The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-29

But the pupils attend when they can
and no matter how long their absence
has been, when they return they are
ready to take up the work just where
it was left off. This winter three Chi
nese boys are attending the school,
and they are faithful and diligent
| pupils.
WeIIEquipped School Rooms.
There are six school rooms on the
first floor of the Neighborhood house
and six resident rooms en- the second
floor. The school rooms are lighted by
electricity and fitted up with all the
necessary school room conveniences.
In addition to these rooms there is an
assembly room on the first floor which
seats 800 people. 1t is furnished with
a piano and is well lighted and ven
tilated. In this room every other Sun
day sacred concert is given, the vice
presidents taking turns arranging for
this. Here, too, are held the dancing
parties of the Neighborhood house.
The Industrial work which marked
the beginning of the settlement is con-
tinued, though on a much more extern
sive scale, of course. About seventy
five girls assemble at the Neighbour
hood House every Tuesday afternoon
from $3.50 until o'clock for sewing
lessons. There are three classes in
~ iiilciy WOlA dliu IliS IcSt oil e ulNluCu
into. underwear, apron and shirt-waist
classes.
The beginners learn to make the va
rious stitches on patchwork, and their
sewing, like the sewing of the older
girls, is carefully examined by Mrs.
Pentland, the resident, and after each
lesson a mark showing the quality Of
the work is placed after the pupils
name. A record is also kept of the at
tendance. ALI the garments are cut
out for the more advanced pupils and
no garment is allowed to leave the
house until it is finished
Nearly Self Supporting.
The industrial school of the Neigh
borhood House will soon be self-sup-
porting, for each pupil pays for the
garment she has made, the price Of
each being the cost of the material.
After the school has been dismissed
each article is subjected to a rigid in
spection. If the work is badly done
it is ripped out and at the next session
of the school the pupil is requested to
do it over again. This method insures
real progress and the pupils soon be-
come very deft with their needles.
The piano classes meet on Mondays
and Thursdays after school. Twenty
five cents is charged for a lesson and
the pupils have the use of the piano
in the assembly hall for practice.
The Mothers club is an important
factor in the development of the COM
munity. This club meets every Thurs
day at the Neighborhood House. The
meeting opens with a question box and
then either the resident or somebody
interested in the work gives a prac-
tical talk On some subject. Sometimes
there is music and at the close of the
meeting refreshments are served. over
their cups of tea the mothers discuss
matters pertaining to the care of their
homes and aid each other in the solu-
ton of those problems that confront
all housekeepers
The above outlines briefly the work
that is being carried on in this social
settlement, but it gives little idea of
the widespread influence that the
Neighborhood House eXerts. To realize
this it Is necessary to live for a week
at least in the settlement, and even
in that time it is hardly probable that
the visitor would be able to grasp the
full scope of the work. The warm,
pleasant home, with it's plain but COM
Portable furniture its attractive pic
lures, it's interesting books and, above
all, its atmosphere Of cordially, repre-
sents haven to many, restful place
where advice may be sought with the
full confidence that the best will be
hood House as a Neighborhood Home
Promoters Not Yet Satisfied.
But those who have the interests of
the settlement close at heart would not
admit that it realizes in any measure
their ideal. They know that there is
room for still greater growth. In the
house itself there is need of many i'm
provements. In the basement there
is room large enough for gymnasium
purposes. If this were fitted up it
would add immeasurably to the attract
iveness of the Neighborhood house.
One of the needs of the institution is
library. The books donated to the
house by the Woman's Civic league
form the nucleus Of a library, but there
Is not enough of them to represent a
library. Aside from these material
needs, more neighborliness should be
displayed on the part of those who live
away. from the settlement, but who are
In position to offer those very things