The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-14
HOME FOR THE FRiENDLESS.

1t is so many years since the incep-
| tion of this great charity, and so much
| has already been written concerning the
| work it is doing for the friendless Wo-
men and children of our city, 1t scarce
| ly seems possible that anything new
| can be added.
Almost twenty-five years ago. women
of ability and insight and a love for
! Christ in their hearts. took upon their
| shoulders the noble work of providing
| a Home for aged and destitute women.
and a shelter for homeless children.
which their sisters of today are privi-
legged to continue.
The citizens of Scranton have most
generously and cheerfully maintained
the work. evincing an interest and SYM
pathy with all it's details most satisfac-
tory to the workers.
The life of the Home resembles that
of large Christian family. The chief
manager has general supervision Of the
household, while the matron cares for
| the comfort of the inmates, superin-
tends the servants and attends to the
| various duties that usually devolve up
on the mother of a family
The inmates are taught the precepts
of the Protestant religion, care being
| taken that no sectarian peculiarities
shall be inculcated. To this end the
| Board of Managers are composed of wo-
men representing all the Evangelical
| denominations Of the city.
The last Tuesday Of every month a
| religious service Is held at the Home,
| conducted by different pastors of the
city.
Many of the young women of Scran-
! ton have endeared themselves to the
old ladies by reading to them and in
various other pleasant ways, perhaps
the climax being reached when "after-
noon tea is served them in their own
| little sitting room. Every Sabbath
afternoon a member of the Board spends
an hour in reading to them.
| Many of these aged women have
passed through sad trials: most of them
have reached the Home through strange
vicissitudes and almost universally
| their hearts are full of gratitude toward
| their benefactors.
| BY far the largest number of the Soci-
ety's beneticaries are little children
those who are old enough to attend the
| public schools, and as a rule their con-
duct both there and elsewhere compares
favorably with average children.
They are taught habits of industry
and as far as possible assist in the ordi-
nary work of the household. For those
too young to attend school kinder
| garten has been established in the
| Home. This has proved q most yalu.
able adjunct to the work.
Perhaps no feature has been pro-
ductive of more good than the
placing of these homeless children
| in families. So far as possible the man.
ayers watch over their indentured chill
| dren. Some are now grown to man.
hood and womanhood, quite q number
are married and several are engaged In
business for themselves.
Since the Act of 1893 giving societies
the power to remove children from neg
ligent or cruel parents, large number
! have been received and placed in homes
1t usually being better to remove them
| their parents
The number of deserted children Is
simply appalling.
On December 81, 1896, there were
thirty-seven children in the Home who
mad been abandoned by one or botf
parents.
AT present the Home is crowded, par.
ticuiarly the dormitories, but the pros.
poets for new building in the
near future are exceedingly promising
Two OF our prominent citizens have
iapored faithfully in its interests. anc
IL Is expected that work will be com.
menced on the new building within q
few weeks.
In the years that have passed great
blessings have been showered upon the
work The managers are full of faitl
that Scranton's generous citizens viii
never see the work of "rhe Home" Ian.
guish for lack of funds.
The present officers are: Mrs. J. a
Robertson, president; Mrs. c. p. Mat.
thews. vice PRESIDENT: Mrs. John Gen
ter, chief manager; Mrs. w. ID. Ken.
nedy, recording secretary: Mrs c. B
Penman, corresponding secretary; Mrs
u. n. Taylor. treasurer.
The Board of Managers are: Mrs. f.
n. Ripple. Mrs. X. G., Brooks, Mrs T.
II. Gerlock, Mrs. Cora Merrifeld, Mrs
g. l.. Dickson, Mrs. 3. NJ. Winton. Mrs
w. n Perkins, Mrs. N. Y. Leet, Mrs
u. $. Moifat. Miss Jennie Reynolds
Mrs. r. w. Mason. Mrs. G. b. Scott
Mrs. u. Langstaf1. Mrs. j. K. Fordham
Mrs. a. r.. Hunt Mrs. h. +. Chamber.
lain. Mrs. r. w. Luce, Mrs. j. l.. Stelle
Mrs. James l.. Connell. Mrs Charles
Schlager Mrs. Luther Keller, Mrs. IL
M. Streeter, Mrs. a. Hendrick, Mrs
w. w. Watson. t
| Diiferent committees arc In charge OF
special departments Of the work.
Every Thursday forenoon the execu.
4 H