The National tribune., 1892-12-15

1lAlaa4MMEazsss1 'nu tell them something
Of the work being done
by its busy family. Please notice that do not
say inmates" for Deacopess Home is not an
institution in the ordinary meaning of that
term hut il is home, and those who reside in 1T
constitute family, whose joy in blessed serv-
ice for others is enhanced by the fact that that
service begins with those nearest to them in
the sweet bonds of love resulting from this as
ISOLATION together.
Our Home has IT rooms comfortably and
tastefully furnished. and is valued at $4,000,
and although only opened three years ago,
Nov. 20, 1885, is free from debt. and we have a
fund already started for the purchase of q
larger house, or another joining this; for al
though number of our dear girls havo left us
for various fields of work after their year In
the training school, new ones come to us each
year, and the in terest is growing as the work
becomes more widely known, and it is very
evident that the near future will make an en-
largement of our Home necessity. This is
especially the case in view of tho fact that,
with the demand for trained workers in both
home and foreign fields. the conviction ia
strongly impressed upon us that when conse-
Grated young women ask admission to our
training school for the purpose of fitting them
selves for more efficient work in the service Of
Christ, we must not haze to turn them away
for want of room. So, with increasing faith and
earnestness. we are praying and working for the
extension of our Fl ONE rejoicing that the Dea-
concss movement is m ore and more commencing
itself to the people of New England, as well as
throughout our country. We are longing and
praying for hospital, too. where we cannot
only care for the poor sick ones (who need
often times the sweet ministry of clean bed
and loving care moro than incidence but
where we can also train our Nurse Deaconesses,
go that they can efficiently relieve those who
must, for various reasons, remain in their poor
homes. 1t means a great deal for a bright
faced, tender hearted, ready handed woman to
90 into a wretched home (2) and bring order
out of confusion cleanliness out Of untidiness
and dirt, and rest to heart and brain of the
poor, worn out mother who has taken her bed,
discouraged and suffering, with one to care
for her or the little ones about her.
woMANLY DUTIES.
What would your readers think II / were to
tell them of homo l2) in cultivated Boston
where the doctor was obliged to give the first
dose Of medicine in pellet form, because there
could not De found glass or cup to give it in
water? Yet Boston is worse than other
large Cities and the lack of even n cessaries
in housekeeping ia not Che worst part of it
yet you can see that our Nurse Deaconesses
need to know how to make the most of what
they do ind in these homes of poverty, and it
is such a com fort to Us to ba able to supply,
through tho aid OF our friends the needed cloth
ing, food etc. Out from our poor closet last year
went 1852 garments, each telling its silent
story of human sympathy, and, by the power
of association, reminding the recipient Of the
divine love which actuates the children of God
to care thus for their brothers and sisters in
need. But tie work of our Visiting Deacon
esses is not exclusively among tho poor,
although they, like the nurses. find many such
to whom it is their delight to minister, both in
practical and spiritual ways. and all tho more
effectively in spiritual things because of the
practical evidences they able to give of
their expressed loving care. For instance,
when poor tired mother with little, frail
child who needs fresh air to renew its vigor,
but with also big, healthy baby too heavy to
carry out, came to as with plea for baby
carriage, it was comfort, after teiling her to
pray for what she needed, TO the God who has
promised " that no good thing will He with
hold from them that walk uprighty," to holp
answer her prayer by giving friend the privi-
lege of supplying the need, and thus siren hen
the woman's faith in the Master whom We
serve, and by whose love We are prompted to
seek TO help her to know and love Him too.
The practical work of the Deaconesses,
and which, to limited extent, forms part of
the training school course also, while includ-
ing this ministry to the destitute, is Of varied
nature, and seeks. according TO the Deaconess
motto, d" For Jesus sake" to render assistance of
led to meet Working under the direction OF
city pastor, slie makes the calls he gives her,
upon strangers, sick people, and those who
have become Indifferent to religious privileges
and obligations, and in making these calls she
often finds those of whom the pastor knows
nothing, and whom the church can never
reach unless it extends the loving hand of
sympathy through consecrated workers. Much
of the time is spent in canvassing from house
to house to find children to be gathered into
Sunday school, and into the industrial school,
where tie girls are taught sewing and the boys
carpentering, etc, and where all are taught to
love Jesus, and be clean in body as well as pure
in heart.
To encourage our students when they take
up this practical work we give them what we
call our Old and New Testament Deacouess
texts, Gen, "a Z and 40, where Eleazer, when
going up to Hiram to geek wife for Isaac. is
told by Abraham that the angel of the Lord
will both go before and with him and If he,
seeking wife for one in the sacred Messiah
line, could be assured of the Divine guidance
and presence, surely those who are seeking to
enlarge the number of those who, as the Church
of Christ, arc to DO his bride in the New
Jerusalem, may be certain that the angel of
the Lord will both prepare the way and in
spirs the word. And to make sure that this
is blessedly true we hayo Chriscs own words,
"When he putteth forth His sheep He goeth
before them; and "Lo, am with you always
THE TRArNING-sCHooL.
Our training school admits young ladies be-
longing to any Christian Church on the payment
of So week for board, end compliance with
certain conditions as to practical work, ETC.,
and in its happy combination of theoretical
and practical training, and tho valued associa-
tion in the Home with more experienced work.
srs, socks to prepare them for any field to
which they may be Divinely called, and if they
belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
wish to remain with US as Deaconesses, they
complete probation Of two years. Then, If
qualified in every way, they are licensed by
the Church, and arc promised lifc-support if
they spend their effective years in the work.
Our Home is organized on what is known as
tho Church Pan," not limited by any organi-
zation but the Church itself, and thus estab-
lished on broad foundation, and with every
prospect of continued enlargement. The reason
our DeacOnesses need from tho Church (as rep
resented by the Home Board Of Management
the pledge of life support is because they are
working on the non salaried plan, and though
we firmly believe that "the laborer is worthy
Of his hire" We prefer to trust the Lord and
His people for the necessarics OF life and find
our compensation in the coin OF heaven. The
qualifications necessary for obtaining license
are, strong, healthy body, bright intelligent
mind, and full = -consecrated heart. The cos
tune adopted in our Home is plain black
dress, short jacket, and neat little gray bonnet.
The black bonnet and white strings worn In
other Homes was thought by our Beard to
prove hindrance in our work, because it