The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-01

Go into any station of a busy police pre-
cinct and on the wall. by the side Of the
sergeant's desk, is big placard announc-
ing in fat black lettering that the Night
Refuge for Friendless Women is to be
found at No. IA West Fifteenth street. The
placard is the first object that strikes the
eye of the homeless creature as she opens
the door of the station, and she reads the
words: "Open all night for the reception
of those who need succor. No questions
asked, no cards or letters necessary to Sc
cure shelter and FOOD
ION a winter night we'll sometimes have
more than dozen women come here for
shelter. We just point to that placard
and they read it and go right out, and we
know that they'll find bed. There was
house during that bitter storm two or three
weeks ago-no coat, boots worn in holes
nothing but thin cotton dress and a bat
tered old hat; face all fallen Unlocked as
il she hadn't eaten anything in days;
starved with the cold, weak for want Of
to ask me something when she caught sight
of that pastebOard. She clutched hold of
the rail and, brushing away the hair where
it had fallen over her eyes, she began to
read the address with her hand at her fore
head-stupid like. Then she turned to me
away voice: Say. is there such places as
that?' Yep says I. Where they give
yer food and bed just because yer need
it,? Yep I says again.
" And they don't ask yer no questions?
That's the size of it, l tells her.
"sAnd don't want ter know who yer are?
Or how many times you've been locked up?
And don't want a certificate OF character
from yer minister? And won't turn yer
away cause yer can't give no references
from yer last place? Don't want ter know
who yer are or what you've been, so long
rpfO
II gave her Yes to all these questions.
"Then she turns and says: I'm glad I
saw that placard. I'll try it. l amt got
any hope, but I'll try it. I've been turned
down everywhere l went, and l was just
going to see whether the North River was
stopping to rule line under the last en-
try of drunk and disorderly,' land I
saw her no more. But I afterwards heard
that they had taken her in and found work
for her somewhere"
1t was on bitter day in the winter of
1851 that Mrs. Osborne, hurrying to her
home through by-street on the West Side,
saw two girls budding for shelter in a
doorway. Something in the aspect of the
women, something in the expression OF their
tear worn eyes. as they looked out upon the
driving rain, stopped her Ton her way, and
she turned back and spoke to them. Their
story was soon told.
We are two sisters. Our home is in Win
ston, Conn. Our people are poor There
was not enough food to feed us all, and so
we came to New York to look for work. and
didn't find it. We are penniless, and home
less, and starving"
Within an hour the two women were
housed in Mrs. Osborne's, home. Within a
week they had, by her aid, found employ
ment. And out of her chance meeting of
these two women arose the thought that
there were other sisters in this city who
might be in need as desperate; that here
was the possibility of0a work which might
be carried to an endless good. II will make
this work the chief object of my life." she
said. and never for a single instant in 20
years has she weakened in her purpose
Leslie's Weekly.