THE FEMALE REFUGE.

Evening Star, Issue 4075, 18 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE FEMALE REFUGE.

Our High struct morning contemporary has, appointed himself adviser to the committee of the Female Refuge, and has in moi;e than one article commented, in no mea sored terms upon the management of that institution.

iThe first article found fault with the committee for not classifying the inmates of the Refuge. That article was fully answered at the time. Our contemporary now takes : exception to the appointment of the matron, and by a so-called friendly comment qpon/the action: of the committee, makes in reality a -cowardly and covert attack upon the ladies who have taken qpqn themselves the unpleasant and burdensome task of office-bearers. Our contemporary states (inter alia) that the “ one requisite to the reclamation of those unfortunates (the inmates of the Refuge) is that the forking head of the institution should be a lady of peculiar qualifications—firm'and yet kind, with much knowledge of the world, and that kind of personal influence which ■vyill at once command respect and attract the better class, while it overawes the worse.” Verily,; .“peculiar qualifications.” Our readme will remember that the salary' paid to the matron of the institution is fi%^ c ßQjmds.x-per,.annum, and for this princely (?) income—quite sufficient for the purpose as the Refuge is now managed a lady, • possessing-, the moral worth shadowed forth by our sapient contemporary, is to be found who would consent to martyrise herself for the weal of a few lost ones,and take the unenviable post. The ’ -institution is almost self-supporting, and must of necessity be so, otherwise it Ifould soon (as we opine our contemporary desires) have to “ shut up. M The Committee, . after careful consideration of the matter, decided to obtain a good : laundress as the “working head ” of the institution, and after Search, such a person has been obtained, this person combining with her skill in washing and getting up linen the requisite fimmessof character and kindliness of dis-. position necessary to enable her to rule the inmates of the institution with effect; This course was rendered necessary, as the Refuge has, as before stated, to depend upon itself for Support, and washing is almost the sole reproductive work in which these women can be eMpteyed. The Washing is done at rates *Sfifficj6ntly high to be remune-rative-only (tidtftb return a large profit as is implied), and is done So well that at times more is sent in than can be undertaken. We presume our contemporary would wish the lady h^ad—perhaps Lady Superior wduldbe a more appropriate title—to teach the lady refugees to work point lace, play the piano, etc,;, and eventually draft them off to soine other place and there marry them. Every institution of this sort should receive the hearty support of the Press and the public, and the ladies—to whom be all honor accorded—who undertake the very difficult and disagreeable position which attaches to the members of the committed of this and all similar institutions, should be assisted by every lawful means, instead of being written.down and hampered in their good by articles sqch qs those which have disgraced the columns of our contemporary. -Communicated.