St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-20

9~ Ida TI6 i & NJ.
II I<E of the sad lives
y ~ Of tile poor girls
81 ~ = who stand from
morning Till night
behind the counters Of the great depart
ment and dry goods stores Of this city,
the words OF the noble little woman
have been ringing in my years; and
can't help wishing that they had been
heard by every wealthy man and
woman In St. Paul; for in that case
there would be ringing in their ears,
too: aud maybe their good angels would
whisper gracious messages 10 them, that
would open their hearts to the miseries
and needs OF their fellow men. 1t IS
true that there are many charities in
this city, and that the burden Of them
must DC borne by tile wealty; but
To Whom Much Es Given
much will be required Looked at from
this standpoint, the request OF Mrs.
Lichienberger for aid In establishing
pleasant aud permanent home, where
young women without homes can be
sheltered at nominal cost, Is a most
modest and reasonable one.
II She were asking an appropriation
support Of a home conducted on char
table basis solely, there might be some
small basis for q demurrer, on the
ground OF municipal poverty; and yet
this Is just what Boston. Philadelphia,
Chicago and many other cities 10 larger
than St. Paul eXpend yearly in caring
for tins class Of young women. Is ST.
Paul 50 far behind her sister cities in
wealth or generous impulses that she
cannot raise the paltry So, 600 that Will
place this home OH a sound financial
basis? 1t does not seem possible that
wealthy citizens calling themselves
Christians, or trade barOns calling
themselves humane, can refuse to
Shoulder the Re sponsIbiIIty
laid upon them by the disclosures OF
the unsellish woman who has carried
the needs OF these poor girls about In
her heart for more than three years,
ministering TO their temporal and spir-
itual needs meanwhile, out Of the full
ness Of a great heart and an empty
pOcketboOk. There is no implied re-
prOach In these statements for help
withheld IN the past, for no general APP
peal has ever before been made by Mrs.
Lichtenberger to the public. Many
noble women OF this city have assisted
cial burden became insupportable. and
10 Bishop Gilbert and The House Of
Hope church and its pastor, Rev. Dr.
Christie, the Young WOmen's Friendly
association is deeply indebted; but the
burden Of work so widespreadng in
its influence, and so directly beneficial
20 the municipality and every taxpayer
in 1t, should not be allowed to rest on
so few shoulders, no viewer willing they
may be to carry it in the absence of
either volunteers.
One Martyr TO the Work.
] he work Mrs. Lchtenbergcr has de-
voted her life to, and the one in which
loved sister laid hers down, as de-
liberately as ever dida faithful mission
AIRY ia foreign fields, Is one that she is
peculiarly htled to do we'll by reason of
her far-reaching sympathy for tire
young, as well as by reason of her iinan-
Cial capacity and managerial ability.
This latter will be fully appreciated by
business men, when il is stated that on
g. 700 she last year received and cared
for $1,000 Young girls, giving them cof-
fec with their cold lunches at one cent
per cup, and warm, nOurshing soup at
five cents per bowl. or course every
girl who entered the rooms at the noon
hour TO eat her lunch and rest In cheer
ful quarters meanwhile was not so
served, OF that sum would have fallen
for short OF the yearly expenditure; but
all who wanted the refreshments were
served, whether they had the cash to
pay for 1t or only the gratitude TO offer.
In nearly every instance the money
was forthcoming; even the small cash
girls coming scrupnOusly 10 pay their
little accounts on Saturday night after
they had drawn their pitifully small
envelopes. Many were the
Annals Of the Poor
related by their devoted friend at this
meeting. One particularly sad little
story impressed itself on my memory
that of little cash gir who was taken
Ill one day last week, and who was SO
feveriSh that Mrs. Lichtenbcrger adj
ViScd her to send a message to the store,
telling them she was took sick to come
10 work that afternoon. The poor
child, although alternating between
chillS and fever, would not hear of such
an arrangement for a moment, and,
fearing to make her worse by the agita
ton, the relator was obliged 10 allow
her TO depart.
"Why, you see, ! could never afford
20 stay at home this afternoon. Mrs
Llchtenberger, for ! would lose my II
cents that | can earn by going" said
the poor child, as she tied on the old
straw hat and went brayely out into
The Chilly East Wind.
These are the scenes that have APP
pealed to this Woman'S SympathieS for
the past three years. while the good
people of st. Paul, living in easy cir
cumstanceS and at peace with all the
world, neither kneWno sought to know
of the pitful straits OF Gods other chill
dren at their very doors. Surely it is
time that ea3h good citizen should
awake to his personal sponSibility and
give OF his store what conscience sug-
gests toward the making of home for
the weaker ones of earth.
When tie new home is secured and,
believe with Mrs. Lichtenberger that
it will be secured, and every penny of
the $4,000 raised before the first of June
1t is not intended to make it Il burden
on the people. any more than it has
been in the past; indeed the girls them
selves are too Selt-reSpecting to pal take
of charity while they are able to take
care of themselves; but it is intended to
have 4 great sunny, cheerful "HOME,"
in capital letters of the biggest type,
where young girls who are coming into
the city by late trans, in search of en-
ployment, can be taken at once from
the depot and given the benefit of a safe
shelter while they look for work. Few
people, in good homes. realize the
danger that young girls from the small
country towns run, in coming into a
large city alone and unknown.
Tie Human wolves
are ever on the watch for their prev !:
and the more comely the girl the great
er her danger Mrs. Lichtenberger' s
experience in this direction would make
as interesting reading almost as a book
by Inspector Byrncs. Finding in her 4
wise friend, as well as an adopted moth
er, these poor girls have told her the
stories Of the temptations thrown in
their paths by INSCRIPTIONS men; and
20; 4