Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-09-18

ments that line the alleys, often not a
stones throw from some of the most lux
urious homes in Chicago. Two things
are lacking to give realism to the picture,
however, the sooty atmosphere and the
noisome odors These are not simply the
back doors of dwellings; they are front
and only doors for the people inside. The
rickety buildings are literally swarmng
with human life-no mention being made
of other kinds. Ten seconds before this
picture was taken, the doors and plat
forms were alive with women and children,
but at sight of the camera they scurried
away, perhaps taking the artist for some
emissary of the police, or, woman like, re-
alizing that they were hardly in holiday at
tire. One small denizen of the place was
Seguiled into sitting for portrait, and he
: pears n The upper corner. The sanitary
condition of these tenements are of vary
ing degrees of badness, and are worse in
side than outside. Sometimes cab drv-
er's horses are found stabbed on the first
floor, the wife and children occupying the
second, in apartments no better and scarce
ly cleaner than the stables below. Many
families have but one room for all 'pur-
poses, and not infrequently the one-room
family have taken in some unfortunate
even more destitute than themselves.
And how destitute some of them are!
On one of the coolest days of last winter,
deaconess found family without fuel or
food. The children had cried with cold in
the night until the mother in desperation
had broken up the chairs to keep fire
enough to prevent them from freezing.
Into homes like these, the deaconess comes,
bringing words of cheer and such substan-
tial aid as the generosity of benevolent
people makes possible. Once she was met
with the the cry, ut does seem as if God
has forgotten poor people," A sick girl,
burning with fever, lay on miserable cot
within arms length of a red-hot stove.
There was sickly boy of five, and the
poor little mother was cripple and far
from well. Her sister, a poor deaf and
dumb creature, was out doinga little scrub
bling by which to earn enough to pay the
rent. One child was in school. The
father-alas, the old, old story-was out
looking for work. "He never drinks"
said the wife, and has always been good
and kind, but when he comes home night
after night, tired and hungry, feel afraid
of him; he looks so crazy-like when the
children cry for something to eat" The
deaconess's heart sank, for she knew only
too well to what length desperate men had
been driven when helpless women and chill
dren cried to them in vain for food. She
was not trained nurse, but common
sense told her to prescribe fresh air, sim
pie applications of hot and cold water and
wholesome food for the sick girl and she
constituted herself a committee of ways
and means for carrying out her own pre-
scription. The treatment proved effective,
and in few days the sick girl was much
better, while the knowledge that they had
friend gave the disheartened parents new
courage. Besides, the father found a little
work, bringing him 80 cents a day-not a
great deal to be sure, but the beginning of
better things.
The view of "my parish was taken for
the Deaconess Advocate, a paper which is
published monthly in the interest of the
work these noble women of the Methodist
church are doing for the poor and neglect
ed in our great cities, and we have been al
lowed the use of it. The deaconesses
work entirely without salary, merely hav-
ing home, board and clothing provided
for them. There are two classes-vis visiting
or evangelistic deaconesses and nurse dea-
conesses. The former is often associated
with the pastor of church and works I'M
der his direction, looking up those whose
church letters are packed away in the bot
tom of trunks, and others who have never
uhu any CouueCllOu WIN CHURCHES, gamers
the children into Sunday school, conducts
children's meetings, mothers meetings and
industrial schools. The nurse deaconess |
has no special parish, but is detailed for
service here and there, as cases of sickness
and restitution are reported and assistance
asked. She not only cares for the sick,
but sees that the rooms are tidied, the
children sent to school, provides washer
woman if necessary, and sees that physi-
clan and medicines are provided when nee
essary. The first Deaconess Home of the
Methodist church in America was opened
in Chicago in June, 1887, under the direc-
ton of Mrs. Lucy Ryder Meyer, who, pre-
vious to her marriage, was teacher in
Mr. Moody's school for girls in Mortified.
There are now in this country, 80 institu-
tions Qncluding homes, hospitals, orphan