,,deaconesses ,,in ,,europe ,,and ,,their ,,lessons ,,for ,,america ,,by ,,jane ,m4 ,,bancroft1 ,ph4,d ,,with ,,an ,,introduction ,,by ,,edward ,g4 ,,andrews1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,bishop of the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church ,no life ,can be pure in its purpose and strong in its strife1 ,and all life not be purer and stronger thereby4 ,,new ,,york3 ,,hunt ,,eaton ,,cincinnati3 ,,cranston ,,stowe #ahij ,,in ,,grateful ,,recognition1 ,,to ,,the ,,earnest ,,and ,,devoted ,,women ,,who1 ,,as ,,members ,,of ,,the ,,committee ,,on ,,deaconess ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,woman',s ,,home ,,missionary ,,society1 ,,have ,,aided ,,in ,,extending ,,the ,,knowledge ,,of ,,the ,,diaconate ,,of ,,women1 ,,this ,,book ,,is ,,respectfully ,dedicated ,,by ,,the ,,author4 ,,author',s ,,note4 ,the ,author has aimed to present an accurate and concise statement of the deaconess cause as it exists at the present time4 ,in all cases where it was possible1 original sources of information have been consulted4 ,many friends1 both in ,europe and ,america1 have given invaluable aid1 for which words of thanks are an inadequate recognition4 ,the excellent ,index at the close of the volume was kindly prepared by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,thomas4 ,acknowledgments are also due to ,mr4 ,gillett1 ,librarian of the ,union ,theological ,seminary1 and to ,mr4 ,c4 ,h4 ,a4 ,bjerregaard1 of the ,astor ,library1 for putting not only the facilities of the library1 but their personal assistance1 at the service of the writer4 ,,jane ,m4 ,,bancroft4 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,june #e1 #ahhi4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,diaconate4 ,compassion a ,christian virtue--,brotherhood of all men in ,christ--,foreign ,missions--,home ,missions--,service of ministering compassion gives rise to the diaconate--,diaconate of women--,its qualities--,field of labor ,page #i ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,the ,,early ,,church4 ,little knowledge of early ,church--,pliny's letter--,apostolic ,constitutions--,deaconesses1 widows1 and virgins--,duties of the deaconess--,chrysostom1 ,olympias--,deaconesses in ,western ,church--,decline in importance--,extinction--,influences that led to decay #ah ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,deaconesses ,,from ,,the ,,twelfth ,,to ,,the ,,nineteenth ,,centuries4 ,bguines--,characteristics--,duties--,ge rhard ,groot--,sisters of the ,common ,life--,obligations--,duties--,waldenses --,bohemian ,brethren--,luther--,calvin--,reformed ,church at ,wesel-- ,deaconesses in ,amsterdam--,damsels of ,charity--,mennonites and ,moravians #cd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,fliedner1 ,,the ,,restorer ,,of ,,the ,,office ,,of ,,deaconess4 ,efforts for the restoration of the office of deaconess made by ,klnne--,amalie ,sieveking--,von ,stein--,count von der ,recke-- ,fliedner--,his childhood--,youth--,student life--,pastorate and travels--,marriage--,first prison society--,founding of refuge-- ,need of training schools--,rhenish-,westphalian ,deaconess ,society #df ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,institutions ,,at ,,kaiserswerth4 ,opening of hospital training-school--,gertrude ,reichardt--,the ,home-life--,normal school--,fliedner's wife--,publishing house-- ,orphan asylum--,insane asylum--,dispensary--,farm--,salem--,hou se of ,evening ,rest--,extension of work--,berlin--,foreign lands ,jerusalem--,beirut--,smyrna--,bucharest --,florence--,rome #fa ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,regulations ,,at ,,kaiserswerth ,,and ,,the ,,duties ,,and ,,services ,,of ,,the ,,deaconesses4 ,two classes of deaconesses--,nurses--,teachers--,qualif ications-- ,probationers--,duties--,service of consecration--,conferences-- ,table of results--,instances of work--,duisburg-- ,schleswig-,holstein war--,austrian war--,franco ,prussian war #gi ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,other ,,establishments ,,on ,,the ,,continent4 ,house at ,strasburg--,mlhausen--,marthashof at ,berlin-- ,neudettelsau--,st4 ,loup--,riehen--,zrich--,gallneukirchen- - ,characteristics of institutions--,countries where they exist #ic ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,german ,,methodism4 ,origin of ,bethany ,society--,house at ,frankfort--,hamburg-- ,berlin--,st4 ,gall--,zrich--,sister ,myrtha--,house of ,rest--,god's ,fidelity--,house regulations--,training--,results #aaj ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,paris4 ,deaconess ,home on ,rue de ,reuilly--,situation--,school-- ,hospital--,house of ,correction--,preparatory school-- ,instruction--,prison mission--,mademoiselle ,dumas--,expenses of house--,its founders--,deaconess house on ,rue ,bridaine-- ,character of work--,duties of the ,sisters--,their consecration-- ,importance of parish deaconesses #abj ,,chapter ,x4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,england4 ,early beginnings--,the ,puritans--,cambridge ,platform--,southey's complaint--,mrs4 ,fry--,fliedner--,florence ,nightingale--,agnes ,jones--,distinction between sister and deaconess-- ,institutions in ,church of ,england--,garb--,ceremonies-- ,self-denying lives--,dr4 ,laseron's institutions and others-- ,prison mission of ,mrs4 ,meredith--,the ,sisters of the ,people #adb ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,mildmay ,,institutions4 ,rev4 ,w4 ,pennefather--,sketch of his life--,building of hall and deaconess home at ,mildmay--,conference hall--,nursing hall-- ,mission and hospital at ,bethnal ,green--,the deaconesses--,their training--,expense--,expenses of institution #aff ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,scotland4 ,church of ,scotland--,organization of woman's work--,report of committees--,scheme--,adoption--,women's ,guild--,women-workers' ,guild--,deaconesses--,training--,syllab us of lectures-- ,presbyterian ,church of ,england and ,ireland ,page #ahi ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,deaconess ,,cause ,,in ,,america4 ,german ,lutherans--,fliedner visits ,america--,philadelphia-- ,mother-house of ,deaconesses--,deaconesses in the ,episcopal ,church--,among the ,presbyterians--,the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church--,deaconess-home in ,chicago--,action of ,general ,conference--,fields of work #bjd ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,training ,,and ,,the ,,field ,,of ,,work ,,for ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,america4 ,advantages of the ,home and ,training-school--,field of work--,in hospitals--,insane asylums--,infant-schools--,teachers--,th e ,home-mission deaconess--,her work in ,london--,similar work needed in cities of the ,united ,states #bbh ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,objections ,,met ,,and ,,suggestions ,,offered4 ,objection that deaconesses resemble ,catholic nuns--,their influence--,numbers in different orders--,order of ,charles-- ,objection to garb--,its advantages--,objection to the life answered--,opinion of ,bryce concerning ,american women--,women of ,methodism--,advice to candidates--,associates--,the ,church commended by its deeds #bdg ,,introduction4 ,how far1 and in what form1 ought woman's work in the ,church to be organized8 ,what was the deaconess of ,st4 ,paul's epistles8 ,what light on this subject do the primitive and the medival ,churches yield us8 ,can sisterhoods be established without weakening the sense of personal responsibility in those ,christian women who are not thus wholly set apart to charitable and spiritual work8 ,can they be multiplied without danger of introducing into ,protestant communions the evils of the conventual life8 ,are there modern instances of safe and successful organizations8 ,what good have they achieved1 and what further good do they promise8 ,in what relation should such organizations stand to the authority and fostering care of the ,church8 ,what should be their scope1 spirit1 methods8 ,what regulations are fundamental and indispensable8 ,what perils are real and possibly imminent8 ,to answer these1 and other questions associated with them1 this book is written4 ,its authoress is a gifted daughter of the ,church1 well known in literary and educational circles4 ,during a protracted sojourn in ,europe she enjoyed unusual facilities for studying the deaconess work as carried on in many places1 and particularly in the institutions founded by ,pastor ,fliedner at ,kaiserswerth in ,prussia1 and in those at ,mildmay in ,england4 ,she has also made a thorough and discriminating study of the subject as developed in the early centuries of the ,church and in the ,middle ,ages4 ,the book itself will amply reveal these facts1 and cannot but contribute largely to the guidance of the newly revived interest of the ,american churches in the far-reaching question how ,christian women may best serve their ,lord in serving the humanity which he has redeemed4 ,it appears at an opportune time4 ,the ,general ,conference of the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 at its session in ,may1 #ahhh1 inserted in the law of the ,church a chapter on deaconesses1 defining their duties and providing for the appointment and oversight of them through the ,annual ,conferences4 ,this action was the natural outcome of a wide and increasing appreciation of the service of ,christian women in many departments of ,church work2 and it was greatly furthered by the advocacy of ,dr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,thoburn1 now the devoted and honored missionary bishop of ,india and ,malaysia4 ,but it had not been the subject of any considerable previous discussion in the periodicals of the ,church1 and there was not in the ,church a widely diffused or an accurate knowledge of the history1 scope1 possibilities1 or perils of such an organization4 ,the promptness1 however1 with which the provision thus made by the ,general ,conference has been seized upon by the ,church in several of our large cities1 indicates that the time was ripe for the movement4 ,but information is still scanty2 ideas concerning the aim and place of the deaconess work are crude2 methods have been very little digested2 the foundations of local homes evidently may come to be very imperfectly laid2 and the movement may easily come to naught4 ,this book1 it is hoped1 will do a twofold work4 ,it will awaken a lively interest in a movement already arrived at large proportions in some parts of ,european ,protestantism2 and it will guide those among us who are studying how best to organize1 against the sin and suffering of the world1 the practically unlimited resources of ,christian women4 ,whenever any one shall in some good degree apprehend what helpfulness for the lost as yet lies undeveloped in the hearts and hands of the daughters of the ,church1 and what honor may yet come to ,christianity by the rightly directed use of this power1 he will welcome a volume which1 like the present one1 offers such guidance as history1 observation1 and earnest reflection yield on the question at issue4 ,,edward ,g4 ,,andrews4 ,,new ,,york1 ,may #aj1 #ahhi4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,europe4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,diaconate4 ,in the ruins of the old cities of ,greece and ,rome we find buildings that were used for public purposes of all kinds--forums1 theaters1 amphitheaters1 circuses1 and temples of worship4 ,every provision was made for the entertainment of the people1 and for their political and intellectual needs4 ,but nowhere do we find the ruins of structures1 belonging either to the public or to private individuals1 indicating that any attempt was ever made to care for the feeble-minded1 the insane1 the deaf1 the blind1 the sick1 or the aged2 those that in every nation of modern