The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 17, 1903, Page 12

THE SUNDAY CALL N unpretentious, but scrupulously neat little flat at 120B Welsh street, just a few blocks from the depot, s the location of as earn- est a little body of workers as can be found the iength and breadth of this city; working not for their daily bread, but for the enlightenment and good of small Tommys and Sallys who spend their entire days in the streets, picking p bad bad language and bad There ny number of blocks south of Market et that house fully 100 chil- dren and babies, and when une considers that the tenements, at best, are com- posed of two, three and four rooms, with- out an inch of ground that can be called heir own is not to be won ed at that the stree 2 piy swarming with dirty-fac ragged imps, whose chief aim in is to tie a tin can on the to prop sticks u 1 the stray pe s into the gutter 1d expect the mother of six Iy yun s to kecp a weather eve or all the time. In fact, she fs- wonderf smart it she contrives on $40 or $55 a month to keep a roof over their sieepy heads at night, to satisly their ravenous young appetites and to eep their ¢ & fairly whole and re- ectabl So what on rth hapvens to the chil- dren? They can't be kiiled off and thei f-door life makes therg as sturdy as young uaks, 8o they keep right on, grow- ing up and going on from bad to worse Now that's what happens as a rule in the overcrowded, poor districts. But i don't down in the direction of Welsh street, ¢ for the simple reason that flourishing and spre good influence about er the name of “The Little Women a bevy of and soul those less fc than themselves Without capital, without influence to a.d them, entirely through unremitting #al and self-sacrificiug spirit, has this little band made a notable success of its work. “Girls,” sald Miss Grace B. Wiener at a literary club meeting one day, “I want to tell you a story. Yesterday afternoon, instead of riding up from the depot as usual, I sauntered along looking at the queer little houses and notieing what a difference there was in the people. In front of an old battered house that looked as though it might fall down every in- stant were two small boys. And what on earth do you think they were doing? One of them held a poor struggling cat, while the other one was busy trying to put its eyes out! Now I want to ask you all a question. Couldn't we give up a certain amount of time every day and spend it with these small urchins who haven't anything to do but torture helpless ani- mals? It seems to me we couldn’'t use e furn THE SMALL FOLWs TA KINCe NEAT STITCHES —> //ffi-—“\ our time to better advantage than in ald- ing boys and girls of a different environ- ment to rise above the sordidness of their surroundings, in fact, teach them to make the best of themselves. “We can at least try the effect on a small scale,” she argued, “and there can nothing worse happen to us than fallure.” But where in the annals of history has there been boundle: sm and failure? Somehow « er that word seemed afraid to show its face, and was consequence an unknown quantity But we can't do something with noth- Miss Charlotte Re . who, by the v, is new-.president the club, an- swered. “We need a solid financial back- ing to make any kind of a succs o But evidently they didn't. A general plan of procedure was outlined and car- ried right through as planned. These days a group of determined girls with a defi- nite purpose in view are not going to allow any obstacle to Interfere with the carry- ing out of that purpose. They commenced immediately to round up forces and worked like ‘beavers 1 so contagious was their enthusiasm that their friends could not possibly get by them, but gave their mite, irst with a smiling face, but later g and with great regu- larity The first thing to be done was to raise a sum of money that we furnish a house suited for How do people ge ralse a sum of money for charit tertainment, to be sure, and this particu- lar one was a great succe: not only enough belng Tealized to fit a flat, where they, woul b‘{ ig close touch with the young livestwhich they' desired to infiu- ence, but enpugh to deposit In the bank as a provision for the future. Next on the programme came classe Sewing took precedence and Instructions were given, first twice, then three times a week The number of names enrolled increased gradually, until now nearly forty children come flocking to the sche on class days, eager and anxious to avail themselves of the influence which is fast proving one of the most potent factors of their young lives, child who attends the classes little white hemstitched apron, the product of her own labor and the gift of the school. But be it understood that while this is the first article fur- ed it is but one of many. s the sewing the only inducement. One has but to enter the little flat to feel the atmosphere charged with the battery of cheerfulness, self-denial and f-sacrifice which the club girls bring to bear on the cause. Do you think, Mr. Skeptical, that these children can come under such an influence three times a week and not. feel the effect? The an- swer can but be no, and a goad big one written in capital letters. Every child is showing the fruit of this contact. Their natures are sunning themselves in the warmth which they retain and again take away with them to plant the seed in their own homes. “AIOVANCED Ll ESSON: N 5urrlxzf ano . NIV . Monday afternoon is devoted to needle- work, and as this is more interesting than plain sewing attendance on this day Is conditional on being present on the other days, for you see children are but a small edition of older folks—they want to be amused. Wednesday afternoon is given over to moral instructions, mending and darning, the only settlement, I belleve, in town which thinks an afternoon necessary .to teach good manners, good principles and good faith. The youngsters listen to short stories applicable, such as can reach their understanding and incite them to a ical use. riday afternoon plain sewing fin | most practical phases is taught, and the girls are even permitted to bring work from home, thinking that it might relieve a busy mother of a little bit of the labe that is certain to be hers. In order to give the youngsters a taste of club life, which is such a tendency of this age, they have been assisted in form- Ing a club of themselves which me after class hours. Whatever tends to bring human beings into close brotherly relations is a benefit to the world, and in this fashion the girls of “The Handy Maidens” and the little ones of ‘*‘The Workers'' are being kept In touch with one another. On one lay afternoon a month the little cnes are entertained at the club- rooms—Sunday because an eppeal rose from one of the mothers, “Can’t yvou young ladies éome down some Sunday d play with the children? My giris and boys run around on the street, and I can't watch them, You may be sure that such a gathering is a gala day, es- peciaily as the girls plan the entertain ment and, better still, provide the re- freshments and in plenty. Four weeks under such circumstances seems a dread- fully long time to walt, so the weeks and days are carefully and duly Kept track of The club has but one trouble since it has increased so materially and that is lack of mcans. Each month brings its usual kv“‘.(i‘(sl for the rent, a little for fuel and there is aiways material to be bought, not to mention a few silver med- als now and then which are Inaned for a week to the ones who attend regularly, are never late, have clean hands and face and who are neat generally. If you, Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, want to make the world a little brighter through your efforts, subscribe your little % cents. It may seem a wee amount— often idly wasted—but why not invest it in work of this kind in the human soil, productive of so much good? “We would so gladly call for 1t,” sald Miss de Valle, “and at the convenicnce of the donor.” So you see, Mr. Man, this little philan- thropic act might have its own reward. That which seems so little to you is very large to the Little Women Club, who can use it to such advantage, and be- sides that you may have a chat with a pretty girl in the bargain. ilaptThro