The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-03
HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS
ANNUAL REYIEW OF THE HOMES
 BENEFICENT WORK.

Managers Chosen for the Ensuing Year
 The Home's Finances, Etc.
 The annual meeting of the board of directors of the Home of the F'riendless was held yesterday at o'clock p. m. in Trinity parish house. Rev, Dr. Chapman presided,
 Dr Chapman opened the meeting with reading from the Scriptures, Acts 1925. He then made brief address, in which he said:
 q thank the society for asking me to speak before you kindness I had hardly expected, having been in the city for so short a time. The work the home is doing Is certainly exemplary and the laborers must unavoidably catch some of the spirit and feeling of the Master. I feel that you are doing good and benefiting yourself at the same time. It is easy and pleasant to work for those who appreciate our eff forts, but it Is a different thing to work for those who are fretful and Worn-out in mind and body and whose hearts are bitter and discontented. It is a difficult task to help these, but if we make it our constant effort to mend their spir itual and mental condition, I am sure we will in the end succeed and that these poor ones will respond 10 the kindness and assistance given them There is one evil to be guarded against and that is mechanical methods in the deeds of kindness and love. When we make calls, visit sick and the like, let us not do it as a sense of duty, but in the spirit of the Master and our work will be much more effective and we will enjoy it. When sympathy is needed and we take an afflicted one-hand let the eyes show the sympathy in the heart and do not hold back the tear. This silent eloquence far surpasses any spoken words.
 Then when we have pasesd to the other shore and we have done well here we will be glad to find some one, whom we have helped, awaiting us and taking our hand lead us before the Master and tell Him what you have done"
 After a few more words Dr. Chap man called upon the various commit tees for reports
 He secretary $ report lOlUWS.
 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.
 The number of inmates in the Home for the Friendless Is at present smaller than usual No applications for the admission of children have recently been made, and during the last few months the four older children in the home became eligible to the orphan asylum, and have been transferred to 1t, leaving only five infants in our care. While we miss the childrens faces from the household, we are glad of this indication that there is less suffering among children than is usual at this time of year This reduction in our number is of course only temporary, for we hold ourselves in readiness, now, as in the past, to shelter any destitute and neglected little child until arrange ments can be made for it's permanent care
 During the last year three inmates have died, all of whom had lived to be over eighty years of age. There are now fourteen women over seventy in the home, and twenty who are both el- derly and feeble.
 Nine young girls, eight of whom are still with us, have been received during the year, each one promising to remain for six months and to faithfully obey the rules of the institution.
 Thirty years of experience have so broadened and perfected the methods of our institution that young girl who enters 1t almost always conforms at once to her surroundings, and soon en- ters heartily into the spirit of what is required of her. She is carefully taught to use her hands, and to love work for works sake She is brought under systematic Christian discipline, and made to feel the softening influence of loving sympathy, and she very soon re- pays the wise care and affection which is shown her by a grateful attempt to do the very best she can. When she leaves the home it is with the deter imitation to henceforth be an honest wage-earner, and with true thankful ness that the home has rescued her from her past
 Every few weeks finds some conva- lescent, not yet strong enough to work, enjoying the hospitality of the home. Frequently we are asked to shelter a deserted wife with her little children until she can recover a little from the shock of a bereavement worse than that which death brings, and gather tip her strength to try unaided to support her family.
 Often a friendless stranger asks for protection for few nights until she can find work.
 All these bring up our number for this year to an average of fifty inmates There is seldom more than one unoccu- pied room in the house, frequently not that.
 A valuable feature of our work is the weekly Bible class, the meetings of which are always most eagerly looked forward to. Many of its members re- ceive in this class, for the first time in their lives, religious instruction. For some years this class has been faith fully and efficiently conducted by Miss Mary Griffing, who to our regret is un- able to go on longer with the work. Miss Julia Eliot has very kindly con- sented to take her place.
 We also count ourselves as very for tunate in that we have been able to maintain so high a domestic standard, the atmosphere of the home being that of a Christian family, and it's elevat- ing influence on the inmates very great While this cannot be expressed in words I,xr& -;cif t,