times are the wards of the ,state and the definite objects of religious ministrations4 ,the ruins cannot be found because such buildings never existed4 ,no provision was made for those suffering from bodily infirmities1 because so far as the ,state could control circumstances they were not allowed to exist4 ,children who were defective in any way were put to death4 ,in ,sparta this measure was carried out under government supervision4 ,even ,plato in his model republic has all children of wicked men1 the misshapen1 or the illegitimate put out of existence1 that they may not be a burden to the ,state4#a ,with the coming of ,christ new elements were introduced into the civilization of the world2 elements of kindliness1 of compassion1 of sympathy of man toward his fellow-man1 that up to this time had not been known4 ,there was a new revelation of the brotherhood of all men in the fatherhood of ,god3 ,we are all one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,this spirit of compassion and of sympathy has grown with every century in the ,christian era1 and at no time has it been stronger in the history of the world than it is to-day4 ,well has one ,american historian said3 ,to a generation which knows but two crimes worthy of death1 that against the life of the individual and that against the life of the ,state2 which has expended fabulous sums in the erection of reformatories1 asylums1 and penitentiaries1 houses of correction1 houses of refuge1 and houses of detention all over the land2 which has furnished every ,state prison with a library1 with a hospital1 with workshops1 and with schools1 the brutal scenes on which our ancestors looked with indifference seem scarcely a reality4 ,yet it is well to recall them1 for we cannot but turn from the contemplation of so much misery and so much suffering with a deep sense of thankfulness that our lot has fallen in a pitiful age1 when more compassion is felt for a galled horse or a dog run over at a street-crossing than our great-grandfathers felt for a woman beaten for cursing1 or a man imprisoned for debt4#b ,the spirit of ,christ has penetrated even where his rule is not acknowledged1 and the humanitarianism of the present day is simply the leaven of ,christian love working among the masses of men4 ,in the ,christian world the effort to realize the brotherhood of all men in ,christ is producing large results4 ,treasures of money1 and infinitely more precious treasures of men1 are every year devoted to this one object4 ,the cause of ,protestant foreign missions is not yet a century old1 but the latest available statistics tell us that the following sums are being contributed annually for this great work3#c #cb ,american societies contribute #c1jaa1jbg #bh ,british #e1bag1che #bg ,continental #a1jhc1agj -- ---------- #hg societies contribute #i1caa1ehb ,with this large sum ,american societies are employing #ihf men1 and #a1jha women2 ,british societies1 #a1haa men1 and #gde women2 ,continental societies1 #ggg men1 and #ddg women4 ,total1 #c1egd men1 #b1bgc women4 ,visible results of faithfulness in work3 ,members in ,american societies #bdb1gcc ,british #cdj1bdb ,continental #aag1ecb ------- ,total membership in foreign lands #gjj1ejg ,children in the ,sunday-schools #fbf1gda ,the subject of home missions is to-day attracting greater attention than ever before4 ,die ,innere ,mission of ,germany1 the various forms the work assumes in ,england1 the many societies in the ,united ,states occupied by the questions of city evangelization1 work among the ,mormons1 the treatment of the ,indians1 care for the colored race1 and other phases of home work show that ,christians are fully understanding that it is wise to build over against our own house4 ,certainly the reproach cannot justly be made that the ,church of ,christ is neglectful of the precept1 ,as we have therefore opportunity1 let us do good unto all men4 ,this is genuine service of man to man1 and the motive of the service is love to ,god4 ,every revelation of ,god is of ministering love and compassion1 and the efforts of his disciples to imitate the divine love have indelibly stamped upon modern civilization the ,christian impress4 ,the service of ministering compassion is so clearly one of the duties of ,christ's ,church that of necessity there must be ordinances touching the exercise of this duty4 ,so in ,acts vi1 #c1 we read of the appointment of the deacons1 men of honest report1 full of the ,holy ,ghost and of wisdom1 to see that the service of the tables was not neglected4 ,but ,christian women have ever had special gifts in caring for the poor and sick and helpless1 and the women of apostolic times must necessarily have had their part in these services of love4 ,in addition to the diaconate appointed by the apostles recorded in the sixth chapter of ,acts1 we must look for a female diaconate as an office in the ,church4 ,this we do not fail to find4 ,in ,rom4 xvi1 #a1 we read3 ,i commend unto you ,phebe1 a deacon of the church which is at ,cenchrea4 ,such at least would have been the form of the verse if our translators had rendered the ,greek word here translated servant as they rendered the like word in the sixth chapter of ,acts1 the third of the ,first ,epistle to ,timothy1 and in other passages of the apostolic writings4 ,that ye receive her in the ,lord as becometh saints1 and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you3 for she hath been a succorer of many1 and of myself also4 ,these words of ,st4 ,paul are especially valuable as an apostolic witness for the existence of the office of deaconess at the time when he wrote4 ,they are even more than that4 ,they are an apostolic commendation of the office addressed to the ,christian ,church of all times to accept the deaconess in the ,lord1 and to assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you4 ,whether ,priscilla1 spoken of with ,aquila as my helpers in ,christ ,jesus1 or ,tryphena1 ,tryphosa1 and the beloved ,persis1 who labored much1 or ,julia and ,olympas1 all mentioned in the same chapter1 were or were not deaconesses we have no means of knowing4 ,outside of this chapter we do not find other references to the order in the ,new ,testament1 unless it be in #a ,tim4 iii1 #aa4 ,in the midst of a lengthy description of the qualifications of deacons is interjected the exhortation3 ,even so must their wives be grave1 not slanderers1 sober1 faithful in all things4 ,now the word wives has no authority from the ,greek word1 which is simply women4 ,bishop ,lightfoot remarks1 in his book on the authorized version of the ,new ,testament1 ,if the theory of the definite article 7in the ,greek7 had been understood our translators would have seen that the reference is to deaconesses1 not to wives of the deacons4 ,many eminent scholars are of the same opinion1 among whom are ,chrysostom1 ,grotius1 ,bishop ,wordsworth1 and ,dean ,alvord4 ,dean ,howson adds3 ,it should be particularly noticed in connection with this that in the early part of the chapter no such directions are given concerning the wives of the bishops1 though they are certainly as important as the wives of the deacons2 so that it can scarcely be thought otherwise than that the apostle's directions were for the deaconesses1 an order which we find in ecclesiastical records for some centuries side by side with that of deacons4#d ,those mentioned in ,tit4 ii1 #c1 and in #a ,tim4 v1 #i1 cannot be considered as holding the office of a deaconess4 ,they belong distinctively to the class of widows1 who held a position of honor in the ,church4 ,st4 ,paul had clear conceptions of the administrative needs of the ,church1 and it is not probable that he would set apart to the service of deaconesses1 which had many difficult duties1 those who were already sixty years old4 ,the many names of faithful women mentioned in his letters as helpers in the ,church are important witnesses for the great apostle's appreciation of woman's co-operation in the work of the ,church1 although his judgment was necessarily limited in some directions by the influence of the times in which he lived4 ,let us examine the requirements for the diaconate of the early ,church4 ,the word diaconate means service2 helpful service4 ,we use the word to designate service for the ,church of ,christ2 service that more particularly concerns itself with administering the charities of the ,church and performing its duties of compassion and mercy4 ,the men who were selected for this office were to be men of honest report4 ,they must have led a blameless life4 ,those who had repented of wrong-doing and reformed their lives were excluded from the office1 because they had lost a good report of them which are without4 ,pre-eminently they must be men of spiritual experience1 proven ,christians1 full of the ,holy ,ghost and of wisdom4 ,they were also to have practical gifts that would make them efficient and capable in the duties of every-day life4 #a ,tim4 iii1 #h4 ,these are some of the qualifications spoken of as belonging to the diaconate1 and are the same in application to either sex4 ,the woman deacon must1 however1 besides possessing the above qualities1 be unmarried or a widow4 ,the married woman has her calling at home1 and cannot combine with that an official calling in the ,church1 although she may be a valuable lay helper4 ,the field of labor of the women deacons of apostolic times and of the present is essentially the same4 ,the conditions of society and of the ,church1 however1 are totally dissimilar4 ,we must1 therefore1 look to see new adaptations of the same useful qualities4 ,in other words1 we shall not expect to take the female diaconate of the days of the apostles and transport it unchanged1 into nineteenth century environments4 ,we shall rather expect to see the invariably useful qualities of the diaconate of women adapted to the needs of the sinful1 sorrowing1 ignorant1 and helpless of the age in which we live4 #a ,heidenthum und ,judenthum1 von ,dllinger1 p4 #fib4 ,regensburg1 #aheg4 #b ,mac,master's ,history of the ,united ,states1 vol4 i1 p4 #ajb4 #c ,statistics from ,north ,american ,review1 ,february1 #ahhi1 ,why am ,i a ,missionary8 #d ,deaconesses1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,howson1 ,d4,d41 p4 #bcf4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,the ,,early ,,church4 ,to understand the position of the deaconess with respect to the modern ,church we must know something of the relation in which she stood to the early ,church4 ,concisely as may be we must recall the story of the intervening centuries to the present1 that we may learn the true position of deaconesses in modern times4 ,we have very little knowledge of the early ,church4 ,during the first century and the first half of the second century continued persecution compelled the religious communities of the new faith to live in almost complete seclusion4 ,for the same reason little has been left on record of those years1 and it is impossible to form clear conceptions of ,church history during the period4 ,the first trace which we find of the existence of deaconesses after the times of the apostles comes to us from an entirely outside source--from the official records of the ,roman government4 ,shortly after the close of the first century the ,emperor ,trajan sent the younger ,pliny as prefect to ,bithynia in ,asia ,minor4 ,at the imperial command he began a persecution of the ,christians1 but interrupted it for a time to obtain further instructions from the emperor4 ,his letter and the reply still exist4 ,in the course of what he wrote ,pliny says that he had sought to learn from two maids1 who were called ministr 7ex duabus ancillis1 qu ministr dicebantur1 ,book x1 chap4 xcvii71 or helpers1 the truth of what the ,christians had said1 and had even deemed it necessary to put them to torture1 but could obtain evidence of nothing save unbounded superstition4 ,here is independent testimony of singular interest that deaconesses1 followers of ,phebe1 were found in ,christian communities of ,asia ,minor at the beginning of the second century1 and that they kept the faith1 when put to cruel martyrdom4 ,the clearest conceptions of the characteristics and duties of deaconesses of the early ,church we obtain from the ,apostolic ,constitutions1 a collection of ecclesiastical instructions that gradually grew up in the ,eastern ,church1 and were gathered into one work in the fourth century4 ,these instructions were of unequal antiquity1 ranging from the earliest usages to the rules and practices last determined upon4 ,whether the ,apostolic ,constitutions have all the authority that some claim for them is a question not here to be decided4 ,if not genuine1 they must have been written at a very early time1 and from that fact possess a historical value of their own4 ,they prove beyond a doubt that there was a time in the history of the ,church when a clear idea was held by some writer of the office of the female deacon as essential to the discipline of the ,church4#e ,from them we learn of three distinct types of women connected with the administration of the ,church--deaconesses1 widows1 and virgins4 ,deaconesses and widows date from apostolic times1 the ,church virgins from a somewhat later period4 ,the distinction between widows and deaconesses was not at first clearly maintained4 ,by some ,church fathers widows were called deaconesses1 and deaconesses widows4 ,it was only after the lapse of time that we find the classes clearly distinguished1 and when that time is reached the deaconesses have become exalted in office1 being regarded as belonging to the clergy1#f while the widows have lost somewhat the honorable position first accorded to them4 ,the deaconesses are active ministering agents1 caring for the necessities of others2 the widows have passed the period of active service1 and having won the respect and protection of the ,church are supported in old age from a fund set apart for that purpose4 ,in the ,apostolic ,constitutions the order of deaconesses stands forth independently1 its many official activities are mentioned1 and the importance of its service emphasized4 ,by combining the different references we obtain a tolerably clear picture of the deaconess and her duties4 ,she must be a pure virgin1 or a widow once married1 faithful1 and worthy 7,book vi1 chap4 xvii74 ,her special duties were as follows3 7a47 ,she was a door-keeper at the women's entrance to the church4 ,this was an ancient service1 dating back to the oldest times4#g ,ignatius died a martyr's death not long after the beginning of the second century1 and in a letter which bears his name is written1 ,i greet the doorkeepers of the holy doors1 the deaconesses who are in the ,lord4 ,this guardianship was maintained not only in times of persecution1 but as a matter of order and discipline in times of peace4 7b47 ,she showed women their places in the congregation1 being especially bound to look after the poor and strangers1 giving each due attention4 7c47 ,she instructed the female catechumens4 ,she also visited the women's apartments1 where male deacons could not enter1 carried messages to the bishops1 and acted as a missionary4 ,teaching was an important part of the duties of the early deaconesses4 7d47 ,the deaconess had certain duties in connection with the baptism of women that were considered important and indispensable4 7e47 ,in times of persecution she visited those who were oppressed or in prison1 and ministered to their bodily and spiritual needs4 ,she seems to have been less endangered in performing these acts than were men4 ,lucian alludes to the service of these devoted women in prisons4 ,she also cared for the sick and sorrowing1 being especially zealous to serve other women4 7f47 ,on occasion she was a mediator when there was strife in families1 or among friends4 ,both to deacons and deaconesses pertain messages1 journeys to foreign parts1 ministrations1 services4 ,the ever-to-be-remembered journey of ,phebe to ,rome1 when a whole system of theology was committed to her keeping1 was quite within the sphere of her duties4 ,it has also been said that to them was given the safe-keeping of the holy books in periods of persecution4 ,the enumeration of these principal duties implying so many lesser details helps us to understand that deaconesses are needed for many purposes 7,book ii1 chapter xv74 ,the deaconess was ordained to her work1 as is attested by a great number of authorities4#h ,it was because men felt still that the ,holy ,ghost alone could give power to do any work to ,god's glory that they deemed themselves constrained to ask such power of him1 in setting a woman to do ,church service4#i ,the following beautiful prayer of ordination1 attributed to the apostle ,bartholomew1 bears within it certain proofs of the very early existence of the ceremony1 as well as of the order of deaconesses3 ,eternal ,god1 ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,creator of man and women1 who didst fill ,miriam and ,deborah and ,hannah and ,huldah with thy ,spirit1 and didst not disdain to suffer thine only-begotten ,son to be born of a woman2 who also in the tabernacle and temple didst appoint woman-keepers of thine holy gates1 look down now upon this thine handmaid1 who is designated to the office of deaconess1 and cleanse her from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit1 that she may worthily execute the work intrusted to her to thine honor1 and to the praise of thine ,anointed1 to whom1 with thee and the ,holy ,ghost1 be honor and adoration forever4 ,amen4 ,the allusion to the creation of man and woman1 to the women in the ,old ,testament who were called to special service1 as well as to ,mary1 the mother of the ,lord1 while no reference is made to the women of the apostolic ,church who were so highly commended1 and held in veneration as worthy of all imitation1 go to prove that the origin of this prayer was so near the time of the apostles as to be almost contemporary with them4 ,the office of the deaconess1 as described by the ,apostolic ,constitutions1 fitted into the needs of the ,eastern ,church and the requirements of ,greek life4 ,it was in the ,east that the diaconate of women originated1 and here that it attained its greatest growth4 ,in the ,west custom did not demand the careful separation of the sexes as in the ,east1 and church relations were less bound by social usages2 consequently we meet with fewer references to deaconesses in the works of the ,latin fathers1 and the diaconate of women is not so deeply rooted in the affections of the church communities as we have found it in the ,greek ,church4#aj ,the fourth century was the blossoming period of woman's diaconate1 when it attained its highest importance4 ,all the leading ,greek fathers and ,church authorities of the age make mention of it4 ,the office is spoken of as worthy of all honor1 filled by women of rank from noble families1 and those of wealth and ability4 ,it found its special advocate and protector in ,chrysostom1 ,john of the ,golden ,mouth1 who was ,bishop of ,constantinople from #cig until #djg ,a4,d4 ,he seems to have had the ability1 rare for that age1 of understanding the value of the services of ,christian women1 and through his wise guidance and encouragement had over them almost unbounded influence4 ,forty-six deaconesses were under his direction--forty attached to the mother church at ,constantinople1 and six belonging to a small church in the suburbs4 ,a number of these were closely identified with his history1 either as relatives or friends1 and through his writings their memory is preserved4 ,of these are ,nicarete1 of a noble family of ,nicomedia4 ,we are told she was of a modest1 retiring nature1 and would not take places of responsibility when urged to do so by ,chrysostom4 ,we note a strong tendency toward the later celibate life of the nuns when we read that she was extolled for her perpetual virginity and holy life4 ,sabiniana was the aunt of ,chrysostom4 ,to ,amprucla the bishop wrote two letters still extant4#aa ,they are filled with words of consolation for the religious persecution she has undergone4 ,in one of them he says3 ,greatly did we sympathize with your manliness1 your steadfast and adamantine understanding1 your freedom of speech and boldness4 ,manliness of soul seems to have held a high place in the bishop's favorite qualities4 ,in another place1 writing to the same deaconess1 he praises your steadfast soul1 true to ,god2 yea1 rather1 your noble and most manly soul4 ,pentadia and ,procla were closely associated with ,olympias4 ,in a letter to ,pentadia1 ,chrysostom writes3 ,for ,i know your great and lofty soul1 which can sail as with a fair wind through many tempests1 and in the midst of the waves enjoy a white calm4#ab ,reading such words of appreciation1 words that in other places approach dangerously near to adulation1 we better understand the influence ,chrysostom exercised over the women of his time1 and their steadfast devotion to him4 ,they had the conviction that all their efforts met with his sincere and profound appreciation and quick responsive acknowledgment4 ,pre-eminent among the friends of the great bishop was ,olympias1 of whom ,dean ,howson said1 ,she is the queenly figure among the deaconesses of the primitive ,church4 ,to understand her life we must recall the scenes by which she was surrounded and the age in which she lived4#ac ,in the great capital of the ,eastern ,empire1 where the luxuriance and magnificence of the ,orient combined with the keen1 quick intellectual life of the ,greeks2 in the circle of the imperial court1 with its intrigues1 its fashions1 its favoritisms2 at a time when outwardly much respect was paid to the forms of religious life1 but when the great and vital dogmas of the ,church were made the sport of witty sophistical disputations2 when those who endeavored to lead an earnest ,christian life met with nearly as much to oppose them as in periods of active persecution2 such were her environments4 ,they were little favorable to the strength of mind1 the fixedness of purpose1 the self-denial and ,christian devotion that marked this noble deaconess4 ,born in #cfh ,a4,d4 of a heathen family of rank1 owing to her parents' early death she was educated a ,christian4 ,in her seventeenth year she married ,nebridius1 the prefect of the city1 but after a married life of twenty months he died1 leaving her at eighteen years a widow1 rich1 beautiful1 and free to decide her future4 ,the ,emperor ,theodosius desired her to marry one of his kinsmen1 but she refused1 saying1 ,had ,god designed me to lead a married life he would not have taken my husband2 ,i will remain a widow1 and shortly after she was consecrated a deaconess by ,bishop ,nectarius4 ,the emperor1 angered at her refusal1 took from her the use of her large fortune1 and put it under the care of guardians until she should be thirty years old1 whereupon she only thanked him for relieving her of the heavy responsibility of administering her estate1 and begged him to add to his kindness by dividing it between the poor and the ,church4 ,shamed out of his anger1 the emperor soon restored her rights1 and when ,chrysostom came to ,constantinople her lavish and often unwise generosity was felt in every direction1 being compared to a stream which flows to the end of the world4 ,he reproved her unbounded liberality1 and advised her to administer alms as a wise steward who must render an account4 ,this counsel guided her into safer paths4 ,finally1 when ,chrysostom was driven forth to banishment1 by his advice she remained in the city1 and became a support for his followers and those who had been dependent upon him4 ,she met contemptuous treatment and judicial persecutions1 but continued her works of charity1 and outlived