The sun., 1889-12-08
n NOTABLE CHIRITY.
Tho Work of Mrs. Meredith. Begun at tn
Gates OF ~ Prison Thirty Years Ago.

Tho Work of Mrs. Meredith. Begun at tho
Gates OF N Prison Thirty Years Ago.
LONDON, Nov. 1o.-One OF the passengers
| on the steamer Servia on her last trip out from
New York was woman OF perhaps 65 years.
tall. large-framed, of commanding carriage.
with keen. kind gray eyes. and strong. express
sive features. Her gracious manner and
stately bearing, coupled with an extreme SIM
| plcity Of dress. made her a person OF mark on
the ship from the outset and the other passen-
| gers were not slow in ascertaining ber name
and. as far as possible. her history.
Mrs. Meredith. the woman in question, Is
we'll known throughout England. though In
the United States comparatively little has been
told Of her life and labors. Her name was first
| heard in London in connection with an unpre-
tending work at the gate Of Milbank Prison, a
simple effort to procure employment for the
woment sent out each day through the prison
| gate, discharged from penal bondage. To-day
| she is known all over the land as the
director OF a community OF women in one
OF the poorest parishes of South Lon
don. with whom landlords and the au-
thorities must battle on questions relating
to the sanitary condition of tenements and
streets in the district. She is known os q
pioneer in orderly, systematic. law-compelling
efforts to save the toilers of London from COM
Ing under the poor laws; thus preventing the
breaking up Of homes and the turning adrift OF
masses of houseless individuals. She is known
as the founder and supporter of village homes
for the children Of criminals. She is known as
q woman OF broad experience and sound judg-
ment to whom all interested in the uplifting
of the downtrodden or Of the depraved may
turn for counsel and assistance.
What" l asked her. Is the character OF
10 itv pf ~ wi inb alyy
p" 1t consists" she said, - OF about fifty wo-
men. who have devoted their property and
ing those who, by illness or other adverse cir
cumstances are incapable OF securing their
rights for themselves, and ,, also to the work Of
property is held in common under legally ap-
pointed trustees, and the organization Is reg
are admitted to the sisterhood who have only
their labor to offer, We take as many such.
Are any VOWS imposed on the candidates for
None whatever. They can leave us when
Ana w6at becomes of the money in case of
Well, 1 do, not recall the marriage OF any
sister who had put money into the institution.
The money acts. | thing As q bond to keen
compromise would be made"
What led you to found this communityW
After the death OF my husband. about thirty
years ago. my sister and found ourselves pos
sessed Of considerable means and with no do
mestic ties We had always done something
In desutory way, Tor SO called charities, but
there was nothing satisfactory In it.. We never
striking at causes: We were merely aiding In
the relief Of Immediate distress, My attention
OF the women discharged day after day from
Millbank prison. and there the work began:
My sister and put our fortunes together and
decided to use the sum as capt. al for providing
employment for these wretched women. Our
first move was to establish laun;
up. up The undertaking took permanent
shane It GrS% ana before long got beyond
one Of the existing sis erhoods, but %S were e' de-
buried by their rigid rules and their suoservi-
ency to the clergy At last few more women
OF means Joined hands with us and our society
was started. Though sanctioned by the Church
OF England the organization is in no way an
from the bishop and we report directly to him.
! found II necessary to take stand In this
erned or directed 'S by men IN % Work like S tkis" @
What is your general plan OF operation in
sided Ts 81 hnf Dbys
clan. Consultations may be had with him, and
pence rS is eSarsed also
TO train those OF ;he sisters who wish 1t. TO tho
profession. Of muse and midwife. Experience
shows that the providing uf proper medical at
tendance is OF paramount IMPORTANCE.
Then we open stores. where goods. many OF
est prices This business Is put under the
charge OF persons who will be likely to take tho
store into their own hands as soon as the
thrift or prosperity OF the customers makes it
self-sqpporting. We never interfere with the
housekeeping, nor with the home adornings.
nor with the expenditure of money All these
people know what they want, and no outsider
can properly direct them. We simply hold
ourselves in readiness to step in at the right
moment in case OF sickness and distress. and
also to look after sanitary conditions not In the
control OF the tenants"
And the village homesW
"Th, SO are clusters OF cottages which We
have bu lit to receive the children of the worst
criminals. l have built twenty such cottages
IN Addlestone. Surrey. They are the homes Of
200 children, who are grouped here in families
OF ten, with mother In each cottage We
take pains 10 nut children OF different ages to-
Rether. so that tho family feeling may be- pre-
served. Aud We never place a woman in
charge who has not herself known the claims
and interests OF motherhood. Some OF them
have their own little ones with them among
these worse than orphaned waits"
:, And And how do the children turn OUT"
The homes are about eighteen years old, |
and az yet not q child has followed the parents
are married and settled in thrifty homes. / |
the cottages. the AddlestUne village includes |
schools, an lnfrmary. and church"
Mhere DO you get the means 10 carry on the |
From voluntary contributions. publish In |
the newspapers tho fact that new building Is |
needed. and an immediate RESPONSE always |
comes Then the principle Of cooperation Is |
used II the organlEatlon, the laund5y. which is |
and so on"
listened to all this. told with quiet fervor,
and to lar more OF the details OF what this ono |
woman had accomplished with hor money and |
her hands and her brains IT seemed not im- |
possible that few such judicious. determined, |
Ler- r-seelnR leaders might do great deal toward |