive 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 tho 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 nourishing food
went on almost uninterruptedly, and when It
was finished the white apron was whisked
off, the tidy dress turned up over the stuff
petticoat, and the boards aud benches and
tables were subjected to another scrubbing
and scalding before she was ready to 20 up
stairs and tell to whose bounty those most
wretched Of all the city's poor were indebted
for SO welcome and practical q muniicence.
Now" said she as she tucked up her
sleeves above the hard round arms, "I'll tell
you all about it, but, IL you don't mind, III
Reop on wasuEng UP uty ultnes. 4 nace %
have them settin' round. This Is one Of the
flve diet kitchens where nourishing food Is
given to the sick poor, free of nll cost, on re-
ceiving a certificate from one OF tho doctors
at the disponsaries with which our kitchens
are connected. Ono 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 sho is
60 years old. As soon as funds were raised,
another kitchen was opened. Then rooms
were offered free Of rent In the German quar-.
ter il they would establish kitchen there,
and that was opened. Rooms have been Of.
fered in other parts Of tho city FREQ OF rent,
but from lack Of funds the society has de-
clined them.
"How are tho kitchens supportedP
"By voluntary contributions from people,
churches and societies"
"What kinds of food de you give the peo-
plef"
"Whatever the doctor orders. Wo 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
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 jellies 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 tho dispensaries, but In extreme
cases we do supply orders from other doc
tors, through the district nurses"
"When is your most busy seasonr'
"Well. In the summer; for so 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-
ployment and cannot buy the nourishing
food they need and ara so grateful to US
for it.n
''Do you fnd people grateful, usuallyr'
eyes, really needy people are almost al
ways grateful. The idle, indolent, worthless
people that come are very independent, and
take things as II they belonged 10 them, but
the unfortunate sick people who havo known
better days and are In real distress, are very
thankful. A great many Irish come to this
kitchen, and they are profuse In their grati-
tude. saying over and over; God bless you,
lady the saints keep you.' and all that, but
tell them they needn't bless me, but tho
Christian men and women OF New York who
supply the funds to help them In their needs
In the past year l2,s03 people have received
food from the kitchens, and s7,i78.79 have
been paid out In the various expenses attend
ant upon keeping them supplied with food
and service. The articles Of diet most largely
dispensed are milk and beef tea, Of which
1s7, $40 pints Of the former and 27,l55 pints
Of the latter have bsen distributed among
the most helpless Of all sufferers, the sick
poor. New York Sun.