the man whose mind and heart had so influenced hers by eleven years4 ,chrysostom wrote her many letters1 of which seventeen are extant4#ad ,they plainly show the estimate he set upon the diaconate of women1 and his endeavor to wisely cherish it4 ,unfortunately1 they also show exaggeration of compliment and praise which detract from his words of sincere and honest admiration4 ,too often1 also1 he gives undue value to works of mercy1 and exalts acts of ascetic self-denial4 ,the question of the age at which deaconesses could be received is a vexed one4 ,the confusion of apprehension touching deaconesses and widows led to differing enactments at different times and places4 ,the restriction of age1 however1 must now have lost its force1 as we find ,olympias a deaconess when not yet twenty years of age1 and ,makrina1 the sister of ,gregory of ,nyssa1 was ordained when a young girl4 ,deaconesses retained control of their property4 ,in truth1 a law of the ,state forbade them to enrich churches and institutions at the expense of those having just claims on them4 ,deaconesses also existed in the ,church of ,asia ,minor4 ,ignatius mentions them as at ,antioch in ,syria4 ,they were in ,italy and ,rome4 ,the ,church of ,st4 ,pudentiana1 in the ,eternal ,city1 keeps alive the memory of two deaconesses whose house is said to have stood on this site2 ,praxedes and ,pudentiana1 the daughters of a ,roman senator1 who devoted themselves1 with all they had1 to the service of the ,church4 ,deaconesses also penetrated to ,ireland1 ,gaul1 and ,spain1 lingering in the last named country many years after they had passed out of knowledge elsewhere4 ,we find very little about this order of ,christian workers in the ,western ,church4 ,there is a passage of ,origen in a ,latin translation which speaks of the ministry of women as both existing and necessary1 but in the great ,latin fathers1 the contemporaries of ,chrysostom1 scarcely a mention occurs4 ,from the last half of the fifth century the diaconate of women declined in importance4#ae ,it was deprived of its clerical character by the decrees passed by the ,gallic councils of the fifth and sixth centuries4 ,it was finally entirely abolished as a church order by the ,synod of ,orleans1 #eic ,a4,d41 which forbade any woman henceforth to receive the benedictio diaconalis1 which had been substituted for ordinatio diaconalis by a previous council 7,synod of ,orange1 #dda74 ,the withdrawing of church sanctions made the deaconess cause a private one4 ,but as such it existed for hundreds of years1 often under the patronage and protection of those high in authority4 ,about the year #fjj ,a4,d4 the patriarch of ,constantinople1 godfather of the ,emperor ,mauritius1 built for his sister1 who was a deaconess1 a church which for centuries was called the ,church of the ,deaconesses4 ,it is still standing and1 only slightly changed1 is now used for a ,turkish mosque4#af ,in the twelfth century there were still deaconesses at ,constantinople4 ,balsamon1 a distinguished professor of ,church law1 writing at the time1 says that deaconesses were still elected in that city and took charge of conferences among women members1 but in other places the order had passed completely away4 ,there was no historian of the diaconate of the early ,church4 ,we learn of it only from isolated and occasional references in works devoted to other subjects4 ,yet these references are sufficient to enable us to affirm that deaconesses were a factor in the life of the ,church for from nine to twelve centuries1 or two thirds of the ,christian era4 ,the same influences led to its decay that affected the entire life of the ,church during these centuries4 ,the superior sanctity attached to the unmarried state1 that brought about the celibacy of the priests1 gradually changed the active beneficent existence of the old-time deaconesses into the cloistral life of nuns4 ,statutes were passed forbidding her to marry4 ,gradually grew up the dangerous superstition of the marriage of the individual soul with ,christ1 that made of the nun the ,bride of ,christ in an especial sense4 ,it was this false conception that led the vow of the nun to be regarded as the vow of marriage1 and to be guarded from infringement in the same way as the human marriage tie1 and like it to be lasting for life4 ,the glorious doctrine of justification by faith was replaced by ascetic mortifications of the flesh based upon the belief in meritorious works4 ,the cell of the monk and the nun were esteemed more sacred than the family circle1 and in the darkness of medival times that settled down upon the life of the ,church we lose sight of the busy1 active ministrations of women deacons1 who had once been esteemed so needful to her usefulness4 ,there are other minor causes that aided in the downfall of the order2 the abuses that arose in some cases2 the changes in the ceremony of baptism by which the aid of women was not so indispensable1 and especially the fact that since the time of ,constantine the care of the sick and poor was placed under the charge of the ,state4#ag ,these causes combined removed from the life of the ,church a powerful agency for good1 and for centuries deprived it of the pre-eminent gifts of ministration which belong to ,christian women4 #e ,woman's ,work in the ,church1 ,j4 ,m4 ,ludlow1 p4 #ba4 #f ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie in ihrem ganzen ,umfang1 ,theodor ,schfer1 #c vols4 ,stuttgart3 ,d4 ,gundert1 #ahhg4 ,vol4 i1 p4 #de4 #g ,der ,diakonissenberuf nach seiner ,vergangenheit und ,gegenwart1 ,emil ,wacker4 ,gtersloh3 ,e4 ,bertelman1 #ahhh4 p4 #cc4 #h ,neander1 ,hist4 of ,chr4 ,religion and ,church1 vol4 i1 p4 #ahh2 ,schaff1 ,hist4 of ,chr4 ,church1 vol4 iii1 p4 #bfj2 ,mc,clintock ,strong's ,encyclopdia1 art4 ,deaconesses4 #i ,j4 ,m4 ,ludlow1 ,woman's ,work in the ,church1 p4 #ag4 #aj ,neander1 ,hist4 of ,chr4 ,rel4 and ,church1 vol4 i1 p4 #ahh2 ,schaff1 ,hist4 of ,chr4 ,church1 vol4 iii1 p4 #bfj4 #aa ,sancti ,johannis ,chrysostomi opera om1 t4 ii1 pp4 #fei1 #ffb4 ,paris1 #ahdb4 #ab ,chrys41 ,op41 vol4 ii1 p4 #feh4 #ac ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 ,theodor ,schfer1 vol4 i1 p4 #h4 #ad ,chrys41 ,op41 vol4 ii1 p4 #fjj4 #ae ,schaff's ,history of ,chr4 ,church1 vol4 iii1 p4 #bfj4 #af ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 ,j4 ,disselhoff1 ,kaiserswerth1 #ahhj1 p4 #e4 #ag ,herzog's ,protestantische ,real ,enc41 vol4 iii1 p4 #ehi4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,deaconesses ,,from ,,the ,,twelfth ,,to ,,the ,,nineteenth ,,centuries4 ,during these seven centuries whenever there arose a reviving spirit of true love to ,god1 whether within the ,church of ,rome or in any of the churches formed from reforming elements that separated from it1 then we find traces of the diaconate of woman assuming some form of devotion to ,christ and work for him4 ,one of these movements well worth our study originated in ,belgium while the last of the ,greek deaconesses were still daily walking the arched pathway that led to their church in ,constantinople4 ,toward the close of the twelfth century great corruption of morals and open abuses prevailed in society1 and also in the ,church4 ,one of those who protested against the evils of the times was the priest ,lambert le ,bgue1 as he was called1 meaning the stutterer4 ,he lived at ,lige1 in ,belgium1 and just without the city walls owned a large garden4 ,he determined to make use of this to found a retreat for godly women1 where they could lead in common a life of well-doing4 ,here he built a number of little houses1 and in the center a church1 which was dedicated to ,st4 ,christopher in #aahd4 ,then he presented the whole to some godly women to be used and owned in common4 ,his earnest words of rebuke brought persecution upon him from those whose consciences he disturbed1 but he went to ,rome and appealed to the pope1 who not only protected him from his assailants1 but made him the patriarch of the order he had founded4 ,only six months after his return1 however1 he died1 and was buried before the high altar of the church he had erected in #aahg4 ,whether he was indeed the founder of the ,bguine houses has been called in question4 ,be that as it may1 fifty years after his death fifteen hundred ,bguines were living around ,st4 ,christopher's ,church1#ah and ,bguine courts were found throughout ,belgium1 in the ,netherlands1 south along the ,rhine1 in eastern ,france1 and in ,switzerland4 ,the ,crusades made many widows1 and both widows and young girls sought shelter in the community life of the ,bguines4 ,as a rule they lived alone1 in separate small houses built closely together and surrounded by a wall4 ,each house bore on its door the sign of the cross1 and with every ,bguine court there were invariably two large buildings--a church and a hospital2 the one for the worship of the sisters1 the other the field of their self-denying ministrations4 ,at first they were in no wise distinguished in their dress from other women1 but in time they wore a habit which varied in color with each establishment1 but was generally blue1 gray1 or brown4 ,the veil was invariably white4 ,the sisters had to earn1 or partly earn1 their own livelihood4 ,in the time remaining they rendered essential service in performing acts of charity4 ,they received orphans to bring up and educate1 taught little children1 nursed the sick1 performed the last offices for the dead1 and bound themselves by good deeds closely with the lives of the people4 ,they were in no sense isolated from the world1 but lived busy1 useful lives in the midst of the world4 ,they could leave the community at any time1 and after severing their connection with it were free to marry4 ,they also retained control of their own property4 ,there were certainly many points of resemblance between these women who were so active in the sphere of ,christian charity in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and the deaconesses of ,europe to-day4 ,the most prosperous period for the ,bguines was the first half of the thirteenth century1 when they were numbered by thousands4#ai ,gradually persecution was directed against them4 ,the nuns looked upon them with disfavor1 and the pope withdrew his protection4 ,in the ,netherlands many became ,protestants at the time of the ,reformation1 but the ,bguines of to-day1 changed in many respects from the original type1 and now1 closely resembling the other sisterhoods of ,catholicism1 are frequently to be seen in the cities of ,belgium and north-eastern ,france4 ,a new current of spiritual life swept over the church in the fourteenth century1 and again we find women living together in community life1 and devoting themselves to common service in good deeds1 and known as the ,sisters of the ,common ,life4 ,there was also a ,brotherhood of the ,common ,life1 as there were ,beghards1 communities of ,christian men corresponding to the ,bguines4 ,the ,brotherhood and the ,sisterhood of the ,common ,life honored as their founder ,gerhard ,groot1 of ,deventer1 who was born in #acdj4 ,of a singularly attractive personality1 a creative mind1 and an ardent1 enthusiastic nature1 he was born to influence and command4 ,he was already known as a priest of eloquence and wide learning when1 in #acgd1 he met with a deep spiritual change1 and from that year dated his conversion4 ,henceforth1 with every power of a rarely gifted nature1 he sought to lead those who heard him to lives of purity and holiness4 ,gradually there grew up about him a circle of like-minded friends1 occupied in writing books to spread his ideas1 and aiding him as they could4 ,his friend ,florentius proposed that they live together and form a community4 ,a community6 answered ,groot4 ,the begging orders will never permit that4 ,but ,florentius1 the planner and organizer1 persisted1 offering his own house as a home1 and held to the