The herald., 1894-06-10
THE FLOWER FESTIVAL SOCIETY,
Its Work of BenevOlence Dur
ing the Past Year.
official Reports Which Show the
Value of the Organization.
A Practical Way to Extend Heip to
Those Who Need Assistance tho
Most Tho Finances Of
the Society.

The regular annual meeting OF the
Flower Festival society, which took
place in the psrlors OF the home on
Wednesday last, was OF unusual inter
est. Many women prominent in Chris
tisn work were present from our own
and eastern cities. The work of the go.
ciety can best be understood by the re-
ports.
RECORDING sECRErARY's REPORT.
The report of the recording secretary
was as follows:
MRS. PRESIDENT AND LADIES Vol
umes might be written OF this home, it's
work, its mem bers and the history mad Q
within its walls. The years. history. at
q cursory glance. is uneventful. Seem
ingly. to the outsider, the members OF
the board of managers have come TO the
meet ngs at 10 o'clock the first Tuesday
morning of each month; between II and
IL o'clock they have gone home, after
going through the routine; nothing haG
been accomplished /; the public has heard
nothing of them, has known nothing
OF them. But 209 young women could
tell OF the results of these meet
ings. Young women, who, 10 hours
out of each "a are struggling and toiling
for subsistence, without relatives and
friends to give them an encouraging
word, these young women would tell
you that the outcome of thsee meetings
has been to furnish cheerful, conf ert-
able, healthful, modern home, in which
they have obtained rest and comfort,
where there have been those who have
spoken or locked q kind good morning
when they started out for their day g
work, and given them pleasant greet
ing when they returned at the close OF
the day.
Here they have felt that there were
friends 70 stand between them and
the uncharitable, strange world. Some
of these would tell you that with faint
heart and tottering limbs, they stepped
over this threshold, hungry. friendless,
penniless and desperate, and were given
kindly greeting, a wholesome meal, a
comfortable bed and helpful advice, and
were put in the way OF honest employ
ment.
some instances can be cited to make
this work more real to friends. Help
has been given for three months to a
worthy woman, who has been aim ost
U6slu5 uoTe6li DoChusc I'll hcI laAluIo W
get position for which she is fitted,
but her hunds will be upheld by the
friendly counsel given her in this homa,
and good bed and wholesome meals
are here provided for her.
Another instance is that OF a French
governess, who came from San Fran
cisco to Los Angeles; she WAS unable to
find employment as governess. and was
M for ~ nj "a RInd nf
che applied to the sisters, who kept her
as long as they felt justified in doing,
when she finally found her way to the
Flower Festival home. She was re-
ceived, given care and encouragement,
and also was assisted in finding posi-
ton. after remaining in this home four
weeks without money.
most appreciative letter has been
received from one young woman. who
was here four weeks without money or
work; has now gone to Oregon, will re-
NIT aa fast as she saves above her nee
essary expenses.
Still another, who ia taking the sec
ond years work in the normal, has
made her home here for some time; of
late has been unable to pay her board
on account of reverses at home; but has
been allowed to remain here, partially
paying her way by waiting upon QUE of
the tables in the dining room; will pay
the remainder when her fathers fruit
crop is marketed.
young girl staid here about q
month; no work; finally found place
with q dressmaker, who gave her sewing
until recently, when, owing to extra ex-
penses in her own family, she was un-
able longer to pay the girl wages, 80 she
returned to the home, where she was
again installed and given work in the
dining room to pay her expenses. Some
have applied, perfectly destitute, and
been tided over possibly an extremely
dark hour.
A few weeks since, one Saturday even
ing, the doorbell rang, the mstron an
swered and was met by u young GIRL
apparently crazy, who asked if she
would be allowed to stay over night
without money; said che would just lie
in corner on the floor, if only she
might be given shelter, crying and
laughing at the same time in a state of
the greatest nervous excitement.
The matron, in kind tone, said !:
my poor girl, where have you come
from?" She replied that she had come
on tine train from the east. having been
told that she would be able to find work
aa soon as she would reach the city.
She had walked all day and gone into
the night with no work. no money, no
place but the street With this SORROW
ful tale came another series of hystericsl
laughing and crying. The matron,
thinking the girl surely inasne, showed
'r- room, tnen went to consult with
the DrAsldant as TO tho DrOprietv of
Keeping such person over night. The
presidents instructions were to take her
to the Westminster, next door, and
pay the necessary expense for them to
care for her. But when the matron re.
turned she found the poor creature in
the room which had been assigned her,
calm and sane, sitting quietly mending
a rent in her dress. The matron told
her she should have warm dinner, but
noticing peculiar looking package that
she was clinging to, asked her. "What
i that funny little package ?" The re-
ply was, BOLOGNA sausage
"But | thought you had no money ?'
She replied, II had just % cents
knowing should be hungry, bought
this"
After dinner che seemed go refreshed
and undou btedly in her right mind that
the matron told her she should remain
over Sunday and go to the table and eat
with the rest, although the forlorn girl
insisted she did not want to eat when
she had no money to pay for food.
On Monday Mrs. Hartley, who has the
employ ment bureau in the home base
ment found this girl place as domes-
tic in some family