The herald., 1894-12-18

tivitiss OF these hoasss are legion, aud
the social demand is vary great The
nero board of residents could not meet
these demands.
The programme OF organized work for
the New York settlement shows that on
every day OF the week, except Sunday,
from q. m. until 10 p. m. this house Is
open to guests. a free kindergarten has
been established and clubs OF all kinds
find their home here. IL is also pup
lie library. q penny bank. and bath
house for the neighborhood. The local
ity is said to be more densely populated
than any part of London and is not Tar
from the De Sauceny street settlement.
There are usually 10 women in residence
and it is estimated that during an aver
age week 1000 people come to the settle
ment. The yearly cost of the work is
almost $4,000. This is derived from the
association, special donations and the
payment of workers.
| shall never forget my visit to the
Philadelphia settlement, or, as it is
called. 1.-The Sc. Mary's street settle
ment." 1t was on Sunday afternoon,
and as one of the workers and L entered
the narrow, squalid street, picturesque
in its poverty, looked in vain for the
white shutters and steps so character
istic feature of Philadelphia houses.
Instead, felt that had come to one of
the streets in Dickens stories. On
either side were small, miserable houses,
and in the middle of the street were
swarms of dark-eyed children, mostly
Russian Jews. l euvied my friend the
enthusiastic greetings on every side.
The children fairly olung to her skirts.
calling her by name, and reminding her
of the summer days she had spent with
them in Devon" the settlements sum
mer home.
The exterior OF the settlement house
presented an aspect very little different
from any of those nsar it; but ah, the
interior It was beautiful. The very
atmosphere breathed a happiness and
goodness which must have been reve.
lation to the neighbors across the way
the men and women who were "sweat-
ing" their lives our; for at st. Mary's
we saw the daily lives of those who are
suffering from this terrible system. The
children were the only happy people /
saw. Returning to West Philadelphia,
the charm of the beautiful and wealthy
city had vanished, and q selfish exist
ence seemed to be the most inexcusaDle
in the world. The settlement has a car
penter shop, which is open four evenings
each week under the care of g practical
carpenter.
"The st. Mary street kitchen stands
for plain, practical work directly with
the people,"
At the Boston settlement q college
woman feels much at home. Several of
the rooms have been furnished by the
colleges-Vassar, Wellesley and Har-
ward annex. am told that during the
stress OF last winter the women of "Dsu-
ison House" did a wonderful work and
gave valuable assistance to the organ-
lied charities of the neigh borhood. (My
own experience The work at this set
tlement is more with msn and women
and less with children than OF the other
college settlements.
May l add that all the requirements
which a high culture, intellectual.
moral and spiritual, demanda will find
their place in settlement work. One
must be lavish with his personality.
He must have faith in humanity. Ii
the worker have linguistic attainments
one day will give him an opportunity to
make use of them; if musician and
HIS neighbors are Italian, Mozart's
CnuTCu IuublC Anu Nctul Opotn Will
find a ready listener. The scientist,
lawyer and the society man or woman,
all will find their best accomplishments
brought to the test-they will learn
much but they will unlearn more.
II social science be your bent where
can YOU find a better laboratory? To
the spiritual man or woman are given
boundless opportunities, for il the work
10 "unsectarian" it is not unreligious.
1t ie not a charity nor does il attempt to
do the work of a church or union, but
how could it be unreligious? For it
is matter beyond question that this
movement (Which we call religious) in
volvsd, from it's inception, the very
highest altruiatic ideal in which the
human mind has in any general sense
ever attained" and l think all settle
ments have this ideal before them.