The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-07
1he SOCIAL WORLD
 %,WOMAN'S DOMAIN
THE WEST END
 NEIaHBoRHoop HOUSE.

THE WEST END
 NEIaHBoRHooD HOUSE. A modest charity of which little is known has existed in Montgomery for | one year. It is a charity looking to the | good of the body, mind and soul of the factory children at West End, and was
 begun by band of lovely women bent
 on teaching the practical arts of sew
 ing, cooking and gardening to these lit- | tie ones.
 The Neighborhood House. where the lessons are taught. Is haven in the monotonous lives of the factory chill dren. Its walls are decortaed with There are book cases, with some books and magazines; there are punching bags and other health exercises. This all grew in favor with the float ing population of the factory people. and now and again during the eighteen months since its inauguration, other branches have been added. A dainty kindergarten, making quilts, a boys | club, and sales of children's grown clothing.
 These sales have saved the over | worked mothers many a weary stitch, and the amount realized from these sales has always been used for the | benefit of the children. It has gone for | the purpose of medicines, ice, lights and school books. which are needed in the night school that has recently been ad- ded.
 Untold good has been. and is being. done for the future voters of our State in the intercourse with the refined wo- men who have this charity in charge, The practical and effective lessons have gone forward each week. Boys and girls who, six weeks ago. could not read. have now covered fifty pages of the first reader: those who, six weeks | ago. could not write. read or add scarcely at all, are now in the second | reader, are asking each evening for story books to take home, are writing legible hands, and have begun that terror to all young minds-fractions.
 Some of the boys were placed in the county school last Christmas by the efforts of these women. They are re- ported as eager to learn and as appre- ciative ofthe opportunity given them by the sweet unselfishness of the teachers who. after the years work, are willing to devote two hours day of their rest time to the less fortunate.
 The parents of these children are not | ambitious for them. They are apt to feel that as their lives have been lived | without such opportunities as reading,
 writing and figuring, so may those of their children. Each of these children | from to 13 years of age labors eleven hours during the day in the factory, | and in spite of that, they come to the | little Neighborhood House eager to spend two hours in the presence of knowledge
 The ultimate object these ladies have in view is the establishing in this part of Montgomery a thoroughly equipped
 Neighborhood House. which will be an uplifting institution some of the fea- lures of which will be a dSy nursery. "ncEc tuS lItLlc OueS WuO IuuSI Uc LcLL by parents and older brothers and sis ters who must work; free baths and soap. free lessons. in cooking and laun- dering. gymnasium, night schools, boys and girls clubs which will include innocent amusements. instructive tab leaux and theatricals. and a last and important feature will be place where few sick can have attention near home.
 This work at Neighborhood House was first undertaken by the Guild Of Christian Service of St. Johns Church. It has been conducted under the aus pices of that organization, though oth- CTS have also assisted in the effort. The project has had the earnest CO., operation of the Rector and the Assist ant Minister of St. Johns. It has been the especial care of the Rev. MT. Cobbs, who has given 1t his unceasing interest; and it is largely due to his enthusiastic and self-sacrihclng labors that the undertaking has reached it's present measure of success. The larger cooperation of the gentepen of the city will be most opportune.