The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-19
THE WORK OF
GOOD WOMEN
A Night Of Refuge for FrieOdleSs and
Sorsaken. Women.
GROWTH OF ANEW YORK CHARITY
How It Came To lie Started-Help
Extended 10 Discharged
People aud Its
Results.
GROWTH OF ANEW YORK CHARITY

ter and assistance free OF charge IheIo
are the Homes FOR Respectable Nouns
Girls" the Female Assistance Socie-
ties" shelter for the Frlendioss.' and so
on. There are also Magdalen Asyiuhl9
and Houses Of Refuge OF all these WeH-
planned charities there is only one IN
which the clause no questions asked
figures a. a main factor ia the adhissio"
OF inmates AZ This one. plain UMPIRE
tentious looking broWn-stOne house al
ia West Fifteenth street. IZl% women
admitted without inquiry even as to theT
name. were sheltered and icd during lh'a
last year. The place IS known as Inc
Might Refuge Tor trendlcss women
Its benehciarics eet word Of IL through the
police, the pOstmen. and such citl@ehs az
have had their attention called 10 II
The woman who founded IT, who has IN
duced others 10 help her support H. Is
notably unworthy. liking TO Keep her
good Offices ia the background ana 10
work quietly and silently among thoa'
whose benevOlence she has aroused S"e
Is not a rich woman In tho twenty -O"'
years since starting her peculiar choIse
che has never asked or had from the
the home. but has secured an funds by
personal exertion. Checks for rent. bar
rels OF provisions. boxes of groceries, ana
bales OF clOthing-stuns are constant con-
tributions from merchants whose hearts
were touched that there should be women
actually in want Of food and "a shelter III
the very midst Of the city's plenty
The whereabouts Of this lodging-plac
where no questions are asked is posted
plainly on the wall beside the sergeant
desk in every uolce station. When wom-
en-, hungry and with no place 10 60, apply
at the police station for shelter they see
the card: might refuge for women
Open all night for the reception OF those
who need succor. No cards OF letters ne
cessarv 10 secure shelter and food " on
winter nights more than a dozen women.
one by one. often apply at the police sta-
tions as n last recourse. In the summer
there are not so many. The city is not
so crowded then and conditions are easi-
or.
or the numerous police stations. those
on the west side regard this refuge FOR
women applicants as an incalculable good
MANY a homeless woman is given car
fare 10 West Fifteenth street from dis
tant PARTS of town. and once within the
influence of the matron at the refuge
the applicant is not allowed 10 90 uni
her state is bettercd by substantial meals,
warm clothing. and the feeling that she
has friends 10 depend on. She is free %
use the place as a haven while she goes
out IN search Of employment. even if
# takes weeks for her 10 find work. if
she chooses 10 uuburden her woes and il
turns ont that she has friends at "a dis
tanco who could help her she Is assisted
to make the necessary money for her
passage to them. If st proves that q
health was the cause of her trouble. she Is
placed I'm the right hospital for her com
plant. and the refuge matron acts as
sponsor for her. II the woman has fed
from brutal or drunken husband, or from
any manner of family injustice, she is given
advice and all possible aid only one de
scriDtion OF outcast is debarred the shell
ter. and that Is the woman who is nois-
ilv drunk and who would be menace to
the peacefully inclined The sergeants at
the stations do not send this kind TO the
refuge.
TWO STRONG FACTS
There are two facts ever present IN
my mind when / see these women said
the mistress Of the home zone that it is
very easy Tor a woman who has not much
money nor the capacity for earning money
10 get through with what She has ana
come t. tie verge OF desperation. the
other. that "a sensitiyely constituted wOm-
an would rather starve than run the
gauntlet OF questions as to what brought
her to this pass. PO~erty Is deadly sting
TO dehcately organized people once they
give their name and declare their identity
Is rauIors they feel that a brand Is upon
them. HUNDREDS OF women have stayed I'm
our home whose names j do not know,
whose ret.cence / respect They stayed
there and picked up the courage and ply
steal strength to start on again. 1 asked
them nothing. Sometimes, months after
when they We're working and removed
from want. they have sent me some re-
membrane. may Doe "a little sum OF money
for the home or only letter OF gratitude
giving me assurance that the help had
not fallen on stony ground.
EASY TO JUDGE.
81 am a pretty good judge OF character
"a every one who comes much I'm contact
with people gets 90 Doc I can usually tell
az once the grade of life my dodgers come
from Shabby clothes soNed hands. un-
kept hair distracted looks cannot dis
glise the gently born woman. and there
Gre such here frequently Though OF
them tell us their story for us 10 gauge
tho rest. and when / see woman OF re-
thankfully. bat bearing her trouble In
silence. reser,ing the name and identity
that she fears her condition would suE
I understand. and would no more Try
TO probe into her past than ] would touch
n wound not vet healed We have had
women here who became ill purely from
the reaction after their long siege of wor-
~ before deciding 90 appeal for help.
And some have come here after serious Ill
ness in hospitals. discharged too soon.
They broke down after only short term
OF work. and had nothing 20 support
themselves on, having pawued one posses
sion after another until AFFECT destitution
made them think Of suidice. Then I get
them. and seeing them brighten take
heart and start life fresh again Is ample
reward for anN eXcrtion"
This night refuge D. In reality only one
branch Of n more compre hensivc charity
II was Inevitable thet out OF the hundreds
% women housed SO Informally there
should he some peculiarly interesting,
wild girls running away from uncongcn-
iai homes. impatient OF restriction. or
because Of disputes with parents or guar
dams. would come when stranded % the
refuge and afterward Boo moved 10 tell
their story These girls need pepper quar-
tiers untn a reconciliation can be brought
about. Women overworked and IN come
90 the home and women from an trades
ard vOcations and those with no vocation
but who had come 10 New York seeking
work and failed I'm the quest All those
were Included IN tho homeless friend
icse' class that appealed FOR hospitality
Yrtfle hy little tho LODGING plant was
enlarged. and now a embraces the two