Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1889-11-16
Miss Grace Dodge's Work Among the
Workng-Grls of New York.


Mary storrs Hayes, in Business Womans Journal.I
~ am sometimes spoken of as the originator of
Working Girls Clubs, said Miss Grace Dodge in
recent eloquent address on the question, elbow
can we elevate the character of the workng-gir in
the minds of women of leisure, SO that they may
command their friendship and respect for the ad-
mlrable traits they possess in common with their
more fortunate sisters?'
lit was not l. but factory girl whose home
was the upper floor of Tenth Avenue tenement
house, who first suggested the idea by her earnest
inquiry: Miss Dodge, how can working girls i'm
prove themselves and have a good time in the
eveninb?' This girl was one of that large class
factory girls, shop girs-the working girls of our
cities, to whom early advantages of education,
culture and comfort have been denied The regu-
lative influences, quiet refinement and gentle deli
cacy of guarded home life do not flourish in the
overcrowded dometicty of the tenement house,
but the noble impulses of heroism, sef-sacrifce,
patience, cheerfuness and aspiration are not alto
gether crushed In this 'iroa bound environment of
prvation and work. This appeal to another girl,
young like herself, whose life had held pentitude
of blessings which hers had lacked, was born of a
life. 1t touched chord already vibrating in the
heart of one who had thought much of the sad
contrast in opportunity between her life of noble
ancestry, inherited culture, wealth and LEISURE to
which books, nature, art and the graces of social
life had minisered, and that of the other girl upon
whom necessity had early laid the burden of toll
She saw these girls standing upon the threshold of
their lives, awaiting the duties which must come to
them without training or knowledge, their ideal Of
womanhood of wifehood and motherhood, formed
by the influences of the lives about Them
Miss Dodge had not looked upon the lives and
surroundings of the working girls of New York, as
an interesting study in social science merely or in
the elusive pursuit of a fashionable idea. Their
need to her earnest thought, was the influence of
true, womanly hearts, brought near to them by the
recognition of common sisterhood. Not by
drawing circle around them within which they
never enter by personal sympathy and service, but
fellowship in which education and refinement
should share its gifts of intellectual and spiritual
life with those others, ''who against great odds
were trying to live good lives"
Cooperation, self-heIp, mutual interest-the
working with instead of the commonly accepted
and prescribed philanthropc idea of working for,
has been the principles which have animated the
spirit of the first Working Girls Society of Thirty
eighth street from the beginning. Its marked sue
cess during the six years since it was organized,
with twelve working-girls and Miss Dodge as their
leader, and the widening scope of its work is con-
frmatory of the increasing power of its influence
BY the remarkable power of her personality, earn
estness of purpose, vigor of thought, rare origin
atty of ideas, and intelligent practical methods in
dealing with the important questions which 80
deeply affect the condition of the workinggirl, if
not the originator, Miss Dodge cannot dscaim be-
ing the inspirer of efforts which have been wide
spread and fruitful in progress and results through
out the country.
These Working-Girls Clubs are forming on the
basis of sef-support. Dues are charged and the
members share in the expenses and government of
the clubs. They are taught the power and value
of vote, are officers of the society, and in the