advantages of his plan until ,groot yielded1 and said1 ,in the name of the ,lord begin your work4 ,such was the origin of the ,brotherhood of the ,common ,life1 and from its circle proceeded that immortal book1 the ,imitation of ,christ1 by ,thomas ,kempis1 keeping alive in the hearts of choice spirits of every generation the thoughts and sentiments of the men of whom its author was the interpreter4 ,for a community of women of similar aims and purposes it needed only that ,groot should make a few changes in the house that he had already set apart from his paternal inheritance as a home for destitute women1 and the first sister house began4 ,like the ,bguines1 the ,sisters of the ,common ,life took no obligations binding them to life-long service1 but they differed from them in living more closely together in one family1 and had a common purse4 ,they wore a gray costume1 and also worked for their own support4 ,the special virtues they inculcated were obedience to those above them in authority1 humility that would not shun the meanest task1 and friendliness to all4 ,their charitable duties were much the same as the ,bguines2 they cared for children1 nursed the sick1 and often acted as midwives4 ,in the first half of the sixteenth century there were at least eighty-seven sister-houses1 mostly in the ,netherlands4#bj ,it will be noticed that these freer communities of religious women1 that bear so much closer resemblance to the deaconesses of the early ,church than to the sisterhoods of nuns contemporary with them1 mostly existed in the great free cities of ,germany and the ,netherlands1 which were the cradles of political and religious liberty1 the centers of commerce and of civilization at that time4 ,among the ,waldenses1 the ,poor ,men of ,lyons1 who were already prominent in the last half of the twelfth century1 we find there were deaconesses4 ,we learn of them again1 too1 among the ,bohemian brethren1 the followers of ,huss4 ,with deep ,christian faith they endeavored to form a ,church after the apostolic model1 and in #adeg appointed ,church deaconesses4 ,they were to form a female council of elder women1 who were to counsel and care for the married women1 widows1 and young girls1 to make peace between quarrelers1 to prevent slandering1 and to preserve purity and good morals1#ba aims which keep close to the apostolic definition of this office4 ,luther1 the great master-mind of the ,reformation1 was too clear-sighted to fail to appreciate the importance of women for the service of the ,church4 ,speaking of the quality which is an inherent part of the diaconate of women1 he says3 ,women who are truly pious are wont to have especial grace in comforting others and lessening their sorrows4 ,in his exposition of #a ,pet4 ii1 #e1 he uttered truly remarkable words1 for the age in which he lived1 concerning women as members of the holy priesthood4 ,he says3 ,now1 wilt thou say1 ,is that true that we are all priests1 and should preach8 ,where will that lead us8 ,shall there be no difference in persons8 shall women also be priests8 ,answer4 ,if thou desirest to behold ,christians1 so must thou see no differences1 and must not say1 ,that is a man or a woman1 that is a servant or a lord1 old or young4 ,they are all one1 simply ,christian people4 ,therefore are they all priests4 ,they may all publish ,god's word1 save that women shall not speak in the church1 but shall let men preach4 ,but where there are no men1 but women only1 as in the nuns' cloisters1 there might a woman be chosen who should preach to them4 ,this is the true priesthood1 in which are the three elements of spiritual offerings1 prayer1 and preaching for the ,church4 ,whoever does this is a priest4 ,you are all bound to preach the ,word1 to pray for the ,church1 and to offer yourself to ,god4#bb ,there is no mention in ,luther's writings1 however1 of the diaconate of women4 ,it would be more natural that he should have tried to adjust the lives of the monks and nuns as he knew of them to the new relations arising from the ,reformation rather than to bring to life an office of which he had no personal knowledge4 ,this was what he did when he wrote to the burghers of ,herford in ,westphalia4 ,in their new zeal they wanted to drive the inmates from the religious houses1 although the latter had been the means of teaching them the reformed doctrines4 ,in his letter of ,january #ca1 #aecb1 ,luther says3 ,if the brothers and sisters who are by you truly teach and hold the true word it is my friendly wish that you will not allow them to be disturbed or experience bitterness in this matter4 ,let them retain their religious dress and their accustomed habits which are not opposed to the ,gospel4#bc ,certainly ,luther would have seen no harm in allowing deaconesses the protection of a special garb4 ,passing to another great reformer1 ,calvin1 we find not only references to deaconesses as filling a most honorable and most holy function in the ,church1 but in the ,church ordinances of ,geneva1 which were drawn up by him1 there is mention of the diaconate as one of the four ordinances indispensable to the organization of the ,church4 ,in the ,netherlands several attempts were made to revive the ancient office4 ,the ,general ,synod of the ,reformed ,church at ,wesel1 in #aefh1 first considered the question4 ,a later synod1 in #aegi1 expressly occupied itself with the work and office of the deaconess1 but the measures taken were not adapted to advance the interests of the cause1 and it was formally abandoned by the ,synod of ,middleburg in #aeha4 ,in the city of ,wesel1 however1 there continued to be deaconesses attached to the city churches until #afaj4 ,in ,amsterdam local churches preserved the office still later than at ,wesel4 ,already in #aeff we read that in the great reformed ,church not only deacons but deaconesses were elected4 ,the terrible days of the ,spanish fury swept away all ,church organization for a time1 but when it was restored in #aegh both classes of ,christian officers again resumed their duties4 ,from #aehb lists of deaconesses were kept1 showing at first three2 later1 in #agjd1 twenty-eight1 and in #ahjj only eight4 ,at the present time there are women directors of hospitals and orphanages in ,amsterdam who are called by the title of deaconesses4 ,the helpless1 sick1 and neglected children are now gathered in institutions instead of being cared for individually as was formerly the custom1 and women having positions of control in these institutions are designated by the name formerly applied to those who had the personal care of the same needy classes4 ,it is interesting to note that there was one association of women in the century of the ,reformation that bears close resemblance to the ,bguines and the ,sisters of the ,common ,life4 ,these were the ,damsels of ,charity1 established by ,prince ,henry ,robert de la ,mark1 the sovereign prince of ,sdan in the ,netherlands4 ,in #aeei he1 together with the great majority of his subjects1 embraced the doctrines of the ,reformed ,church1 and instead of incorporating former church property with his own possessions1 as did so many princes of the ,reformation1 he devoted it to founding institutions of learning and of charity4 ,these latter he put under the care of the ,damsels of ,charity1 an association of women which he had instituted4 ,the members could live in their own homes or in the establishments1 but in either case they devoted themselves to the protection and succor of the poor and sick and the aged4 ,while taking no vows1 they were chosen from those not bound by the marriage vow1 and were subject only to certain rules of living4 ,the ,damsels of ,charity have been held by some to be the first ,protestant association of deaconesses1 although not called by the name4#bd ,there are two evangelical societies1 small in numbers1 but one at least powerful in influence1 which have retained deaconesses from their origin to the present time4 ,these are the ,mennonites or ,anabaptists1 and the ,moravians4 ,it was among the ,mennonites in ,holland that ,fliedner saw the deaconesses1 who so interested him in their duties that he obtained the convictions which in the end led him to devote his life to their restoration in the economy of the ,church4 ,among the ,moravians1 deaconesses were introduced at the instance of ,count ,zinzendorf in #agde1 but only as a limited form of woman's service1 by no means measuring up to the place accorded them to day in ,germany4 ,we have now reached the nineteenth century1 and from the early ,church to the present time we find successive if sporadic attempts to incorporate into the ,church the active diaconate of women4 ,these constantly recurring efforts imply a consciousness1 deep1 if unexpressed1 of the need to utilize better the especial gifts of women in ,christian service4 ,we have reached the moment when this consciousness is to take a suitable and enduring form2 when the ,church machinery1 long defective in this particular1 is to be re-adjusted and made complete4 #ah ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 i1 p4 #fg4 #ai ,woman's ,work in the ,church1 ,ludlow1 p4 #aag1 note4 ,matthew ,paris mentions it as one of the wonders of the age1 for the year #abej1 that in ,germany there rose up an innumerable multitude of those continent women who wish to be called ,bguines1 to that extent that ,cologne was inhabited by more than a thousand of them4 #bj ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 ,schfer1 vol4 i1 p4 #gj4 #ba ,der ,diakonissenberuf ,e4 ,wacker1 p4 #hb4 #bb ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 ,j4 ,disselhoff1 p4 #e4 ,gtersloh1 #ahhh4 #bc ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 i1 p4 #gc4 #bd ,histoire de la principaut de ,sdan1 ,pasteur ,pegran1 vol4 ii1 chaps4 i1 ii4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,fliedner1 ,,the ,,restorer ,,of ,,the ,,office ,,of ,,deaconess4 ,the first years of the present century were sad years for ,germany4 ,there was a life-and-death struggle with an all-powerful conqueror to preserve existence as a nation4 ,the ,germans still call this the war for freedom4 ,immediately thereafter followed a period of religious awakening1 and this proved to be the hour when the diaconate of woman rose again to life and power4 ,when the fullness of time arrives for a cause or a movement to take its place among the forces of society1 many hearts become impressed with its importance4 ,so1 between the years #ahbj and #ahce1 there were four several attempts to awaken the ,christian ,church to an enlightened conscience in this matter1 the last of which obtained a wide and an enduring success4 ,the first was made by ,johann ,adolph ,franz ,klnne1 pastor of the church at ,bislich1 near ,wesel4 ,stirred to admiration by the activity that the women's societies had shown in the ,napoleonic wars1 he lamented the fact that the associations had dissolved1 and complained that they had not taken a permanent form1 in which the members might have performed the duties for the ,church that deaconesses had done in the early years of ,christianity4 ,in #ahbj he published a pamphlet entitled ,the ,revival of the ,deaconesses of the ,primitive ,church in our ,women's ,associations4 ,this he sent to many persons of influence1 trying to win their co-operation for the cause4 ,he received a great many answers in reply1 among them one from the ,crown ,princess ,marianne4 ,but while in a general way his project met with approval1 no one could suggest a practical method by which his thought could be realized4 ,a distinguished woman1 ,amalie ,sieveking1 attempted the same task of utilizing the labor of ,christian women as deaconesses in the ,church4 ,she belonged to a well-known patrician family in the old free city of ,hamburg1 and was well known for her philanthropic views and her generous deeds4 ,when ,i was eighteen years old1 she relates1 ,i