New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-26
GARMENTS SOLD TO THE POOR.
EVEN A SMALL PAYMENT MEANS THE RE-
TENTION OF sELF-REsPECT.

TENTION OF SELF-RESPECT.
There is a clothing bureau at No. 4l9 West Nine
feminist. at least that IL the modest appeha"o"
which those charge have given 1t, but the teri"
bureau in this instance covers large nein' S'''
bedsteads chairs chlldrens cribs stoves. emma ann
such articles can scarcely come under the head OF
clothing over COO individuals and their families en-
10Y the benefits OF this bureau and bless the happy
thought of the good Sisters who. knowing 'nei'
needs contrvcd this way of alleviating them.
In the basement this partly picturesque, partly
pa thetic and altogether admirable labor OF love
carried on and on Friday and Saturday afternoons
when the bureau Is thrown open to its patrons the
buyers enjoy the pricing and looking on as much
as the well-dressed shoppers in higher sphere
enjoy a visit to the Broadway stores
I'pstairs in the comfortable apartments OF the
Sisters OF the Good Shepherd twenty little girls i
a home These little girls grow TO womanhood' anu
others take their places. but year in and year OUT
the twenty are always there receiving food. cloth
ing educa ton and less tangible but as important
benefits at the hands Of these devoted women
Three years ago the head of the Siserhood visited
England and there she found the germ OF the .io'"
ing Bureau; a germ which ranspanted 10 new
York and diligently nourshed and tended has deVei-
oped into plant Of hardy growth FOR twenty
five years we gave away clothing to the poor said
the sweet faced Sister when asked about the orslh
of the enterprise and like many others VINO nav
had experience in charitable work. We iouhu mat
plan not satisfactory II Is singular fact nut ohe
that has been proved time and again, that the more
YOU do FOR people the more they expect you 10 40
For the poor habi.uay to receive assistance - ce
morazing 1t tends to paralyze their energy III
some way and then In nine cases out or ten as re-
cards this work. the who needed help the most
did not get II. The present mode or dealing WIN INC
problem has solved most OF its difficulties for u.s.
and the benefciaries themselves seem 10 APP
preciate the articles infinitely more because 'hey
have had 70 make some sacrifice TO obtain tnem'
eve have many friends she continued, VINO are
In sympathy with the work. ana they sehu us Juan
titles OF clothing and household furniture wnich are
really Of excellent value but which they have dis
cardcd. These things sell for n merely noHinai
sum 10 those who have tickets Of admission 10 tne
bureau Now see this coat (hoding up we'll
cut well-made garment OF fine ladies' cloth. SATIN
lined and ornamentcd with braid and DIT OF eooh
fur about the collar) ut must have cost certainly
,s5 or $40 It will be sold for 81 80 or 81 o. II mas
hardly been used AT all. 1t only came IN yesterday
but We will put carefully away until SEPTEMBER
when many will be eager for IT,
lyon issue tickets for your customers?
Eyes: We found we must limit them AS 1t Is
now so many that they spread out al over
the laundry and other rooms not intended ior theH'
besides we want 20 feel sure that we are heipine
the really deserving those who are trying to avoid
evil and live upright lives. Some names we nave
had on our books for years before We ever thought
OF selling the things; others are commented to us
hy people whose word Ne can rely on ticket en-
titles the holder to buy at any time after her name
is registered The old acquainiances we feel inter-
csted I'm and know the size Of the children the
measure Of the adults and 50 on. From time 70
time az articles come In. We lay aside Tor these
such Garments AS would be to suit them Some
times We will all be the lookout Tor weeks Tor
pair Of trousers bg enough for Joe. or a shouder
cape for Joe's grandmother among the miscelIane-
GUS articles contributed The Sisters are always
rf,, fonts of all
70 see whose wants can be supplied
..D,.s not this take up great deal OF your time!
..y.s but We are more than repaid when We see
IN. eager faces bcamlng With pleasure ana graft
tude. Yesterday woman was made quite ohssiu'
bv getting suit Of cadet clothes for 20 cents TIE
suit WAS perfectly good and OF beautiful CLOTH ana
sho WAS going to make II FOR her boy. She had
been trying for several Saturdays TO buy something
here that would 90 for him, and when these soiiler
clothes came were 50 glad because she Is eN-
p.rt with her needle and can easily alter them.
You see all Of the things We have are OF excellent
material Of stun that will wear we'll mother
huvs her glrl A dress here for 81 - which. by re-
binding the bottom repairing the waist little ana
nutt!nr fresh lining In the collar Is sure TO OUT
Ias, ton dresses Of the nlmsy cotton material she
might purchase at 10 or 20 cents yard. These
things seem trivial and Insignificant. but there are
thousands OF poor people who cannot begin 10 dress
their families even comfortably on the wages they
receive and the cheap material they buy quickly
wears out. The wOollen underwear we nave hau
given TO us this winter has been boon 10 many
, rheumatic man or delicate child. living In poorly
heated rooms scantily clad. with insufficient bed
ding our tickets mention the hour Is O'Clock IN
the afternoon when customers Will be admitted
tho holder OF ticket coming at Is expected 10 be
through with his or her purchases ana be gone by
but many lnger all the afternoon. They enjoy II.
II IS an event for them. this bureau day. coming
In the midst OF their monotonous, hard worked
lives and they take II as IA holiday
..Then they tell their trials and hopes regarding
,bci- work family affairs and on. We invite
such condolences because II gives us chance to talk
with them and perhaps lead them TO look on things
from "A more elevated standpoint We have reason
10 think that the bureau does good in more ways
than one. In the evenings OF the bureau days men
come TO buy who can't leave their work at other
times We have a number OF household articles sent
TO us articles OF furniture kitchenware. rugs, oc-
casionally picturcs-any thing and everythlng-and
we gladly receive IL all Knowing many OF our Gus
toners well as We do we know exactly where TO
place the furniture. Blu; everything is sold. or
course the price Is nominal. but the recipients feel
that they have purchased their possessions legiti
ma,ely and that fact adds to their enjoyment OF
them.
I'VE also have another class of bcnefciaries. dis
tinct from those who come on regular bureau days.
continued the good sister. These are people OF IA
better rank in life. who have no, much of this
uorlI's goods but whose business positions
natural desires dictate tina; they must dress we'll
To dress well on the salary OF "A typewriter
is not an easy matter. We have numbers Of gar
ments sen, TO MS by wealthy women which. from
their STYLE OF make and the beauty OF the material
are totally unsulted to the majority OF our
toners.
These find a ready sale among people to whom good
clothes are a necessity. and otherwise unattainabe
We have furnished forth bride from stock
Of evening dresses We could not have given her
an outdt all at once. but gradually the things came
in A dress Of white nuns yelling. which little
cleaning and renovating made good new and
much better than she could otherwise buy. was the
wedding gown Again the desirable white
slippers from another source. and other coveted
appurtenances Just by accident the things got to-
gether A mother came one day seeking conlirma-
ton dress for her fourteen year-old girl. We had