The Washington herald., 1911-02-22
WEALTHY ENGLISH
IN CHARITY WORK


pet charity to which they devote a con-
e-gy, not merely by means of directions
given to secretaries and the signing Of
checks, but by actual eployment of hand
and brain. Foremost among the nglish
Lady Bountifuls'' stands the Queen
who recently put in five hours hard work
for two days at the Imperial Institute
unpacking, sorting, and putting on tables
thousands of garments for the poor. This
was in connection with the London
Needlework Guild, a branch of charity
with which she has been connected
nearly all her life. Her mother. the late
Duchess of Teck, was the president of
the Surrey Needlework Guild. and always
attended the annual distribution of the
years work herself.
The members of the needlework guilds
provide not less than two new garments
each every year. The unpacking of
every crate, parcel or bundle, with which
the floor of one of the galleries of the
Imperial Institute was Uttered, was su-
pervised personally by the Queen, and it
took two days to reduce their contents to
order. Her majesty frequently examined
the work in some of the garments. and
made suggestions as to the better display
of others. She stopped only in the middle
of the day for luncheon, which was
served in a neighboring room TO save
time. And all this within a week of the
bereavement caused by the loss of her
favorite brother, Prince Francis of Teck.
but it was standing engagement in the
cause of charity and she did not dream
of putting it of.
Her example and that of her dead
brother have been followed by her young
est brother, Prince Alexander of Teck
Early last year Prince Francis of TeCk
took upon himself the task of freeing
the Middlesex Hospital, OF which he was
the chairman, from its debt. To this
end he made special appeal to the pub
lie and wrote hundreds OF letters. He
cleared off the debt, amounting to 500. 900.
and then started to establish an endow-
ment fund of $4,000 a year, which would
keep the hospital out of difficulties in
the future. but in the middle of the task
he died
Now his brother. Prince Alexander, has
become chairman OF the hospital. and
has taken the work on his shoulders.
and the King and Queen have each sent
him 500 toward the endowment fund
The work entails daily visit to the hos
pital. where the prince is engaged for
hours in correspondence, besides a meet
ing of the board of governors once a
week
During the South African war Princess
Louise, Duchess of Argyll, who is the
- iFrr'
husbands estate, at Rosneath. in Scot
land. into cottage hospital for wounded
soldiers. Now that there are no wounded
soldiers. ii has become a convalesccnt
home for those recovering from severe
illness. Her royal highness takes keen
interest in this home. Is responsible for
its keep, and never fails to pay several
visits there when she is staying at Ros-
meath.
Among British peereSses. none is bet
ter known for her charitable works than
ConsuelO Vanderbilt, Duchess of Mari
borough. Before her separation from her
husband, the people on their estate at
Blenheim were her special care no mis-
fortune OF any sort among them going
unnoticed. while at Christmastime the
most generous largess was scattered in
all humble homes. Since Woodstock has
known her no more, she has turned her
attention to the poor of London. and il
is the submerged tenth who enlist her
cympathies.
She is a supporter of the church
army. but it is the fold in EndsIeigh
street that is her pet charity. Here
the wives and children of men in prison
are cared for while the breadwinners
are serving their sentence, or some OF
the women do the homework and 9TH
ers are provided with work of various
kinds. She also keeps a fund for pro-
viding the children of the very moor
with shoes, and many a time she has
spent several hours fitting shoes onto
cold little feet that have known only
an apology for footgear up till that
moment. At Christmas time she pro-
vides for zoo poor families dinners
and a generous check is always forth
coming for providing coal and clothing
IN many more poor homes.
In an estate covering 1.176,343 acres
In Scotland and some 900 in England
the size of the Duke of Sutherland's
might be expected that
the duchess. who was Lady Milicent
Fanny st. C1air-Erskine, daughter OF
the fourth Earl OF Rosslyn. would
easily find opportunity for the exercise
Of charity il she felt so inclined, and
1t is an opportunity of which she takes
full advantage. A large portion of her
husbands Scottish estate lies in the
bleak north, where the inhabitants find
It difficult to scratch a living out of the
soil. So her grace set about discover
ing what she could do to help them.
She found that rough but service
able tweed was made by the wives of
the peasants. Fairs and bazaars were
held in her London home, where the
homemade tweeds were on show. and
IN one year $1,000 yards Of it were sold
through her agency. Not so very long
ago she took advantage of a visit which |
she paid with the Duchess of Marl- |
borough to Russia, to create a market |
Tor her wares there. She took with |
her specimens of the cloth. hired rooms |
n st. Petersburg and Moscow, and in |
Vited all the tailors in the town to |
some and inspect the goods.
Another part of the Sutherland estate |
Is situated in the potteries district and |
here she finds many opportunities of help |
ing the workers. for the lead glaze, used |
n the manufacture of nearly all pottery, |
works havoc with many lives. The dis |
coveries she made in going around the |
district appalled, her, and she made up |
her mind that the state should do some |
thing for the workers. By incessant eff |
rorts she persuaded the tardy British |
to go into the question of |
cad poisoning, and eventually measures |
we're passed with reference to the manu- |
'acture of pottery that have aIleviated |
he condition of. the workers. She also |
'ounded the Potteries Cripples' Guild, |