first learned about the charitable sisterhoods in ,catholic lands1 and the knowledge seized upon me with almost irresistible power4 ,like a lightning's flash came the thought1 ,what if you were appointed to found a similar institution for our ,protestant ,church8#be ,the thought stayed by her1 and disposed her to receive willingly a similar suggestion coming from the great ,prussian minister ,von ,stein1 the ,bismarck of ,germany during the first quarter of this century4 ,he had been favorably impressed by what he had seen of the ,sisters of ,mercy in the camp and in hospitals4 ,he consulted with one of his councilors about increasing their number1 so that they could be employed in all the ,hospitals1 ,insane ,asylums1 and ,penitentiaries which had women inmates4 ,to another minister he complained with warmth that the ,protestant ,church had no such sisterhoods by which the beneficent stream of activities among women could be directed into well-regulated channels4 ,the religious life of ,protestantism suffers from the want of them1 he said4 ,these words were repeated to ,amalie ,sieveking and stirred her to make the endeavor to fulfill her own long-cherished wishes1 which were those of ,stein4 ,just at this time1 in #ahca1 the cholera broke out in her native city4 ,she took this as a providential opening1 by means of which deaconesses could begin their work1 and went at once to one of the cholera hospitals1 offered her services as a nurse1 and at the same time issued an appeal for sister-women to join her4 ,but no one came4 ,the only outcome of her effort was a woman's society which she formed to care for the sick and the poor of her native city1 and to work for this she devoted the remainder of her life4 ,stein and ,amalie ,sieveking had in mind an order of women closely resembling the ,sisters of ,charity4 ,that their efforts were not crowned with success seemed to the evangelical ,protestant promoters of the deaconess cause in later times providential4#bf ,shortly after1 in #ahce1 ,count von der ,recke1 already well known as the founder of two charitable institutions1 issued the first number of a magazine called ,deaconesses2 or1 ,the ,life and ,labors of ,women ,workers of the ,church in ,instruction1 ,education1 and the ,care of the ,sick4 ,only a single number appeared1 but his earnest plea for deaconesses1 and the elaborate plan he devised for an institution and officers1 aroused wide attention1 and brought him a letter of warm commendation from the crown prince1 afterward ,king ,frederick ,william ,,iv4 ,evidently the idea was ripening1 and a near fruition could be anticipated4 ,but neither to minister of state1 count1 nor prince--to no one among the distinguished of the earth--was the honor given of reviving the female diaconate4 ,it was to a humble pastor of an obscure village church that this work was committed4 ,the little village of ,eppstein lies in a beautiful country1 full of high mountains and deep-lying valleys1 about a dozen miles from ,wiesbaden4 ,at the village parsonage of the little hamlet was born1 ,january #ba1 #ahjj1 a son1 the fourth of a family that numbered twelve children4 ,the pastor1 whose father before him had filled a like office1 was a favorite among his people for his pleasant speech1 sound advice about every-day matters1 and his faithfulness in instructing the children in the ,bible and the catechism1 and caring for the sick and the afflicted4 ,the little boy proved to be a strong1 healthy child1 and as he grew older developed a liking for books4 ,his father taught a class composed of his children and some boys in the neighborhood1 and when ,theodor became old enough to join it he soon outstripped the rest1 giving his father no little pride by his fluent rendering of ,homer4 ,theodor ,fliedner was not quite fourteen years old when the sudden death of the father changed the whole life of the family1 and left the mother with eleven children to maintain and educate4 ,now began for ,fliedner a struggle to complete his education4 ,the simple1 kindly hospitality that had been so generously exercised in the village parsonage met its reward4 ,friends came forward to offer help1 and at the beginning of the ,new ,year ,fliedner and his brother went to the gymnasium at ,idstein4 ,here he was obliged to live sparingly1 and earned his bread by teaching1 but he was happy and contented1 and found in study his great delight4 ,he was fond of reading books of travel and the lives of great men1 which stirred him to emulation4 ,in #ahag he went to the ,university of ,giessen4 ,here he kept aloof from the political agitations among the students4 ,neither was he affected by the rationalistic teachings of the professors4 ,his shy1 retired nature aided him in this course1 and his leisure hours were passed in reading the writings of the ,reformers4 ,the jubilee festival of the ,reformation occurred in #ahag1 and the lives of the heroes of the faith were brought freshly home to him4 ,their strength of faith shamed him1 but he had not yet learned the secret of their power4 ,he was yet without a deep1 spiritual life4 ,from ,giessen he went to ,gttingen1 where he devoted himself to a year's study of history1 philosophy1 and theology4 ,during the holidays1 as is the custom with ,german students1 he made repeated pedestrian tours4 ,in this way he visited the great free cities of the north1 ,bremen1 ,hamburg1 and ,lubeck4 ,from ,gttingen he and his brother went to the theological seminary at ,herborn1 where the following summer he passed with credit his theological examination4 ,he was now ready to enter ,god's great school of practical life to be further fitted for the mission he was to accomplish4 ,in ,september he went to ,cologne and was employed in the house of a wealthy merchant as a private tutor4 ,this was a great change for the quiet youth of country habits4 ,he took great pains to accommodate himself to his surroundings1 and to acquire the truly ,christian art of becoming all things to all men4 ,in after life1 when speaking of this period and its usefulness to him1 he wrote3 ,it is a great hinderance to a man1 even to his progress in the kingdom of ,god1 not to have been brought up in gentle and refined manners from his childhood4 ,although a faithful and devoted teacher his life-work was not forgotten4 ,he constantly sought to widen his knowledge and experience1 was made assistant secretary of the local ,bible society1 and formed friendships which led to his appointment to the pastorate at ,kaiserswerth4 ,this was a ,catholic town formerly of some importance4 ,the ruins of an imperial palatinate are still to be seen there1 but in ,fliedner's time it had become a little village of workmen dependent on a few manufacturers4 ,on ,january #ah1 #ahbb1 alone1 and on foot1 to save his poor society the expense of his journey1 ,fliedner entered the town where his life was henceforth to be centered4 ,he was to share the parsonage with the widow of a previous pastor1 and his sister was to be his housekeeper4 ,his income was one hundred and thirty-five dollars a year4 ,only a month after his arrival the great firm of velvet manufacturers who provided the work-people with employment failed1 and the little church community seemed about to be dispersed4 ,the government offered him another and better appointment1 but he felt that he must be a true shepherd1 and not a hireling1 and would not leave his people4 ,he decided to make a journey to collect money to form a permanent endowment for his church4 ,a journey over sixty years ago1 to a young ,german of quiet habits1 was a very different matter from a similar trip taken in this day of railroads and steamboats4 ,to ,fliedner it seemed a very important matter2 and so it was in its results1 which reached far beyond the little congregation he served4 ,with great hesitation he began at ,elberfeld1 a town near at hand4 ,a pastor of the city1 to encourage him1 accompanied him to friends1 and on parting gave him a friendly suggestion that1 in addition to trust in ,god1 such work required patience1 impudence1 and a ready tongue4 ,before starting on the longer journey to ,holland and ,england he returned to his congregation and encouraged them by the sum of nine hundred dollars that he had so far secured4 ,he was now absent for nine months1 and during that time obtained an amount sufficient to put the little church in a position where a certain1 if modest1 annual allowance was assured4 ,the pastor had also1 in serving others1 greatly strengthened and broadened his own faith4 ,as he says1 ,in both these ,protestant countries ,i became acquainted with a multitude of charitable institutions for the benefit both of body and soul4 ,i saw schools and other educational organizations1 alms-houses1 orphanages1 hospitals1 prisons1 and societies for the reformation of prisoners1 ,bible and missionary societies1 etc41 and at the same time ,i observed that it was a living faith in ,christ which had called almost every one of these institutions and societies into life1 and still preserved them in activity4 ,this evidence of the practical power1 and fertility of such a principle had a most powerful influence in strengthening my own faith1 as yet weak4 ,it was while in ,holland that he wrote to ,klnne concerning the deaconesses1 whose duties he had observed among the ,mennonites4 ,after his return he applied himself with zeal and success to his pastoral duties4 ,work was a delight to him1 and his energy and force of character were constantly seeking new ways by which to make his church services more attractive1 and to increase his influence over each member of his congregation4 ,he never asked himself what he must do1 but always what he might do4#bg ,but1 work as industriously as he would1 his small society left him time for other activities4 ,while in ,london he had been profoundly impressed by the noble labors of ,elizabeth ,fry in the prisons of ,england4 ,it was this woman's hand that pointed out the way for ,fliedner in ,germany4 ,the prisons in his own land had remained untouched by any spirit of reform4 ,the convicts were crowded together in small1 filthy cells1 and often in damp cellars without light or air2 boys1 who had thoughtlessly committed some trifling misdemeanor1 with gray-headed1 corrupt sinners2 young girls with the most vicious old women4 ,there was no attempt at classification of prisoners4 ,some of them might be innocent people waiting for trial4 ,neither was there oversight1 save to keep the prisoners from escaping4 ,no work was provided1 and as for schools1 where the larger number of convicts could neither read nor write1 no one thought of such a thing4#bh ,that such idleness1 the beginning of all vice1 was here especially pernicious and corrupting can be readily seen4 ,but few knew of this state of things1 and those few left it for the government to provide a remedy4 ,fliedner1 however1 could not rest in this indifference4 ,he says3 ,the smallness of my charge left me more leisure than most of my clerical brethren1 and the opportunities ,i had enjoyed on my travels of at once collecting information and strengthening my faith imposed a more urgent obligation on me to try to make up by the help of our ,god for our long neglect4 ,he tried to obtain permission to be imprisoned a few weeks in the prison at ,dsseldorf1 that he might view prison life from within the walls1 but his request was refused4 ,he then obtained leave to hold services every other ,sunday afternoon in the prison at ,dsseldorf4 ,the efforts that he put forth succeeded in waking the interest of a great many persons1 and at last there was formed by his efforts the first society in behalf of prisoners in ,germany4 ,it was while engaged in this work that he met his wife1 ,frederika ,mnster1 who was occupied in bettering the condition of the prisoners in the penitentiary at ,dsselthal4 ,he married her in #ahbh1 and she became a helpful1 