The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-05-03
BROADRRIM'S n. Y. LETTER

The Metropolitan Opera House has seen
many strange and interesting sights since
its opening; but nothing more strange and
interesting, than the Working Girls Con-
vention that began here on Tuesday and
adjourned on Thursday. In this same
building two years ago, met the largest and
most important Methodist OonYention ever
est triumphs of German and Italian Opera;
the elimination of its musical glorles be-
ing PATHS present valedictory. Here our
Washington Centennial celebration found
able for its disgraceful failure. Here too
only few weeks ago the Judicial wisdom
of the Union was assembled, and later still
Columbia College crowned with Bays one
of her youngest graduates, and ere he
could claim the right to middle age, placed
among the venerables of all time. Women
have met here before; able and earnest
women, who, smarting under their sex's
wrongs, have burned with indignant pro-
test, and passlonately sought for rlghtful
recognition. Brave women were they; not
the less to be honOred and loved because
they failed and fell by the Wayslde; for
they, like he who cried in the wilderness
of old, paved the way; made the road
straight and rendered possible the ConYsn-
tion of this week.
II was only the other day that wrote
an account of the Annual Dinner of the
SOrosis at Delmonico's, the most famous
restaurant in America. There was assem-
bled the brilliant talent and intellectual
culture of our American womanhood, such
galaxy as one rarely meets anywhere;
but the simple fact of the place where it
met, told volumes. 1t represented not
only the aristocracy of intellectual culture,
but the exclusive circle of material wealth
there was no room for the poor wOking
girl there, The women who assembled
here on Tuesday had no time to waste in
vain regrets that they were not rich, like
some of their more fortunate sisters. They
were here TO consider the condition OF
their kind; to stretch forth a helping hand
-
whisper hope In the ear of despair; to
point the way 10 a nobler and more useful
life; not feeding the sinking wretch on
pious words and moral traets but by Civ.
ing them food and securing them shelter,
and tiding them over the sorrowful time,
till the storm had past.
Not man had anything TO do with IT,
women managed everything, and IL ID
hardly necessary TO say that everything
was done with decency and in order The
history OF :he Working Girls Association
reads almost like work OF fiction. 1t Il
barely six years ago since one desperatel,
rainy night, party of young girls met IL
poorly furnished room 10 consider th,
feasibility of forming Working Girls Club
They were not iE search of what is com
monty known as Women's Rights; they
were not troubled about the election
franchise; but they longed for social in
tercourse with those whose feelings ant
tastes were akin TO their own. They wer,
very poor; the necessities of Their dali,
life, with each succeeding Saturday nigh
swallowed up the proceeds as soon as
was earned. The outlook was gloomy, bu
sad and disheartened as they were, thel
concluded 10 meet again. They did So
Others came in-and at a meeting of tn
City Associations last winter they mum
bered twenty-hourlshing societies, with
membership Of several thousand. In a
parts of the city are comfortable room
where young girls can meet their gil
friends, and haYe a social time. InnOeen
games of various kinds are allowed; goo
books and magazines abound, and thes
organizations have lighiened the load {
Fife for these poor toilers, and made thel
condition more tolerable than It ever wa
before. One Of the most interesting paper
read during the ConYentlon, was that rea
by Bishop Potter's daughter, "HoW sha
We spend our snmmer holiday" Mii
Potter practically solved that question b
helping 10 erect Seaside Home on Lon
Island. There a working girl can enjo
her two weeks vacation with all 4
pleasures Of country life, sea bathing, goo
food, pure air from the ocean. well vent
lated rooms and every reasonable eOmio
included, for three dollars per week.
This is practical Christianity. and hul