Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-04
w 18th life-and-death haste lad sprinted across
w Haymarket Square, bolted through the portal

w Haymarket Square, bolted through the portal
of the Friendly Inn and into the presence of
the settlements head worker with the request that
she go quickly to nearby tenement, where little girl
said to be dying.
She was found lying unconscious the floor of the
kitchen her face and body covered with marks of vio
lence From the assembled neghbors the head worker
learned that the twelve yearold girl the mother
less hosekeeper for her father and incidentally little
mother to four younger children. An investigation
brought out these facts
That morning the father when leaving for the days
work. had ordered the girl to have mashed potatoes
for his supper. This little girl had advanced in the
culinary part of her duties far enough to know how
boil water and not much beyond Her father had told
her that potatoes for MASKING had to be peeled and
boiled.
The result might have been passably well had she
not put them the fire hours too early, and in
quantity of water sufficient to have cooked a weeks
supply At supper time she had potul of thin PURGE
of potato Knowing her fathers temper, she dreaded
his coming But she had learned from neighbor the
trick of thckenng SOUP and with nervous haste stirred
into the liquid cup after cup of raw flour. She hoped
yet have something that would pass for mashed po
tatocs.
At the first mouthful, however the father dispeled
her hope. He fared into vicious rage. Before his
temper had spent itself he had beaten his child almost
to death.
As president and director of the Friendly Inn Mrs
Elizabeth H. Neff had the little girl taken to the
friendly shelter of the settlement house There she
was taught how do all of plain cooking and
baking under kindly direction and intelligent nstruc-
ton and also how to sew to wash and iron, sweep,
make beds, and to keep house in order generally.
Today Barbette, still under fourteen, is bright
promising, and contented little "home maker She
Loyalty her love for the nn where she spends the
spare hours she take from her home Duties always
with her baby brother her sde making garments for
the younger members of the family, and continuing
with more advanced @horne-making' studies
MRS. NEFF is prominent figure in the national So
cety of the Daughters of the American Revolution
chairman of the recently organized Girl Home Makers
of America wife of William B. Ne flor the last fifteen
years Judge of the Court of Common Pleas Cleveland,
Ohio, and, at the time she assumed direction of the
Friendly Inn the Cleveland Haymarket, in which the
inn is centrally located, had grown to be the terror
of the city There to be found the poorest well
the toughest element. 1t the congested,
unsantary and unhealthfu section of all. There also
the birth and mortality rate highest.
II found, says Mrs Neff, 4that there no voca-
tional clubs in the district The lack of such clubs
especially distressing because of the crying need of
them, particularly in the interest of the girls. They
knew little and being taught next to nothing about
Housekeeping and the important art of home max
ing The oriental housekeeping methods Of these peo