New-York tribune., 1915-03-21

ot5.r, &c 2 letter" she said, from some girl
hu the name Of Mary Dart seventeen years
I'D. lives down in Catharne Street DO you
know her" lo,,+
"Marv Dart? Catharine Street? No. don't
,,o,v her know where Catharlne Street ls'
though. My grandfather was born IN an 0ia
Lor.. ,yhich used to stand at the corner OF
Catherine and Cherry. 1 remember gong
% eee il once when ! was very little girl
What does Mary Dart want? wonoef "o"
she ever heard Of me?" replied Mrs Koch"eii-
Iones. living back, for the moment INTO 'Ae
Das+ when the Bowery was lined with beauh-
frL ebade trees and Catharine and Cherry
Streets ran through the centre OF tashionaDle
New York.
"Marv Dart" replied the secretary, glancing
at the letter, who, by the way lives al the 0oi-
ner of Catharine and Cherry writes to say tnd'
she is the oldest of seven children. Her iather
IS out of work Her mother is SICK from worry
over how TO feed the family, and they are near
" starving. She asks if you can't at least seno
them little food. She does not say how she
learned your name.
THE GRADUAL INSTITUTIONALlLlNG of DE-
NEVOLENCE.
Mrs Rockwell Jones is not unaccustomed 10
receiving such letters from unkn 0wn trienos'
This winter she has received more than ever
before. Curiously enough the most OF them
seem to arrive just a day or two after she mas
given some function which has been mentioned
In the newspapers. She is a generous woman,
giving far more than even her most intimate
friends dream of. Years ago she used to an
swer these letters in person, putting on some
old clothes and hunting out the addresses Oh
the people, meeting them face to tace ana
helping according to her own judgment AS
the years have passed, Mrs. Rockwel-Jones
has grown rather stoutish as the Enghsh
would say, and the families who write such
letters seem to have habit OF living on the
top floors For the last few winters she mas
sent all these letters to a charitable society," IN
structing it to investigate the merits ana neeus
of those who apply to her. stating that she Will
help them so far as she is able mus MrS'
Roclwell-Jones has partly insttutionallzed her
benevolence, not without some personal losses
~ herself in the educational influences which
ALWAYS flow from personal contact between
rich ana poor, yet Wilu IClbdllI "N'S''NNe~S -
the people whom she wishes to help. She
directeu her secretary to send the letter on to
the society whose help she usually employs in
such cases.
A few days later Mrs. Clifton, who lives over
on Riverside Drive. gave large dance Tor her
daughter This social event was also noticed
in the society columns 1d the next day she
also received a letter from a certain Mary Dart
whose address was given as down in Catharine
Street. Mrs. Clfton's experience in benevo-
lence while not as broad as that OF Mrs. Rock
we'll Iones. has run much the same course
She also sent Mary Darts letter to certain
charity agency which she is accustomed 10
utilize for such purposes, although not the
same agency which Mrs. Rockwel-Jones uses.
THE RFCINNING OF ECONOMIC DISASTER IN
THE DART FAMILY.
Mary Dart was graduated from school to
..,.nbone switchboard at the earliest possible
,,,or,.nt at which the law would permit IT,
There she learned 10 read the society column
IN the newspaper THIS in imagination she
roamed over the fields where she would like to
be and killed the monotony of many weary
hour. Her father is a longshoreman. Her
estate is well fixed according to the social laws
of Catharine Street. OF course the Darts are