inspiring co-worker with him in all his undertakings4 ,in #ahcb he was commissioned by the government to revisit ,england1 to furnish a report on the various charitable organizations1 especially those connected with prisons and alms-houses4 ,this brought him into closer relations with ,elizabeth ,fry1 as well as with many other noble men and women of all ranks who were caring for the poor and neglected of ,england4 ,he extended his journey to ,scotland1 met ,dr4 ,chalmers1 and found his heart strangely touched by what he saw4 ,his spiritual experience had deepened with the years1 and while here he wrote to some friends1 ,the ,lord greatly quickens me4 ,his heart became still more open to works of mercy and love1 and he gathered rich experiences which were afterward utilized in his work4 ,fliedner had now attained a certain reputation of his own as a friend to prisoners and outcasts4 ,it was not surprising1 therefore1 that a poor female convict1 discharged from the prison at ,werden1 should have taken the weary six miles' walk to ,kaiserswerth ,september #ag1 #ahcc1 to ask the good pastor for help4 ,there stood in the parsonage garden a little summer-house twelve feet square1 with an attic4 ,this was offered to the convict ,minna as a temporary refuge1 and she became the first inmate of the ,kaiserswerth institutions4 ,she had arrived at an opportune moment4 ,in the previous spring ,count ,spee1 the ,president of the ,prison ,society1 had urged the founding of two institutions1 one ,lutheran and one ,catholic1 to receive discharged female convicts4 ,fliedner1 who had seen such refuges in ,england1 declared himself ready for the plan1 and tried to induce the pastors of the larger and wealthier communities in the neighborhood to locate the ,protestant asylum in some one of these cities4 ,no one responded to his appeal4 ,his wife1 whose courage was often greater than his own1 urged him to make a beginning in the little village where he lived1 unpromising as the conditions seemed1 and after a little hesitation1 seeing no one was ready to assume any responsibility in a matter that he took so deeply to heart1 the good pastor decided to follow her advice4 ,the old parsonage was for rent1 and he secured it on low terms4 ,frau ,fliedner had a friend of her school-days and early youth1 now a woman of experience and ability4 ,she sent for her to come and visit them to see if she would become the superintendent of the refuge1 but shortly after her arrival she was taken sick1 and her friends sent letters of expostulation urging her to return4 ,just now1 when affairs were in rather an untoward state1 appeared the first inmate4 ,let ,fliedner tell the story3 ,we at first gave her lodging in my summer-house1 and the necessity of attending to her did more good to the poor1 distressed superintendent than all her quinine and mixtures4 ,countess ,spee1 the wife of our president1 had prophesied that our inmates would never remain with us a month1 they would certainly run away4 ,so when the first month was over ,i marched over to ,heltorf and triumphantly announced1 ',minna is yet there4' ,minna was followed by another1 and the garden-house became too small4 ,finally ,fliedner obtained possession of the house he had hired1 after some delay on the part of the former tenants1 and the asylum was opened4 ,the number of inmates increased1 and ,frulein ,gbel soon had more than she could manage4 ,she must have an assistant4 ,the need of trained ,christian workers1 who could care for these poor women1 grew daily more apparent4 ,fliedner's thoughts constantly dwelt on the subject2 they gave him no rest4 ,he had discovered with joyful surprise in #ahbg the traces of the apostolic deaconesses among the ,mennonites1 and two years later he wrote3 ,does not the experience of this our sister ,church1 do not the women societies in our last war1 does not the holy activity of an ,elizabeth ,fry and her helpers in ,england1 and the women's associations of ,russia and ,prussia formed after their model to care for the bodies and souls of women prisoners--do all these not show what great power ,god-fearing1 pious women possess for the up-building of ,christ's kingdom as soon as they have opportunity to develop it8#bi ,his practical experience with the work he had in hand brought him to the same conclusion2 namely1 that there must be training-schools where ,christian women1 especially set apart for such service1 could have instruction and practice in the duties they had undertaken4 ,as a consequence there were drawn up in ,may1 #ahcf1 and signed by ,fliedner and a few friends1 the statutes of the ,rhenish-,westphalian ,deaconess ,society4 ,fliedner had now reached the work that was henceforth to be his life mission2 that is1 the restoration of deaconesses to the ,christian ,church of the nineteenth century4 #be ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 ,j4 ,disselhoff1 ,kaiserswerth1 #ahhf1 p4 #h4 #bf ,schfer1 ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 ii1 p4 #hf2 ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 p4 #i4 #bg ,t4 ,fliedner1 ,kurzer ,abriss seines ,lebens1 p4 #dc4 #bh ,t4 ,fliedner1 ,kurzer ,abriss seines ,lebens1 p4 #dh4 #bi ,kurzer ,abriss seines ,lebens1 p4 #fj4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,institutions ,,at ,,kaiserswerth4 ,fliedner saw clearly that if the office of deaconess were to be planted in the ,church there must be soil suitable to nourish it3 in other words1 there must be an institution founded which could furnish not only instruction1 but practice in their duties1 and a home for those who should offer their services for this office4 ,but1 he says1 could our little ,kaiserswerth be the right place for a ,protestant deaconess house for the training of ,protestant deaconesses--a village of scarcely eighteen hundred people where the large majority of the population were ,roman ,catholics1 where sick people could not be expected in sufficient numbers for training purposes1 and so poor that it could not help defray even the yearly expenses of such an institution8 ,and were not older1 more experienced pastors than ,i better adapted for this difficult undertaking8 ,i went to my clerical brethren in ,dsseldorf1 ,dinsberg1 ,mettmann1 ,elberfeld1 and ,barmen1 and entreated them to start such an institution in their large societies1 of which1 indeed1 there was pressing need4 ,but all refused1 and urged me to put my hand to the work4 ,i had time1 with my small congregation1 and the quietness of retired ,kaiserswerth was favorable to such a school4 ,the useful experiences ,i had gained on my journeys had not been given me for naught1 and ,god could send money1 sick people1 and nurses4 ,so we discerned that it was his will that we should take the burden on our own shoulders1 and we willingly stretched them forth to receive it4 ,quietly we looked around for a house for the hospital4 ,suddenly1 the largest and finest house in ,kaiserswerth was offered for sale4 ,my wife begged me to buy it without delay4 ,it is true it would cost twenty-three hundred thalers1 and we had no money4 ,yet ,i bought it with good courage1 ,april #bj1 #ahcf4 ,at ,martinmas the money must be paid4 ,it is not possible to give here in detail the occurrences by which loans were made1 and the money that was needed obtained at the required time4 ,god gave friends for the cause1 and through them provided the means4 ,the house was furnished with a little second-hand furniture which had been given him1 and ,october1 #ahcf1 was opened as a hospital and training school for ,christian women4 ,services of praise and thanksgiving consecrated this deaconess home yet without deaconesses1 this hospital without patients4 ,both1 however1 soon became inmates of the building4 ,the first deaconess was ,gertrude ,reichardt1 the daughter of a physician4 ,she had assisted her father in the care of the sick1 and had become experienced in looking after the welfare of the poor and the destitute4 ,she was an invaluable helper in the new enterprise1 and shared with the doctor the duty of giving instruction in nursing and hospital duties4 ,fliedner's wife was the superintendent4 ,she had the oversight of the house1 gave the deaconesses practical direction in housekeeping1 and in their early visits to the sick and poor accompanied them from house to house4 ,fliedner was the director1 and took upon himself the religious instruction of the sisters4 ,every effort was taken to make the house a home in which a cheerful1 loving spirit should prevail4 ,nearly every evening ,fliedner or his wife would go over to the home1 and read to the sisters1 or tell them interesting facts outside their lives4 ,when he went away on his journeys he would write in full every thing pertaining to the interests of the common cause1 and the letters would be read aloud4 ,this was to be a home in every sense of the word1 in which the members were to feel themselves belonging to one great family1 bound together by the common tie of unselfish devotion to others for ,christ's sake4 ,the spirit of the founder has permeated the institution even to the present time4 ,those who know any thing of ,kaiserswerth testify to the strong affection for the common home1 the mother-house1 as they beautifully term it1 felt by all its children4 ,every pains is taken to preserve it4 ,there is correspondence1 frequent and regular1 from here to every sister4 ,no matter in what distant land she may be1 her birthday is remembered1 and she is taught to look to this as a waiting refuge for the days of trouble1 sickness1 and old age4 ,there was soon arranged a series of house regulations and instructions for work which became the basis for after regulations in nearly all existing institutions4 ,almost contemporary with the mother-house arose the normal school for infant-school teachers4 ,it had first started as a child's school1 and afterward young women who had taste for the care of children were received to be taught their duties4 ,fliedner took great interest in the instruction of children4 ,he devised little games for them1 and arranged stories to be told4 ,his simplicity and his child-like nature led him to disregard formalities1 and to think solely of the end he had in view4 ,on one occasion1 when picturing the combat of ,david and ,goliath1 reaching that point in the narrative when the young shepherd lad slings the stone that brings the giant to the ground1 he cast himself headlong1 to the great delight and amazement of his little audience1 who enjoyed to the full this object-lesson that made the story so vivid to them4 ,then he took special pains that his teachers should learn to tell the stories of the ,bible so as to make them clear and interesting to the youngest child4 ,every day a story was told in school1 and each evening the teacher whose turn it was to relate the story the following day came to ,fliedner and rehearsed it to him as though he were a child1 afterward receiving his suggestions as to how the narrative could be improved4 ,the work went along quietly1 ever growing1 ever advancing4 ,among all others1 and more than all others1 was ,fliedner's wife his best help4 ,her keen glance1 made pure and holy by her ,christian faith1 preserved him from mistakes4 ,with the household virtues of cleanliness1 order1 simplicity1 and economy she united large-hearted compassion toward those needing help of any kind1 yet knowing withal how1 with virile sense and energy1 to prevent the misuse of ministering love4 ,she became a model for the deaconesses1 as well as a mother to them1 and her name deserves to be mentioned with honor1 as one who had an important part in the ,protestant renewal of the diaconate of women4#cj ,in #ahdb a new building was erected for the normal school for infant-school teachers4 ,the publishing house of the institution was also started1 which issues religious books and tracts4 ,the first work sent forth