Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-02

had been moved. The bishop and DIR.
Bruce had already seen some wonderful
things in their brief life at the settle
ment. They were to see far greater
soon, more astonishing revelations of
the Divine power than they had sup
posed possible in this age of the world.
Within month the saloon next the
settlement was closed. The saloon keep
er's lease had expired, and Clayton not
only closed the property to the whisky
men, but offered the use of the building
to the bishop and DIR. Bruce for the set
Element work, which had now grown SO
large that the building was not suffi-
Gent for the different industries that
were planned. One of the most impor-
tant of these was the pure food depart
ment suggested by Felicia. It was not
a month after Clayton turned the saloon
property over to the settlement that
Felicia found herself installed in the
very room where souls had been lost as
head Of a department not only of cook
ing, but of course of housekeeping for
girls who wished to go out to service
She was now resident of the settle
ment and found home with Mrs
Bruce and the other young women from
the city who were residents Martha,
the violinist, remained at the place
where the bishop had first discovered
the two girls and came over to the set
Element certain evenings to give lessons
in music.
Felicia, tell us your plan in full
now said the bishop one evening
when, in rare interval of rest from
the great pressure of work, he, with DR..
Bruce and Felicia, had come in from
the other building.
"Well, l have long thought of the
hired girl problem" said Felicia, with
an air of wisdom that made Mrs. Bruce
smile as she looked at the enthusiastic,
vital beauty of this young girl, trans
formed into new creature by the
promise she had made to live the Christ
like life land I have reached certain
conclusions in regard to it that you
men are not yet able to fathom, but
Mrs. Bruce here will understand me. y
1--WE acknowledge our infancy, Fee
licia. Go on said the bishop humbly.
"Then this is what l propose to do:
The old saloon building is large enough
to arrange into suit of rooms that
will represent an ordinary house. My
plan is to have it SO arranged and then
teach housekeeping and cooking to girls
who will afterward go out to service
The course will be six months long. In
that time will teach plain cooking,
neatness, quickness and love of good
work. I"
Hold on, Felicia!" the bishop inter
rupted. "This is not an ago of mira
icles..o
I e'Then I will make it one, replied
Felicia. 81 know this seems like an inn
I possibility, but want to Try it. know
n score of girls already who will take
the course, and if we can once establish
something like an esprit de corps among
| the girls themselves l am sure it will
be of great value to them. know al
i ready that the pure food is working 4
revolution in many families.
Felicia, if you can accomplish half
! of what You propose to do, it will bless
this whole community, said Mrs.
Bruce. Il don't see how you can do it,
! but / say God bless your as you try.
$50 say we all Hecried DR.. Bruce and
the bishop, and Felicia plunged into the
working out of her plan with the en-
| thusiasm of her discipleship, which ev,
cry day grew more and more practica
and serviceable.
1t must be said here that Felicia.
plan succeeded beyond all expectations
| She developed wonderful powers of per
suasion and taught her girls with aston
| ishing rapidity to do all sorts of house
work. In time the graduates of Felicia
cooking school came TO be priced by
housekeepers all over the city But tina
is anticipating our story The histor,
Of the settlement has never yet bee,
written. When it is, Felicia's part will
be found of very great Importance
The depth of winter found Chicag,
presenting, as every great city of tn
world presents, to the eyes of Christen
dom that marked contrast between
riches and poverty, between culture
/ fennemenV, luxury, ease ana ignorance
| depravity, restitution and the bite
struggle for bread. 1t was a hard win
ter, but gay winter. Never had ther
been such succession of parties. recep
tions, balls, dinners, banquets, fetes
1 gayeties; never had the opera and TIL
theater been SO crowded with fashion
able audiences; never had there bee
such q lavish display of jewels and fin
dresses and equipages, and, on the 9th
er hand, never had the deep want an
suffering been so cruel, so sharp, S
murderous; never had the winds blow;
so chilling over the lake and throug
the thin shells of tenements in tn
neighborhood of the settlement; neve
had the pressure for food and fuel an
clothes been SO urgently thrust u
against the people of the city in thei
most importunate and CHASTITY form.
| Night after night the bishop and Dl
Bruce, with their helpers, went out an
helped to save men and women an
children from the torture of physicf
privation. Vast quantities of food an
clothing and large sums of money wer
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