The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20
HELP FROM FAIR HANDS.
Oroer OF Desconesses Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

(coDgTi0ht)
NEW YORK. Dec. 19.-In pleasant part
OF West Fourteenth street, this c,tv
stands a handsome brown stone 4-storv
house Il is one Of many in the block. bu,
a Tree spreads its outrageous branches In
'front.' OF the house, giving it rural aspect
IN the midst of the great city. This build
ing Is the New YORK Deaconess Homs and
Training School OF the Methodist Episconal
enurch. The names home aud training
school are somewhat misleading. Home
suggests rest and quiet and training school
Is invariably associated with a host Of
young people undergoing training TO fiji
them for the battle Of life. Tbs deacon "a.
nome has but fifteen inmates. and the
nature OF the work does not permit the es.
adjustment TO accommodate many more.
nao a very pleasant interview with Miss
isabella a. Reeves, the Superintendent.
VINO gave me most interesting account
OF this new Order of Deaconess. Miss
Reeves Is the possessor Of the quality known
as magnetism. She has kindly, be-
hevoient eyes, and a gentle manner. She
was dressed in black, the uniform of the
oesconesses. Her voice is low and sympa-
thetlc. passage from Luke gives the
Keynote to the work of the deaconesses. 'tGo
Gus quickly into the streets aud lanes of the
city and bring in hither the poor and
MANNED, and blind aud lame. Go out into
highways and hedges and constrain them TO
come In. that my house may be filed"
Miss Reeves said that the first OF the
desconess homes was in Chicago, and the
movement for their establishment through.
out the country originated in that city in
June, 1887. In the spring OF 1888 at a
preachers nesting at Chicago, a memorial
was sent to the general conference asking
FOR recognition and authorization for the
work. The general conference of the church
thereupon authorized the institution of the
Order Of Deaconssses. Progress has since
been continuous. There are now deaconess
homes in Boston, Cincinnati, Cleye-
land, Colorado Springs, Denver, Los
Angeles, Minneapolis, Omaha, Saginaw.
st. Louis, st. Paul, Buffalo, Detroit, Phila.
delphia, Pittsburg, Syracuse and Washing.
ton, an we'll as in New York and in Chicago.
The Chicago home was practically founded
by Mrs. Lucy Rider Meyer, the New York
home completed let its second year Of existence
May IL, 1891. 1t was the Rev. Theo-
dore Flildner, a Lutheran minister in
Germany, who first suggested tho idea of
the organization Of deaconesses for charit-
able work. In England it has been very
successfully carried out, and in the United
States there is every promise of its meeting
with equal favor. "For Jesus Sake" Ia the
motto of the deaconesses No VOWS are
enacted, and any one Of their number is ct
liberty to relinQuish her office as
a deaconesss at any time. The du-
ties are to minister to the poor. visit the
sick, pray with the dying, comfort the
Borrowing, and relinguishing wholly all
other pursuits, to devote themselves to such
form of Christian labor as may be suited to
their ability. When working singly each
deaconess is under the direction of the pas-
tor OF the church with which she is con-
nected. When associated together in a
home they arc subordinate to and directed
by the superintendent In charge. A dea-
coness who was taking to a poor woman
some provisions entered by mistake the
wrong door of a tenement house and found
herself in a room where marks of poverty
were very apparent. On bed lay a woman
whose appearance was repulsive; by her
side was whisky. The deaooness spoke
words Of comfort and began to read from
the Bible. The woman interrupted her,
say ing, II know how to read, so you
needn't bother" Closing the book the dea-
coness said: II will pray for you," and pro-
oeeded to do so on rising from her knees she
was surprised to see the woman crying who
said amidst her tears, 80, IL seemed as
though were girl again in England going
to church with my mother and sisters "
The object of the training school is to ia
crease the efficiency OF women preparing
for deaconess or other Christian work
by practical and theoretical instruc-
tion. The women band themselves together
of their own free will. The training school
furnishes courses OF lectures on elementary
medicine and nursery, and affords an oppor-
tunity Of learning methods of work and to
familiarize the student with various forms
of missionary work. The school also gives
practical training In missionary work by
house to house visiting to aid churches and
pastors in city missionary work. Applicants
for the training school are received on
one months trial. Candidates must be 81
years of age in good health. to prove which
q medical certificate must be furnished
they must have the rudiments Of q common
school education, must be members of an
evangelical church and be duly recon-
mended. Each student has to give at least
one hour q day to the general homework
No uniform is worn by those in the train
ing school. Those wishing to become
deRconesses at the end Of the school year
are supported by the home the second
year If they SO desire. The practical work
consists In house to house visiting two
afternoons of the week. The students work
under the supervision of pastors. but are
assigned their fields by the COMMITTEES on
Fields Of Labor The students are expected
to teach the Sunday School on Sunday
The course Of study comprises
History of the English Bible. Epochs
In Bible History, Church History,
Christian Evidences, Cathechism, Dis
cipline, The Life Of Christ, Practical Lect-
ures for Religious Workers, Mission Fields,
Sunday School Lessons, General Medicine,
Hygiene, Surgical Emergencies. The
Rye, The Teeth, Diseases Of Children,
Emergency Obstetrics, Nursing, Tho Nerv-
Gus System, Elocution, Physical Culture,
Kindergarten, temperance and Organiza-
ton of Missionary Societies. The medical
lecturer in the New York Training School
are ladies There is some distinction made
between nurse doaconesses and visiting
deaconesses. None are admitted to the homo
over 40 years of age except by the unani-
nous consent of the board of direction.
The deaconess uniform, which is sufficient
for protection and recognition in the work
and which is in conformity with
that adopted by all deaconess homes, is
worn by the probationers the second year,
but is not WORN during the first year except
by special permission. No salaries are paid,
the work Of the deaconessss being on the
basis of self-sacrifice Candidates prepar-
ing for work among foreign speaking peo-
pie at home or abroad have to make prepa>
ration in the language OF those among
whom they expect to labor. Licenses are