The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31
The Young Women's Christian
Association
One of Its This City Is Find Boarding
Places for

ing place she went directly to her favorite
hotel. There happened TO be big political
convention in town at the time-though that
fact would hardly make the time specific
and the hotel was filled to the roof. The
courteous clerk was sorry, and directed her
TO another hotel, where he thought she
might possibly find a spare room. The
second hotel was grteved, but it was i'm
possible to accommodate her. However,
third hotel might be able to take her in.
By the time that the tired traveller had es-
sayed, either in person or over the tele-
phone, TO find a room in every hotel she
had ever heard of the hour was late. A
happy thought struck her, and she went TO
the Young Women's Christian Association
There was but guest room in the house
then occupied by the Association, and that
was already taken, and the secretaries We're
unable direct the rOOmSeeker to any pos
sible refuge. In despair she turned her feet
toward the station; at least, she thought,
she would be permitted to pass the night
there. AS she walked down one of the
streets south of Washington a sign, Rooms
meath the sign was dingy and inviting, but
TO her tired eyes II was haven OF light.
by coarse, frowsy woman Yes. she had
a room to let. The room was dirty, lighted
by smoking lamp, the furniture was COM
mon, the door had no lock Still it was a
farer tucked herself in and floated off to
sleep. too tired to think. The next morn
ing the light of day and OF clear thinking
showed her the rashness OF her act. The
room was over q saloon and an all-night
restaurant. for which her landlady was the
cook The neighborhood was not aristo-
cratic, to say the least; and she thought,
with shudder, of robbery and other dread
full things that might have happened to her,
and no one much the wiser. To this day
she shudders at the thought of the I'M
known dangers which she escaped.
OTHER SERVICES RENDERED.
The work of the room committee of the
Young Women's Christian Association is of
service not only to those women who are
strangers I'm the city, but 20 those VINO have
lived here long enough TO be familiar
with the town. Many of the girls who
come here from smaller places are practi-
cally friendless, and they find companion
ship and social enjoyment chiefly in the As
ISOLATION. They find the young women
there always ready to help them in any of
their perplexities, and they turn to them
just as naturally in changing their homes
as they do in the first bewilderment of es-
tablishing themselves here. Women who
have no connection with the Association,
too, appeal to the secretaries to help them
from their slough of respondent room
hunting. One woman who waded through
the snow looking for a comfortable fur
nished room for herself and her daughter
became Disguised after her last two exper-
fences. AT the first place she found a
sparsely-furnished room at SIS a month.
The room, however. was big and pleasant,
and the house was in a most desirable
neighborhood. and she was just about to
take il when the lady of the house inter-
posed loftily: "Of course. you understand
that 1 shall expect neither you nor your
daughter to receive your callers in my par
| lor."
The roomseeker did not wait to discover
whether she and her daughter were ex-
pected to entertain their callers on the steps
or meet them in the park; she simply re-
tired. In the next place, where the adver-
| tisement pictured n ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
room. with all the comforts of home she
found an immense apartment with car
pet. and the walls covered from ceiling TO
floor with paintings, all OF them dogs.
Where is the furnitUre?" she faltered.
The woman in charge surveyed her with
disproval Maybe you don't like them
dawgs," she said grimly
After that the woman looking for de-
sirable room sought the assistance of the
Christian Association to enable her to dis
cover something a little nearer to her needs
than pictures OF dogs and parlorless
grandeur.
This work of helping women. old and
young, married and single, TO find places of
refuge in big city. which does not always
offer a hospitable aspect, is only one of the
various helps that the Young Women 5
Christian Association offers. The organiza-
ton Is constantly growing and reaching out
I'm new directions, and 1t Is an inestimable
help in many ways to women One OF the
pleasant new customs just established by
Miss Souther is that of afternoon tea, after
the usual Sunday afternoon gospel service.
The president of the Association is Mrs.
Il. G. Day, and the vice presidents are Mrs.
c. j. Buchanan. chairman or the devotional
committee; Mrs. +. j. Bosler, chairman OF
! the finance committee; Miss Jennie Bard
| Dugdale, chairman Of the educational COM
mittee; Miss Julia Harrison Moore, chair
man of the social committee; Miss Joseph
| inc Robinson, chairman OF the extension
committee.