The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-08-02
The BETHANY HOME.
A New Charity to be Established
in Providence.
LIST OF ITS lNCORPORATORS.
IL VIII Open I'm tho Fall. Probably, and
FIJI tho Gap Between the Orphans
AsyIums aud tho Old Ladies' Homes
Its Ideas and Plans.

During the last week of the RHODE
ISLAND Legislature OF 1892 the charter
was passed of the Bethany Home of RHODE
ISLAND, q charitable undertaking pre-
senting many unique features. That
formality accomplished the organizers
and workers promptly set to work to get
the names OF desirable members.
Here is a list of those secured up
TO day or two ago, representing, as will
be seen, eight separate places in the State:
OF Provideuce-Mrs. NJ Nellie Brown,
Marie G. Rhodes, Elizabeth G. Hill,
Thomas II. Cocroft; Helen g. Putnam.
Ger, George w. King, Mrs. Nicholas Shell
don, Rebecca o. Sheldon, Mrs. William
Is. Dart. Mrs. Fitz James Rice, Martha
ii. Mowry. NJ. d.; Sarah ). Jencks, Ruth
A. Haskiil, Mrs. Frederic Talbot, Anna
NJ. Arnold, ID. o: Wood, Charlotte X.
Ellen M. Stone. Alfred Stone, Isaac e.
Bates, Mrs. Ellen l.. Knight, Sarah Il.
Blake, Franklin G. McKeever, Edward
C. Moore, Mrs. William Gotl schalk,
Charles IL. Thurber, Eugene f. Andem,
Rathbone Gardner, G. Henry Babcock,
ter, Heary NJ. King, Carolina Richmond,
Edmund Abbott. NJ. D.; Mrs. w. III.
| Crims, Edwin l.. Rhodes, Mary +. Eddy.
Ernest George w. Wesley and Mrs. A. J.
Winship.
Hamilton, John G. Wyman and Henry B.
Metcalf.
Of Woonsocket-Susau A. Ballou.
Or yick-James r. Rhoues.
or Enfeld-Sarah NJ. Fenner, Henry Z.
Smith and Mrs ii. +. Smith.
OF Greystone-MrsJ j. &. Collins, Mrs.
yVilliu,. Gardiner and Mrs Capp
bell.
or Georgiaville-S. NJ. Steere, Z. An
toinette Brayton and f. X. Brayton.
OF Stillwater-A Is. Capron.
This Is list of names which means
business. The Society has Organized
with these officers President. oIney
Arnold; first vice-president, Rev. Charles
Ii. Babcock, ID. d.; second, vice-president,
Mrs. Susan A. Ballou of Woonsocket:
third vice-president, Mrs. NJ. Nellie
Brown OF PROVIDENCE; fourth vice-pre
dent, Rev. Henry M. King, D. D.; treas
urer, Alfred Stone, Esq; clerk, Charles
Il. Carpenter, Esq.
The Home will provide shelter and
womanly care fO- respectable INDECENT
women between the ages of lS-the or
phan asylum's limit-and 65-the age
limit OF the old ladies homes The pay
ment of an entrance fee of so is required
of each inmate. This arranged for she is
free TO stay week or year, or ten, il the
officers so elect and permit.
| The Home Is expected 10 be especially
| valuable In the case Of women discharged
from hospitals and not well enough to 10
to work, AS those broken down from any
cause. That some of these will not have
$40 is obvious, but some one q sc will.
10 run the Home will require money.
Some of this will be provided by life aud
annual membership of 800 and IS respec-
lively, but still more potent means.
do. frssr hps inr -
Is the formation of '' Bethany Circles a-of
ten each, every member OF which is sup
posed to finu nine others willing To put in
5 cents n month. Each circle represents an
income of 800 u year obtained without
taxing auybody's resources. Already five
of these circles have been formed. Before
Mrs. Brown gets through there will be u
lot more.
The Bethany Home in Boston is now
thres years old. 1t is the first of its sort
in the country and is found a helpful aud
noble charity. 1t is close TO the Langham
hotel on Worcester street, and the stories
OF its inmateS-a convalescent music
teacher, too well for a hospital, too frail
as yet to work; typewriter slowly gain
| ing strength after a sewers attack OF nerv-
Gus prostration; n school teacher whose
money long illness has exhausted and
who is not yet fit enough for the battle
with undisciplined youth again-these
and others are living testimonials to the
work such an establishment may do. Not
many who are admitted remain more
than few mouths, and so as they come
and go, in the course of year the benefits
are multiplied.
Agent Thurber of the society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children de-
clares that nothing could benefit the as
sociated charities as this will do from
the fact that it will furnish an excellent
supplement- to the Others. Many times
he mas been Obliged to take educated,
capable young women, who for various
reasons were unable to support them
selves, to the Dexter Asylum, simply be-
cause there was no other place for them;
and the stigma attached To their living in
public poor house has been y terrible
drawback to them In future effort.
The date of opening OF the Bethany
BONE depends on the promptness of the
response To its appeal. That start may
be made this autumn is tue earnest hope
of its friends.
A building will be rented-unless some
body is moved TO give one-and different
sites in the suburbs where quiet and fresh
air can be had are under consideration.
The home will be provided with medicine
aud medical attendance and the Thought
will be to produce the atmosphere OF
family life In weli-regulated household.
The members of the family are expected
to take care of their own rooms when
they are able, sitting in them when they
wish and going to the drawing room
when they prefer. They are at liberty To
20 out and come in and visit their friends
and the privacy OF their room is respected.
The testimony OF those who have in
vestigated the workings of the Boston
home is tnat the self-respect and indepen-
dence OF the women who come there are
preserved by the payment Of the modest
sum required, for not many who enter
expect 70 remain for any length OF time,
while IL continued ill-health compels
them TO stay, the atmosphers is restful
aud hopeful, and they grow insensibly to
feel as IL In their natural homes.
All Housekeepers Want