The morning times., 1897-02-28

which is ruled by woman and populated
by her own sex.
The original cause OF the inception OF
this project was the fearful prevalence Of
the love of liquor among the women of
England located in the cities. For many
years ii had been the custom in England
for laboreT's wife, for the wife of the
artisan, to indulge in her pot OF - 'alf and
'alf'' without criticism. Lady Henry, as
the chief OF the temperance movement in
England, thought out a remedy for the
women who had sUccumbedto the influence
Of drink, or who had by their love for
liquor fallen to the lowest depths.
The plan was the Industrial Farm Col-
ony. There were croakers who prophesied
the direst OF failures. Happily, they have
all proved false prophets, how thoroughly
so is demonstrated by Lady Henry Somer-
set herself, who has made this statement
concerning the work of the institution,
which She planned and caused to be estab-
lished:
1T is encouragin to believe that we
at any rate are feeling our way toward
solution OF the difficulty that has per
picked us sorely how TO deal with our
drunken women. We have hitherto relied
OH ptiidl tiftdtilltiiA. NOV &c At
20 see that we need educational methods.
The prison has failed as d deterrent to
the habitual drunkard, but we believe the
hospital viii succeed, and it is essen
italy on the lines of a hospital that we
have opened our work. Our medicine is
fresh air and hard work, kindness, sym
patby, and, above all, the atmosphere OF
home We have found that the outdoor
eInployments in which most of our patients
are engaged, have a curiously eNIiilarating
effect, beth mentally and physically. and
the trim forcing houses, neat gardens, and
well grown fruit and flowers testify TO
the power of women to carry out this
work with a large measure of success.
The hothugscS which have teen from
first to last cared for entirely by the wo-
men, have done so well this first year that
we are justified in erecting other buildings
on the same plan. The enthusiasm the gar
denlng has wakened among those who are
engaged in il is another hopeful sign. Our
women were as intent on sending their
crop of early vegetables to the London
market a. any professional market gar
dener in the land.
Il was speaking few days ago TO the
medical man who visits us periodically,
ana ne told me that ne could not have be-
heved that such good physical results
could have attended the treatment given to
the patients at DuxhuTst. He had seen wo-
men whoseheaIth seemed to beperInauently
impaired entirely recuperated within
few weeks. and new health and yigor re-
stored TO them. Specially successful has
been the system Of dividing the patients
into little groups. each circle occupying
its own particular cottage. with a nurse
matron at its head. The institutional
spirit has been entirely removed, and the
pride that the women take in our little
homes as they call them. is testified by
the spotleSs cleanliness OF the interior of
each dwelling, and the laudable rivalry
that exists in the village as to which house
is best cared for. The patients have been
sent to US in many instances by magis-
trates who have given the women the op-
ton OF coming 10 the colony, or of going
TO prison as drunk and disorderIy.
I'VE have also some who have left prison
and many who have come voluntarily from
their own homes. We make no distinctions,
and nobody knows the history OF any ofthe
patients but the sister superintendent and
myself. Perhaps the feature that has given
us most encouragement, however, is the
manner in which the women can be trusted
after few months residence in the VII
lage. AT first no woman is allowed to
leave the premises under any preteXt. She
is practically prisoner on the farm. But
after some months sojo1rn, if no rules are
broken, she is allowed to become what we
call trust patient, and she is free to go
out walking by permission, is sent to do
errands and has a certain amount OF lib
erty. In only two cases has this trust been
broken. and / think that the women who
thus disappointed us suffered more from
the reproaches of their own companions
than they did from the reprimand of those
In authority.
The great difficulty hitherto attending
thisrcform wor has been that when women
are dismissed from homes the first day Of