Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-20
STUNNING FOR CHARITY.
Wealthy Women Who Visit Gotham's
Tenement Houses.

From the New York World.
Summing is the most heavenly fad ever af-
fected by woman of fashion. And Just now
when people Of abundant means are leaving
the city and the tenement poor are succumbing
to the enfeebling heat of summer and the
hardships resulting from a dearth of clean
water and fresh air, the interest and encourage
ment from the ladies who go through the slums
are beautiful beyond expression. lady liv-
ing in the shadows of the Park avenue hotel.
who will not permit her name to be used, has
religiously performed the self-assigned task of
helping ten poor families to help themselves
every week since May /. She says:
1--WE are going to spend July and August at
the seashore and wanted to earn the right to
enjoy so much pleasure. l haven't a great
deal OF money to bestow but every day am
convinced that the helpless and hapless want
something else besides money. They want
work, first OF all and then some special instruc-
ton Ito be pedagogic) as to the best invest
ment of the money and the most economical
way of living. Daughter and 1 give Monday
and Wednesday mornings to actual visiting in
the tenement sections
Generally we start out to find family sup-
gested by an aid society, and in the search
almost countless cases of sickness and destitu-
ton, all worthy of assistance, thrust them
selves upon our sympathy. We find them in
rear buildings, on top floors, in straits of pow
erty that are touching beyond description In
| such extremes money must be advanced before
any missionary work or ethical culture is pos
sible. We show one housewife how to keep her
kitchen and bed room clean, another how to
reduce her grocery and meat bills, and others,
again, the way to patch old clothes and procure
new ones. We personally appeal to cruelty
negligent land agents for better surroundings.
we provide tickets for the use Of machines In
free institutes and factories and distribute cards
bearing the name and address of intimate
friends who promise to give the bearer DAYS
work, some suitable clothing or q few dollars
when the card is presented.
I'VE have shown fifteen women how to pre-
pare inexpensive and wholesome Dishes such
as soup, cream toasts, egg salad, fish balls and
potato pattles for breakfast and supper in order
to dispense with meat, and a dozen at least
have taken to market and introduced to whole
sale dealers who generously agreed to furnish
everything at actual cost and considerable for
nothing. It's trife, to be sure, to say we
teach mothers how to care for their children
but it's pitiful to see the success with which
they are neglected. In one week we carried
about bag with odds and ends of shoes, prop
erly fitting the little feet and taking away in
exchange the shorter ones. At the same time
we solved the POLLEN of clean heads by shing-
hing the matted tresses, paying each child
twenty-hve cents who consented to be shorn
by the clipping machine. few families
we assisted to procure oil stoves, and
everywhere we preached against the
robbery Of the pawn-shop system. One
friend offered to buy up $500 worth of
pawn tickets, and as his agent we redeemed 160
articles, showing the loans to average less than
" There were shawls, tools, albums, wedding
rings, beds, pillows, household furniture fiat
irons, scissors, pieces of jewelry, watches, UNI
breilas, furs and shoes and clothing, wash boil
ers, tubs and wringers in abundance. One
little pair OF shoes we redeemed belonging to a
dead child, and with the rs cents advanced ON
them the poor mother had purchased white
Grape to tie round the bell pull. We can't do
much, the need is SO great but the little we
try to accomplish makes an excuse for the
summer outing We enjoy so much.
The other day met Mrs. Hicks-Lord re-
turning from Friday Summing. She was
coming from Essex street and boarded cross
town car to go to her home in Washington
square. She was dressed in q black cotton
suit Isle thread gloves covered her hands,
and from the brim Of q black straw bonnet a
heavy baize veil fell over her face. It was
evident that she did not wish to be recognized,
but the nickel with which she paid her fare was
the last coin in her purse, anda black shopping
bag that she carried was also empty"