New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-27
MOTHERS HELPERS
They Help Their Ozen Mothers
Not Those of Other People.

To most people the name mothers
helper" means young girl or a reduced
EertleEonan who helps somebody else's
mother for pay In certain little fiat on
the East Side e certain little woman. Miss
Annie Strafhern by name. is training the
girls OF the neignborhood into another kind
OF mothers helpers-girls with the desire
and ability TO help their own tired mothers.
For rorty-fve years Miss Strathern
worked with the Cfnildrens Aid Society,
and she had plenty OF chance 10 see how
fir>d the overporked tenement house moth
get
'Noz1days" she said 10 a Tribune re-
porter the other day. there are so many
clubs and gynnssiuns and amusements OF
various kinds for children that the little
matter Of helping their mothers seems 70
be squeezed out Of their lives. II isn't that
The young tenement girls don't want to help
their mothers, but they don't know how, or
they haven't been encouraged TO, or other
things .eem more attractive. ] resolved to
try and make home tasks attractive 10
them"
II was tust four wears ago that Miss
str.thern left the Children's Aid Society
ard fitted I'D her little model fat Ever
.rnce there has been a procession of girls
time STAYING for a week and learning all
kinds OF things.
Each group arrives SATURDAY afternoon.
and immediately Miss Strathern gathers the
girls around her and they plan the menus
>s- tire following week Afterward they do
the marketing for Sunday and put away
ffe dry foods i'm shining tin cans or glass
Ssrr All the week sac teaches them TO
help her doing II IN q way that makes ii
seem like fun 80 them. They learn to sweep
and dust wash dishes. air the rooms, make
the beds and keep Their own garments in
order They learn 20 cock simple Dishes
and Row 10 use up leftover meats. etc IN
appetizing ways. Sometimes there are girls
who work in shops or factories. in which
caee thew are excused from morning duties,
and help evenings and after church on
SUNDAY. The littlest girls run errands and
help In simple WAYS.
On SUNDAY. "Wednesday and Friday even
inrs come the gaia times Then other little
girls come in. by invitation. twenty or
thirty Of them and Miss Strathern gathers
-hern about her in .he tiny living room ana
tell, them .tories-old legends put into sim
ME language fairy tales. and, on Sundays
pible stories There is piano in the room.
and after the story telling they usually
have :insins So tiny is the room that the
children quite fill il. sitting on the moor on
the sofa bed even on the tubs. which are
covered with drspery when not in use, TO
,oake the room seem more cosey.
II fs rather tight quarters at night. TINS
little fat for the six girls and the house
mother Two OF the girls share the fele-
scope bed in the living room Two more
OCCUPY q double-dech affair. which IL IKE
berths in a steamship. They think this
crest sport. for she girl who has the top
bed has TO use stepladdsr TO reach 1t
Small as IL is, the fiat is as clean ana
p-etty as soap and water. fresh arr and
good taste can make IL
Hardly day passes that Mss Suatilern
doesn't have some proof % gratitude from
TIE mothers. The girls, too, 8 e the differ
ence their lessons make in their homes. A
new girl said TO Miss Strathern; NY
mother is q regular slave, but she says IT
is what any poor woman expects TO De
when she marries." When this girl haa