The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-29
THE woMAN's HOME.
By Andrew James Miller.

By Andrew James Miller.
 There is always a pathos attached to pid age, even when surrounded with ey- cry comfort that might soften the "sere and yellow stage of existence. But our iiveliest commiseration must be reserved for those in their dotage, who are re- 1uced to the scantiestl necessities of life and whose years are not things of chance and fate, but their condition and envi- ronment unfortunately are the decree of impious fate. To their bleared and fad ing vision, the evening of life has only the sombre pleasure of aims, and the benign hand, which keeps the wolf from the door. They must sit counting the beads in Times rosary, awaiting the summons of the Grim Reaper. Such are the waifts-the feeble in mind, body and estate--the ffotsam and jetsam-who have been out-stIipt in life's battle and showed into the eddies of it's swift and more or less indifferent current. It Is just such a picture of poignant pathos, pitiless realism and -life's irony. that one can daily behold. under the sheltering care of the Woman's Home in this city. There, one can daily look upon a life-canvass which cannot fail to bring the beholder into a vital sympathy with the efforts of the noble band of ladies, who are work ing to ameliorate the misery and suf- fering of the unfortunate. The poor and helplessi Helpless women and children! What terrible affiiction does existence appear to a large number of Its chill dren! To these many unfortunates. pos sibly handicapped from birth, in thC struggle for bread. must easily come that anticipated problem, Ifs life worth liv' ing?"
 The Woman's Home, organized here more than twenty years ago, has under taken the benevolent work of caring foi helpless women and children and now has under its protection thirty-five oi these unfortunates. twelve of whom are absolutely beyond all hope of helping themselves. while the other twenty-three are wholly without means of support, but capable of feeble efforts in their own be- half. Their work has been done under mahy difficulties. and, at times, under a financial strain that threatened its com -plete abandonment. But they have con- tinued undaunted and demonstrated the untold beneyolence that can be accom- piished even amid discouragements.
 It shows how much good has been done and can be done by this actual. personal. Friendly care and interest, aidir help Jess and stricken ones. teaching lessons in cleanliness. providing medi l aid and nursing for the sick.
 Work of this kind is not easily tabu- lated. yet it is the best possible discipline for those, who are well-to-do, to see swhat very poor people need not merely to give them aims, food and clothing, but 60 help them by counsel and encourage ment, and kindly personal interest.
 The story of the work of these good and self-sacrificing ladies. Is one of the most hopeful signs of a growth in methods of philanthropy, and it deserves careful study from those who think that giving money to charitable associations, with salaried officers to do the work, is enough.
 This little band of women give some- thing much more valuable than money they give actual personal interest and have, as their reward, the satisfaction of having made great progress, and whole some spirit of self-reliance as the result.
 This community, however, has never Seen properly aroused to it's bounden duty to this important work of charity. Ehe lukewarm support it has received is in no wise commensurate with a large Christian society, and 1t should awake to a full appreciation of it's responsibili- ties.
 So long as the law of the survival of the fittest is not to have its way in our modern civilization. we must confront the Inevitable fact that the strong must share the burdens of the weak. The Parable of the Talents has its daily ap- plication to modern pursuits, injecting its civilized society. It involves the broth erhood of man, as taught by the lowly Nazarene.