The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-05-24

arranged a series of free Sunday afternoon
concerts and lectures. A gymnasium and
a playground were provided for the young
whose games had all been played upon the
streets Sewing and cooking classes were
opened for girls who could not learn their
domestic science at home. Even the
mothers We're taught, very tactfully, to
feed their children nourishing food instead
of bread soaked in tea.
In a very short space of time Miss
Adams found out that the people not
only could, but were anxious to rise.
Like any one else in the world, all they
needed was a friend And, best of all,
she found it was possible for her so far to
find plane of equality with them that
she could be that friend. 1t did not sat
isfy Miss Adams to give away her cul-
ture. She wanted something in return.
She wanted to participate in the hearty,
every day life of the Woodworking PEG
pie, and she did She was anxious to lift
| their loneliness.
| When coal was high, she induced the
! neighbors to combine IN a cooperative
coal society, and the members, through
/ the united effort to reduce their expenses,
became friends. Next, the Settlers"
passed the word that social clubs might
make use of the reception room of Huh
/
Reading and sewing circles sprang up
quickly. The men, in their social science
club, discussed weekly the current abuses
and reforms. Five hundred working peo-
pie were trained to chorus singing The
different nationalities (remember there
were SO of them) staged their native
iplays, Jane adams certainly gratifed
her desire to mix with the people, "her
Ipeople. She knew and understood then
all And what marvellous experience
that was: the thoughts, trials and aspira
tions of sc nationahties, engaged in trades
and professions literally without number
To share the experience of all these was
: a culture in itself Really, these people
could get along very happily without thu
gifts Of the rich Yes indeed. They coulC
soar by the strength of their own wings
: Like any one else in the world, all the,
needed was a chance.
And now, little by little, Jane Addam
2 found contentment stealing into he
: heart For she was getting the return
she craved Hull House had become
D lpeopes home, and she was one of tn
/ lpeople ION the whole says one writer
4 ''the reach of this woman's sympathy an
) understanding Is beyond all comparison
wider in its span-co compromising all kind
g of people-than that of any extant publ
I man"
:, No wonder Miss Adams grew conten
n ed. She was doing splendidly what he
:, nature cried out to do in all the years
d preparation. She bad become part, yo
!. might say the heart OF the whole livir
r body of society. She had given and ST
e had received She had given the life
e culture, and she had received the cultul
D of life.
Every city now has its settlement, mo
n eled generally after Hull House, and Il
d great cities have dozens masters d
e gree was conferred upon her by Vale III
d yersity, which had never before given d
n honorary degree to woman. At a recel
y National congress of social workers 81
lie was characterized to audience of 800
lg as The first citizen of Chicago, the fir
in citizen of America, the first citizen of Il
he world!''
.. Blessed be the name of Jane Addam