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THE NEEDLEWOMEN'S HOME.

Ir is a lamentable fact, that amidst the abundance of wealth which is to be found in this country, there is a vast number of its inhabitants who have not wherewith to clothe or feed themselves. Very many there are, too, who desire to be employed and are unable to obtain work; as well, also, as many who are unable to earn sufficient at it when obtained to enable them to live. And of this class of persons are the Sempstresses, of whom no fewer than 240,859 (which includes as shirt-makers alone 73,068) are to be found in Great Britain, a fact presented to our notice by the late census. These individuals, as a class, are those who have been but little cared for; as a class, have been looked upon as very little better than the poor creatures who walk our streets; have been oppressed to the very quick, ground down in the price for their work to a pittance which will scarcely enable them to keep life together. It will hardly be believed that, in many cases, the sum of only 24d. is paid by the warehouses for making a shirt. True it is they are only as it were basted together, but of such not more than two or three can be made in a day. For gentlemen's collars, made of the finest material, and sold in the shops as the very best, they only receive 4d. each, and can make but two or two and a half in a day. For making the best shirts 1s. 9d. is paid, to make one of which occupies two entire days. To earn such a thing by their labour (when they can obtain it) as 10s. per week, they must work incessantly from early in the morning until very late at night.

For them no union has been formed, whereby their wages might be preserved at a proper standard--for them no benefit society exists, whereby in sickness they might obtain relief, because they are unable to spare a part of their weekly earnings for such a purpose. As a class, the pittance received by them for their work is truly distressing; but still, with this pittance many are content to subsist rather than enter the workhouse, or follow a course of sin; hence they work many hours each day, refusing to give sleep to their eyes or slumber to their eyelids, that so the amount held out to them may be as large as possible. They have been styled the white slaves of England (unhappily too true a title); hence arose the necessity of some benevolent effort to rescue them from this position, to preserve them from want, and to procure them regular employment at reasonable remuneration.

It is, too, to be much lamented, that of this class of persons many have moved in the higher walks of life; many are clergymen's widows or daughters, receiving perhaps in some instances from £5 to £20 per year from the charities established for their relief, but many are without this. A considerable number are officers' widows or daughters, without the least provision from their country; some are solicitors' widows or daughters, and those who have enjoyed the comforts of life, or been independent. We repeat, many have no other means to obtain a living. How frequently does a wife who has enjoyed the comforts this world affords become a widow, without the least means of support for herself and children! She has no resource left but the poorhouse-this she dreads;-or to labour-this she is unable to do, unless it be at the needle; and to obtain employment she finds difficult ;-the payment, too, is very trifling. Her children's wants have to be supplied, and, by plying the needle, she hopes to supply their requirements; but this she finds a difficult task, as work is irregular, and it not unfrequently happens that she pines herself to death, or from too close application, and sitting too many hours in one position, disease takes hold of her, which ends in a premature grave.

Hence the need of some benevolent effort to preserve them from this state; to protect their present interest; and procure them in times of sickness, relief, and an asylum, with some provision in age. To accomplish this object, a few friends to the cause of humanity established, in February, 1852, the DISTRESSED NEEDLEWOMEN'S HOME, its object being to provide a Home or Asylum, which should consist of a furnished sleeping apartment, and the use of work-room and kitchen, with 5s. per week to as many as the funds allow above fifty years of age, and regular employment to others who seek its assistance, at reasonable remuneration, and also relief in sickness and infirmity: the privilege of admission as inmates to the Home to be by the voice of the Subscribers.

In faith upon the promises of Him who has promised to be with those who desire to promote His glory in the amelioration of the sufferings of their fellow-creatures, the Institution commenced its work, and the Committee obtained the kind consent of several to take office and become patronesses, with very warm expressions of sympathy for the poor women, and earnest wishes for the prosperity of the cause.

No sooner was the opening of the Institution announced, than several applications were made for relief and for employment, when the Committee and Managers applied them

selves to the procuring of work for them, and were enabled in the first year to find occupation for 69 out of 146 applicants, to whom was paid £128 18s. 2d., being an addition to the amount received by the sum of £33 3s. 5d.; while, beside this, all other expenses were met by the Institution, such as rent, coals, candles, thread, &c. During the second year, it provided employment for 84, out of 259 applicants (to which number the list of applications had reached); to these 84 the sum of £839 5s. 3d. was paid, being £164 17s. 3d. beyond the amount received; with all the expenses, as aforesaid, met by the Institution. Now had it not been for the Institution, these 69 first named would have received the sum of £128 18s. 2d. minus the £33 3s. 5d., and have had to find their own coals, thread, and rent. This sum was only paying them at the rate of 6s. per week; but what would the remuneration have been to them had one-fourth been deducted, and had they had to bear the expense of firing, rent, &c.! Again, in the second year, 84 received £339 5s. 3d. consisting of £174 8s. paid for the work done, and £164 17s. 3d. from the funds. Had it not been for this Institution, they would have received little more than half what they did receive, and out of that half have had to pay for thread, firing, and rent. these 69 and 84, many are infirm, many very sickly; but sick or well, they have enjoyed the privilege of receiving 6s., 7s. 6d., and 9s. per week, although, as has frequently been the case, they have not produced the Institution one shilling.

