The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29
THE ENGLEWOOD INDUSTRIAL
SCHOOL.

no idea of the splendid and efnclent re'
suits of this industrial school which is
held every Saturday afternoon in the
Sunday school rooms Of the UNIVERSAL
list church. A visit to this charitable
enterprise by all the generous minded
people of this district would be giving
them pleasant surprise and at the
same time dealing out silent admoni-
ton for the neglect of the fields which
are ripe for the harvest. :,
The very nature Of the school would
lead one to suppose that this undertak
ing was the fruition of some generous
womanly heart, but no! Rev. n. "A.
White. who is a man to believe In the
worth of his own thought and who de-
monstrates every day OF his life that
what is good and true for himself is alike
oood and true for others, and he at once
puts his hand to the lever which must
ro;sa the unfortunate and less favored
to a position where better things are
possible. | met him a moment at the
vestry door as l was going in and ne was
Fastening away down town to meet with
the judiciary of the city to lobby with
them in behalf of the young boys VINO
THROUGH the present administration OF
Justice are placed in forcing hot beds OF
crime and sin. He with other noble
minded men are striving for a Bright
we'll. to take the place of the present
Bridewell, where the young impression
able souls are walled in with callous OF
depravity which cramps the action OF
those young lives long after they have
been set free from that confinement.
But I am depressing. In the middle
Of last fall. some time the latter part OF
October, this work was inaugurated with
sixteen pupils. Since which time it's
wonderful growth and success is largely
due to the efficient management and
untiring labors of Mrs. W. W. Carter,
who is president. and Mrs. Fl. II. Gross,
secretary and treasurer.
AS you enter the large rooms the first
sight which greets your vision is pretty
indeed. Around small tables are grouped
seven or eight little sleek heads bent
over their sewing, with the teacher who
looks after each group. There is a
pleasant drowsy buzz of voices which is
az musical as the drone of summer af-
ternoon and the little hands fly back and
forth with the glistening needle, each
time perfecting not only the seam OF
some useful garment but as we'll the
seam of life. Order and good nature
peryaded the rooms like benedlctlon
while the twinkling up-glancing eyes
bespeak happy hearts and wiling
obedience where the rule is love.
All this means something more than
learning to sew, while that in these days
of machines would be sufficient in itself,
but the good done also meets the physi-
cal demands of the present.
After each pupil has been Taught how
to hem. fell, over hand, back stitch, she
is given the choice of the particular
under garment which she is most In
in need of. She is measured and it is
cut out of good durable material and
she is set to work upon it. When IL 10
done she pays five cents for it, the whole
of it being made by herself under careful
direction. Nearly thirty garments have
been finished in this way. which are now
covering those tender little forms, beside
the life long lesson they have received
and the pleasant memory this associa-
ton must leave in their minds long after
such seams have lost their novelty and
pleasure. Miss Kenny is the inspector,
and now and then some bit of work has
to be taken out. OF course the eyes
drop and the lips culver, but they gently
are made to understand it is much bet
ter for them to learn to do it the incest
and best way. Mrs. Carter told me they
have never had a rude nor unruly child
thus far.
The way they would turn up their
dresses to show the little wooden petit
coats they had made, in their coy and
yet delighted way, was extremely pa
thetic; and one could not but bs i'm
pressed with the easy pleasures of child
hood and what pity it was that all
needy little girls could not be given
this stimulant of pride in her own tidy
apparel. There is reward of merit in
work given each week and after pupil
receives so many cards of excellence she
gets a prize, which is dress pattern.
Most of these children come from the
other side of Halsted street, necessitat-
ing a walk of four miles by the time
they have reached home.
OF course these little tots get tired
and it would not be reasonable to expect
them to sit steadily over their work for
three straight hours, and as rest to
them their work is laid down and diff
ferent sorts of amusement is provided
for them. Quite often Mr.. Belknap
comes and plays. Mrs. Geo. Barr comes
and sings and Mrs. E. S. Brown comes
and tells them stories. Then, too, they
have pretty little folk songs which Mrs.
R. Awhile plays while they sing, being
led by Mrs. Carter assisted by Miss
Kenny.
The girls range in age from to IA
years. So many have wanted to come
into the school they have had to place a