Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-11-01

let me take you to my sister in Dorches-
ter" NO" was the answer, 1.-THE Asso-
citation lady is going to take care Of me-"
And the Association lady" did care for
her, writing a letter to another aunt
living I'm Vermont. This relative at once
notified her sister in Fail River, VINO tele-
graphed Mary to come to her home.
The girl soon returned money that
had been loaned her. and said she could
never express the gratitude she felt for
the aid given in time of peril The man
made one more attempt-and a bold one
to obtain the prize, but ii Is needless to
say the attempt was a failure.
A difficulty often encountered by the
Aid is the imperfect and insufficient adj
dresses with which immigrants are pro-
vided. One is reminded of the story of
the dog that was to be sent by express
where is the dog going?" asked the
eXpresSinan. "Well" replied the man
having the canine in charge. Il dunno
and he dunno, and nobody dunno; and
he's ct his tag" The girls tags might
about as well have been "et" for any
information they give. One had the
address "Causeberry street" which
proved to mean Crosby Place; Cranberry
post" was Cambrdgeport; "Hendeel"
meant Kendall: "BillenZa," after much
investigation, became Beforehand so
on.
one naive old woman wished to find
Jim Burns There are three Jim
Burns" she said. but any one on 'em II
do" The number proved to be greater,
but the right one was finally found. At
another time Michael j. Murphy Of
Charlestown failed to meet a relative
from "the old country" That good friend
of the aid" the Boston city directory,
revealed IS Michael Murphys in Charles
town alone, five Of whom were Michael
J., but persistent effort was crowned
with success in this instance also.
Various things happen to prevent
relatives or friends meeting new arrivals
and then shelter has to be provided till
| they appear or the traveller is person
ally conducted to their residence where
the address is known. One pretty but
penniless young girl had the addresses
10 Endicott St, Boston" and "52 Somer-
vile, Mass" No one on Endicott street
knew of the sister VINO had paid her
passage. Letters We're sent to Box So
Somerville, and also to 50 Somer-
VILE Ave, Somerville. No answer.
After five days search the sister was
found through the aid of "A general steam
ship agent Another girl advised by
! man at the wharf was about to go to
| an East Boston hotel. but the Aid"
made a long search in Brookline, resulting
at last In the discovery or her friends
The immigration officers sometimes ask
| the worker to look after those whom
L
| tidence that wise, conscientious care will
/ be given such persons. and a report made
| to the office If required. Often these re-
| quests mean simply the performance Of
| helpful services for the stranger on the
/ wharf. such as the finding Of luggage
/ having it examined by the customs in
/ spector and checked by the baggage
master Gan unknown process in foreign
| lands as tourists know to their cost
/ the changing Of foreign money and rail-
| road order for a regular ticket, or having
| such order stamped by the company's
! agent-such services as these together
with quoting anXietics and giving general
| instructions and warnings. The deputy
! commissioner made a request Of this kind
! In the case of Patrick Burns Patrick
| an elderly Irishman Of old ia shioncd tyne
with bent spare figure and shrewd.
twinklng. kindly eyes. accepted these
| services from a woman without demur
! as he had all the other strange things.
He was en- route for Illinois where he
! hoped to spend the remainder of his days
| In peace and plenty in the home OF a mar
| ried daughter. When all the necessary
arrangements for his railroad trip had
been made, and he realized that the
| ''wumman" had really been of use to
him, he syly tried to tuck an English
| shilling into her hand midas n browning
mark Of appreciation-pr produced n flask
! from his box. saying persuasively: AN
| now, won't We tax a wee drap o. the
| rale stuff?"
That the Travellers Aid often spends
ten hours on the wharf shows that her
work is no sinecure When the steamer
| arrives at midday and with a large num-
| Der on board. 1t Is ten o'clock or even
later before she can feel reasonably sure
| that no one remains who needs her as
sistance. BY that time all the New York
and New England railway passengers
] have hpgn a OF
lions, and those whose destination Is Bos-
| ton or nearby towns have been met by
friends or otherwise provided for. The
large body of Western passengers re-
mains, waiting with stolid patience for
the tickets, checks and train to be made
ready for them. The wharf then presents
n novel sight under the electric light.
Here is a little group of children, asleep.
their heads all together their bodies at
varying angles Perhaps in your haste
you stumble over a PROSTATE sleeping
man, whose feet reach farther than your
calculation; and with discarded traps or
garments, and remains of lunches scat
tered about. and human beings in all
possible enthusiastically no such scene
could elsewhere be found, But the proc
lamation, Western train ready" causes
transformation. and in n twinkling a
solid phalanX of humanity is moving
through the long room, down the steep
stairway to the Boston & Albany train
outside, all eager to start on the last
stage of their long journey. eager to
come nearer to the realization OF the
bright hopes, anticipations and ambitions
I with which they started out from the
| home country. Whether these become
realities or not will depend largely upon
| themselves, Of course, but we too, in our
attitude toward these strangers within
our gates. may help to make or mar them.
The Travellers Aid, at least, has given
them a welcoming. helping hand in the
very outset of their new life.