Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-10-20

man of Chicago has led for half a CEN
fury. No saints life could be purer or
richer in righteousness, yet today not
journals as to Mrs. Dollarina's last
new lace gown. Such is the unreal
way we have of looking at things. Yet
we may know well that in the grand
roundup the deed which helped even
one person to nobler life will be as
star, while the lace gown will be the
absolute nothing it really is.
Miss Bowman had not great wealth,
but she had strong, comprehensive
intellect and a heart great enough to
take in for her children all living crea-
lures that need sympathy and kindli-
ness Miss Bowman was born and
bred in Virginia. She was born with
the shape when she was a child of car
rying food and supplies to the poor Of
her neighborhood without letting any
body else know it.
Her public life may be summed
briefly She helped organize the Assoc
ciated Charities of Chicago. For forty
years she has been the friend of the
convict and prisoner, often their only
friend. She was for many years ma
tron Of the Chicago Home of the
Friendless. Under her fostering it
grew till it maintained founding
nursery, a kindergarten and an indus
trial school with separate departments
for boys and girls. Later she was four
teen years matron of the Chicago
Newsboys home Then came terri
BILE illness through poison from leaky
pipes in the home. 1t bereft her Of
physical power for several years. Then
up she got and went into active life
again. She is now manager of the
Working Girls home. maintained by
the Army of American Volunteers. She
is a charter member of the Illinois Wo-
mems Press association. Writing for
magazines and newspapers is one of
her. occupations, i'll none of which has
she ever had one thought for herself
Her friends include every variety OF
the human species.
Through all this land the influence OF
Miss Bowman has spread from the
Chicago Home of the Friendless and
the Newsboys' home. She has an in
tuitive faculty of character reading
and with it that rarest ability OF put
ting herself in the place Of another. A
reckless boy, a forlorn girl would be
brought to her. Beneath all the SEEM
ing unattractiveness, even evil, she
read always the undeveloped gifts for
worthy achievement whatever they
were. She unfolded these to the boy
and girl, themselves often unconscious
thereof She inspired the child to put
out and endeavor to be somebody and
do something. Not one or two, but
hundreds of respectable men and wo-
men, not d few occupying very high
places. owe all their start in life to the
help and inspiration Eliza Bowman
gave them in the Home Of the Friend
less or the Newsboys' home
The number of those who have been
Directly or indirectly helped to higher
aims and better lives by this remark
able woman cannot be estimated. Like
a great river her life has run, enabling
arid soil right and left to bring forth
fruit hundredfold. with no more
thought for her own increase of re-
sources than the river itself has. Over
the door of Eliza Bowman's room in
the Working Girls home are these
words:
Sufficient Unto the Day"
Without her knowing it Eliza Bow
mans life is all that the SO called new
thought people prescribe You can
not eat today the food of tomorrow;
you cannot tonight sleep the sleep OF
tomorrow night Do the things of to-
day. Fretting and complaining make
troubles ten times worse.
So, living, loving and learning, Eliza
Bowman goes through life, leaving a
glory in her path. Poor, mean and pitt
full indeed beside hers seems the life
of mere personal aim.
MARY EDITH DAY.