The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-23
The LOYAL WOMEN.
Defend the Manage
ment of Green
dale Home.
STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC.
Claim the "Deplorable Con-
ditions" Are Exceeded
in Other Quarters.
STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC.

attack of Rev. Arthur st. James upon
the management of the Greendale Or
phanage and the visit of NJ. B. Lamb
he saw there, given in a morning paper,
We're the chief topics of discussion. Mr..
Lamb inquired whether there were any
Roman Catholic children in the home,
and upon being told that they had
nearly all been Roman Catholics, but
were now Protestants, he appeared dis
tinctly displeased. Mrs. Petit says she
believes in telling the truth, and that
no harm can come of telling the truth.
When parents bring their children to
her, she tells them at the outset that
the institution is Protestant, and that
if they do not wish their children to be
come or remain Professionals, they would
better take them away. Some of the
children recently visited their Roman
Catholic relatives in another state.
They carried their Bibles along with
them, and talked to their people as if
they had been little ministers. When
Mrs. Petit told that, Mr.. Lamb is-said
to have looked queer. The ladies yes
lcludy were OL OplilIOn THAT There are
very few Protestant orphanageS that
would not strike Mr.. Lamb as being
"deplorable," with conditions more or
less immoral
At the meeting yesterday it was
unanimously voted to send the follow
ing communication to the press:
Trouble ahead for the Greendale
orphanage." In Wednesdays Telegram
under this heading a self-constituted
fafnf foo
Greendale orphanage from his outlook.
To unprecedented people this seems as
misleading as were the previous state
ments given in Saturdays issue of the
Telegram. Why this zeal just at this
time when charitable people have their
interest aroused and steps are being
taken to put the home on solid finan-
cial basis? How does it happen that
so many people in all previous visits of
inspection have been so blinded as not
to discover the "deplorahe' condition
Of the home? Is the home in a worse
location than was our Children's Friend
society when located on Shrewsbury
street? Did the children not grow up
to be respectable and valuable citizens
amid the surroundings there?
About the dining room, where the
poor children sit with their backs to a
big hot range VIII your readers
just how badly the children suffer? AS
for the sleeping apartments how many
of the dormitories of our city and state
institutions give more space to each
person than is given in the room where
the six girls sleep? Now, for the zap
alling attic, :" where sleep the Is little
boys: Did the children look, when on
the platform of Mechanics hall last
Saturday, as if they had suffered from
the effects of sleeping in the unplas-
tered attic? Arrangements are now
made to plaster the attic.
The unsanitary condition" can not
be so terrible when there has never
been a case Of contagious disease, nor
have physicians services been needed
this year.As for lack of water for sani-
tary purposes, there will be a supply
of this as soon as the condition is made
known to our city fathers, for they
never suffer citizens to. lack for what
they can so readily supply.
We would like to call the attention
of the gentleman who has the moral
and physical welfare of our citizens at
heart to a tenement house a few rods
from our residential streets where are
over thirty families, four rooms in
each tenement The children nearly
outnumber those in the home. The
sanitary condition of the house and
sidewalk is such that at times it is
unfit for passersby to venture on the
street. There are plenty of other fields
in similar conditions where he will
find abundant scope for his work for
humanity.
Now the moral condition of the
home" Can anyone in single visit
give such a positive opinion that the
matron can not or does not see that
there shall not be such a bad state of
affairs as he implies may be possible?
In the name of justice and humanity
can one not do all that is possible to
help the woman who has taken upon
herself to gather in Gods little ones
a woman who, in the Judgment of the
ladies who have interested themselves
in the home-is considered admirably
adapted to love and care for them
morally and physically, proof of which
can be seen in a visit to the children
IN the home at any day or hour.
Now word about the misleading ar
ticle in Saturdays Telegram. If the
reverend gentleman believes in just the
kind of orphanage that Greendale home
is, why, when it was incorporated, did
he not bring the matter before the pub
lie and take steps to have the commit
tee appointed of which he speaks He
says he has never tried in vain for
support" Why wait until the home
was in a "deplorable condition; wait
until few women already crowded
with charitable work came to the rescue
and by their efforts saved the-home I'M
til the present time, and just when
they have the matter in a condition to
organize and place the home on solid
financial basis, put his misleading" ar
ticle in one of our papers? 1t is re
Election on our wisdom and judgment
of I men who during many months
used Iheir utmost endeavor to call the
attention of charitable people to the
needs and wants of little homeless ones.
By the memory of childish faces,
which never grow old, for the little
ones have been gathered into the fold
of the good shepherd by the loving
presence of little children, which bring
joy and comfort into your homes, do
not let this home suffer from any mis-
leading reports. Visit the home: Judge
for yourselves. Then will you give in
in such a manner that you will apply
the 'Inasmuch as We have done it to
the least of these, by brethren, We have
done it unto me"
The T.. W.. of A. l.. was the first So
ciety to organize work for the Green
dale home. We want to defend our no
sition regarding the home. We daeply
resent the imputations on our wisdom
and judgment, and bespeak for the
home the hearty support and confidence
of the public.
(signed), Mrs. Ella D. Brooks, presi-
dent
Mrs. Helen De Camp, vice-president.
T