Of

And here it may be well to show of whom these 84 consist: 11 are officers' daughters, who, from having no resources to fly to upon the death of their fathers, have been under the necessity of seeking needlework-they once enjoyed the comforts of life; and many are advanced in years, 3 being 50, 2 above 40, 4 above 30, and only 2 under 30 of these 84, 3 are clergymen's daughters, two of whom are above 70 years of age, having but 2s. 6d. per week beyond what they may earn by needlework; 4 are solicitors' widows; 3 solicitors' daughters; and the residue are those who have been differently situated, and differently brought up; of their ages, 3 are under 20, 21 above 20 and under 30, 17 above 30 and under 40, 19 above 40 and under 50, 9 above 50 and under 60, 8 above 60 and under 70, and 7 above 70; and many of these, if not all of them, must have sought relief from the poor-house, or have endeavoured to add to the pittance they received for needlework by walking the streets; which, with much regret it is stated, very many similarly placed become victims to.

One leading feature in connexion with this Institution, is

in all cases to endeavour to cause the recipients of its benefits (by placing them in a proper position) to help themselves; and although they are assisted by the Institution to a large extent, still they receive no benefit unless they endeavour to merit it by their exertions-except in cases of illness or inability to perform any work.

To evidence the progress made by the Institution, it may be interesting here to state, that its subscriptions for the first year were £157 148. 9d.; the second year (showing the estimation in which the Institution was held they amounted to £502 19s.; and during the first half of the third year they have amounted to £358 10s. 3d.

EVENINGS WITH THE EDITOR.

EVENING THE TWENTY-EIGHTH.

Emm. What do you think, mamma, of Mrs. Webb's JULAMERK*

Mrs. M. I was deeply interested in reading it. The account it gives of the simple patriarchal habits of the Nestorians, seems to carry the reader back to the days of Abraham.

Emm. Yes; it appears strange that such primitive manners and customs should still exist. I suppose that on the whole it may be called a narrative of facts.

Mrs. M. With the thread of fiction to weave them together. Mrs. Webb has shown considerable skill and judgment in thus compiling the statements made by those travellers who have visited the Nestorians, and has given to the compilation the character and attractiveness of a continuous narrative.

Ed. Of course you found some incidents illustrative of the machinations of Rome, even amongst those simple mountaineers.

Mrs. M. Alas! Rome goes everywhere, and wherever she goes she carries a curse. JULAMERK brings this to view very forcibly, and very sadly.

Emm. But, mamma, I have one objection to this book, interesting as it certainly is. Mrs. Webb makes her characters talk such thorough English. The dwellings and customs are patriarchal; but their speech is so very modern. I did not perceive this so much in NAOMI, but in the present work it forces itself on my notice.

Mrs. M. It must be very difficult to avoid this. Even if * London: Clarke, Beeton, & Co.

the language is sufficiently antique, the thoughts and feelings may be too plainly of a modern cast.

Ed. Mr. Cobbold, in his ZENON,* has overcome this difficulty very fairly. Of course, as a classical scholar he had an advantage when writing a Roman story, and having to put long speeches into the mouths of his personages. This advantage he has turned to very good use, and through it has presented his readers with a story of Roman life which is thoroughly Roman.

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Ed. It is a story of martyrdom in the days of Domitian, avoiding the horrors of most martyr stories, though showing plainly enough what the trials and sorrows of the early Christians were. It sketches, in a masterly manner, the character and end of the tyrant who fancied he had made himself the "God of Rome." It is a great acquisition to the "Run and Read Library."

Emm. Now, Mr. Editor, we are impatient to introduce to your notice one of the most interesting books we have ever read. Augustus and I have read it through, and strange to say, we have no fault to find with it. TONGA, AND THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS,† is a book written purposely for young people, and one which all young people will be certain to read, if it is put into their hands.

Aug. Which is saying a great deal, you know, sir.

Ed. Certainly it is. I happen to know something already of this book, and fully agree with your commendations. The authoress, Miss Farmer, has a delightful way of writing, as the readers of our Magazine last month had an opportunity of discovering. Oblige me, Augustus, with some account of this excellent book.

Aug. It relates in a lively manner the discovery of the South Seas, describes the islands of the Pacific, the way they grew into being, and their inhabitants; narrates the visit of Captain Cook; details the first christian mission, and the disappointments of the missionaries; delineates the religious and social condition of Tonga; sketches the religious endeavours of the Methodists, their trials and successes; tells us of peace and war and of good king George's reign.

Emm. Ah, that good king! I thought when I had finished this book, how much I should like to pay a visit to Tonga on purpose to see king George.

Aug. Missionary narratives are frequently very poorly written, and accordingly are very dry. This is a delightful

*London: Clarke, Beeton, & Co. † London: Hamilton, Adams & Co.

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