The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-06
RELIEF WORK IN BOSTON.
Rooms Where Aged Men and Womel
Are Furnished Employment.

ROOMS mere aged Wen and Women
Are Furnished Employment
Harper's Weekly.
But il is at the work rooms at % Bed
ford street that most interest centers. for
here the women and aged men are kept at
work in making rag carpets and quilts
In the average household, but the average
-'-0rl"r has learned better ways of using
her time and eyesight, 50 that materials
Lave been supplied Ia abundance both from
city stores and country homes for this
work. Many an old lady In the distant
country has sent the contents OF her beloved
piece bag In the idea Of doing what she
could TO help, and the careful mother has
sent her children's half-wOrn garments 20
the workshop with the hope that those
which can be worn may be repaired and sent
out and the residue for part or unknown
rag carpets
The vast work room. In which five hum
dred women are employed on the ground
floor forms a very interesting spectacle and
a very pitiful one, too, Tor the extremes on
tables. Physical and moral defornity APP
peals to the eye and soul or the Dehoider:
ana II mas been a sad slghl IN tiihgs p sss
TO see work frequently interrupted by the
fainting or Illness OF some Of the women
1t is happily less frequent since hunger
has been discovered as the cause and meas
ures have been taken to supply them with
adequate food Downstairs the tailors and
infrm and aged men are employed in max
ing the braid strands for the rugs and in
cutting out the patch work pieces. The
eternal inequality between women's and
presumably skilled in the use Of the needle.
II In nothing else, yet they only get 50 cents
day. for which men get 81. Very fire.
work lies simply in the fact that he is too
stupid or too old to work on a sewer. THE
supposition is, of course" said Mr.. KIlham,
the superintendent, that the man has
wife and children dependent on him." As
an actual fact. the burden rests oftener upon
the woman with the added burden per-
haps. of a lazy and drunken husband
There was an old lady, VINO could not
have been less than eighty-five. who was
sewing briskly a quilt. end wore no
spectacles.
"Why, you're as smart as any of the
younger folks. auntie." L exclaimed. How
Excuse me-" she said, with a little smile
on her face. which must have been beauti-
full once, ana, indeed, was pretty now,
with its childish pink and white complexion,
delicate features. dark eyes and snowy
hair, but | never tell my age to anybody.
/ could hardly keep from laughing at
what seemed a matter of pride-her age
was SO apparent-and then the thought
came that she was not quite right In her
mind. Her next words, however which she
whispered in explanation, were pathetic
enough
They don't think that old people are any
use to themselves or anybody else, and
don't want to 60. I'd sooner die first-rd
sooner die first. I'm smart, even II I am
DID, and / never had to ask charity before
I've always paid my rent until this winter.
and / can't tell you how thankful I am to
the dear Lord and all the good people who
have let Us do this work. Everybody has
been so good to me. My landlady is a
Roman Catholic and I'm Protestant. and
we have disputed about religion, and 1 ex-
pected shed want my room this winter
when I couldn't pay the, rent: But she
made the rent half much as IL had been
before, and told me not 10 pay il until
could get some work. Wasn't that kind Of
her?'
'Ah, auntie" / said, you see Christian
kindness is not a matter of creedr'