was a volume of sermons1 presented to the new enterprise by the late ,professor ,lange1 which went through several editions4 ,the same year the ,kaiserswerth ,almanac appeared and a large picture ,bible for schools was published4 ,in #ahdh the magazine ,der ,armen und ,kranken ,freund was sent forth as an organ for the deaconess cause1 not only for ,kaiserswerth1 but for all the institutions that are represented at the triennial ,conferences4 ,the publishing house is an important source of income1 as the institution has little in the way of endowment beside the produce of the garden land attached to it4 ,at present about three fourths of the expense are met by the sale of publications and the fees of patients2 the remaining sum is given by friends4 ,the financial story of ,fliedner's life could form a tale of thrilling interest1 if it were separated from other facts and told by itself4 ,he constantly went forward1 purchased houses1 added lands1 and erected new homes when he had no money in reserve1 but unfailingly when the time came for payments to be made the sum was obtained in some way or other to meet them4 ,we have no endowment1 he once said1 but the ,lord is our endowment4 ,the same year1 #ahdb1 the orphan asylum was opened4 ,for a very moderate sum this receives children who are both fatherless and motherless1 and who belong to the educated middle class1 having fathers who were pastors or professors1 or the like4 ,fliedner hoped not only to provide a home for these girls befitting their station in life1 but to develop among them those who should make a vocation of the care of children and the sick1 and in this hope he was not disappointed4 ,in the midst of these successes the hand of ,god often lay heavily on ,fliedner's family4 ,brethren and children passed away1 and1 sorest affliction of all to him1 his wife1 who had so closely and sympathetically shared all his labors1 died ,april #bb1 #ahdb4 ,she was the first of the deaconesses to die1 writes ,fliedner4 ,as she1 their mother1 had always led the way for her spiritual daughters in life1 so she was their leader into the valley of the shadow of death4#ca ,not long after this a normal school for female teachers in the public schools was started1 for this practical believer in woman's work was one of the first to advocate the introduction of women teachers in the public schools of ,germany1 against which there then existed a strong prejudice4 ,the ,board of ,education looked favorably on his project1 and afterward sent a government commissioner to attend the examinations and award the certificates at ,kaiserswerth4 ,at a later period provision was made for teachers of girls' high schools1 as also for those who desired to become teachers but were too young to enter the normal school4 ,over two thousand teachers have gone forth from these schools1 carrying with them a love for the institution which has brought back to it many returns in money and service4 ,fliedner well called them his light skirmishing troops4 ,in #ahdi he resigned his pastorate1 and henceforth1 with singleness of purpose1 devoted himself to his one calling4 ,from time to time new buildings were added to meet new needs4 ,in #aheb an insane asylum for ,protestant women was founded1 as sisters were often called upon to nurse patients of this class4 ,the building set apart for the purpose was formerly used as military barracks and was given to ,fliedner by ,king ,frederick ,william ,,iv4 ,in #ahha this1 as with so many others of the original buildings at ,kaiserswerth1 became too small for the increase in numbers1 and a new building took its place4 ,it stands on an eminence just outside of the village1 and is provided with every modern appliance4 ,fliedner's practical good sense and administrative ability led him to care for all the minor details that were needed for the success of so great an undertaking4 ,he added a dispensary to the hospital1 where a sister who had passed a regular examination before the government medical board made up the medicines required for the hospital4 ,many deaconesses have been trained to the same knowledge1 which has been an especially valuable acquisition in the hospitals situated in ,eastern countries4 ,little by little he secured land for farming operations1 until there were one hundred and eighty acres in garden and meadow land1 generally lying close about the various buildings1 and affording means of recreation as well to the inmates4 ,nearly all of the vegetable and dairy products that are needed are so provided4 ,a bakery1 bath-houses1 homes for laborers and officials1 were added1 and bakers1 shoemakers1 carpenters1 and blacksmiths formed part of the staff of the great establishment4 ,gradually every variety of institution that could furnish active practice to the deaconesses took its place here1 and the whole might be denominated a great normal training-school for ,christian women4 ,the refuge for discharged female convicts1 which was the starting-point of the movement1 still continued its good work during all these years4 ,the last report#cb states that nine hundred and nineteen women of different ages and different degrees of wrong-doing have been its inmates4 ,parents send insubordinate girls2 societies forward those who profess penitence2 magistrates sentence degraded creatures often too late for any reasonable hope to reform them4 ,the old experience of the refuge is repeated in this last report3 one third are saved1 one third are irredeemable1 and the judgment as to the remaining third1 doubtful4 ,there were two buildings erected during the later years of ,fliedner's life in which he took great interest4 ,one of these was a cottage among the neighboring hills1 where deaconesses who had become exhausted by long days in the sick-room1 or whose health was suffering from over-toil1 could retire for a few weeks of mountain air and quiet rest during the summer months4 ,this pleasant retreat was well named ,salem4 ,soon afterward was laid the corner-stone of the second building1 regarded with peculiar favor not only by the good pastor1 but by all friends of the institution4 ,this was the ,feierabend ,haus1 the ,house of ,evening ,rest1 where1 somewhat apart from the busy activity of the great household1 those deaconesses whose best strength had been given to faithful labor in the service could pass the evening hours of life in quiet waiting for the last great change1 while using the experience they had gathered and the strength still remaining in behalf of the cause they had faithfully served4 ,such are the main features of the great establishment that year by year grew up in this village on the ,rhine4 ,but from this as a center had gradually branched off manifold lines of service1 and many daughter-houses both in ,germany and foreign lands4 ,it was only a year and a half after the home was opened that the first appointment of deaconesses to work outside of ,kaiserswerth was made4 ,this was an important victory for the new institution4 ,it took place ,january #ba1 #ahch1 on ,fliedner's birthday1 when he and his wife escorted two of the sisters to ,elberfeld1 where they were to act as trained nurses in the city hospital4 ,from that time to the present the hospital has continued under the management of the ,kaiserswerth deaconesses4 ,soon afterward sisters were sent out to nurse in private families1 and in #ahci two more were sent to superintend the workhouse in ,frankfort4 ,as the institution became known there was a constant demand for superintendents1 and matrons for public reformatories1 prisons1 and charitable establishments4 ,between #ahdf and #ahej more than sixty deaconesses were at work at twenty-five different stations outside of the mother-house4 ,about the same time deaconesses began to work in connection with special churches which called for their services1 having the duties which in ,england are assigned to those called parish deaconesses4 ,king ,frederick ,william ,,iv41 from the beginning ,fliedner's faithful friend and supporter1 had long desired a deaconess home in ,berlin4 ,this was finally obtained1 and set apart under the name ,bethanien ,haus1 or ,bethany ,house1 ,october #aj1 #ahdg1 at a special dedicatory service1 at which the king1 with his court1 was present4 ,it was while seeking a superintendent for this home in ,berlin that ,fliedner learned to know ,caroline ,bertheau1 of ,hamburg1 a descendant of an old ,huguenot family that was driven from ,france by the revocation of the ,edict of ,nantes4 ,he led her home as his wife in ,may1 #ahdc1 and she became to him a true helpmeet for his children1 his home1 and his institution4 ,she is still living1 having survived her husband over twenty-five years1 and in an advanced age still retains a place on the ,board of ,direction at ,kaiserswerth4 ,in one place after another deaconess homes arose1 sometimes simply through ,fliedner's advice1 more often by his direct co-operation4 ,from #ahdi to #ahea he was chiefly engaged in traveling from one land to another1 occupied in kindling the zeal of ,christian women to devotion to the sick and sorrowing1 and finding fields of service for their priceless ministrations4 ,he visited the ,united ,states1 ,england1 ,france1 and ,switzerland1 as well as various cities of the ,east1 including ,jerusalem and ,constantinople4 ,the work in our own land was begun at ,pittsburg1 where ,fliedner came with four sisters in the summer of #ahdi1 at the invitation of ,pastor ,passavant1 of the ,german ,lutheran ,church4 ,the deaconesses at once entered upon hospital work1 and their care of the sick met with warm appreciation1 but their numbers did not increase4 ,an orphanage was afterward started at ,rochester1 and hospitals under the same auspices exist at ,milwaukee1 ,jacksonville1 ,ill41 and ,chicago4 ,still the work has not grown1 and it has proved the least successful of any initiated by ,fliedner4 ,upon his return he aided in opening mother-houses in ,breslau1 ,knigsberg1 ,dantzic1 ,stettin1 and ,carlsruhe4 ,we have now come to the period when ,kaiserswerth institutions met with a notable extension4 ,fliedner had long been looking toward ,jerusalem1 hoping to found a deaconess home there4 ,who would not gladly render service on the spot where the feet of the ,saviour once brought help and healing to the sick8 he had said4 ,now1 through ,dr4 ,gobat1 the ,bishop of ,jerusalem1 the opportunity was given4 ,the king offered two small houses in ,jerusalem that were his private property1 and volunteered to pay the expenses of the journey4 ,associations were formed in all parts of ,germany to provide an outfit for the mission4 ,gifts flowed in rapidly1 and ,march #ag1 #ahea1 ,fliedner1 accompanied by four deaconesses1 two of them being teachers1 set out on this new and peaceful crusade to the holy city4 ,from that beginning has resulted a net-work of stations throughout the ,east4 ,there is at ,jerusalem a hospital#cc where1 during #ahhg1 four hundred and ninety-three patients were given medical aid and nursing1 and seven thousand seven hundred and two patients were treated in the dispensary4 ,no woman in the city is better known or more justly honored than ,sister ,charlotte1 the head-deaconess4 ,the ,mohammedans at first regarded the work of the sisters with fanatical distrust1 but a glance at the statistics of the last report will show how completely they have cast aside their prejudices4 ,of the #dic patients in #ahhg1 there were #djd ,arabians1 #dc ,armenians1 #cj ,germans1 #e ,abyssinians1 #d ,greeks1 #c ,roumanians1 #b ,russians1 #a ,italian1 and #a ,hollander4 ,as to religion1 there were #bce ,mohammedans1 #ig ,protestants1 #gh ,greeks1 #bc ,roman ,catholics1 #de ,armenians1 #f ,copts1 #c ,syrian ,christians1 #d ,proselytes1 #a ,jew1 and #a ,maronite2 so that in all nine nations and nine religious faiths were represented in the hospital4 ,there is also a girls' orphanage1 called ,talitha ,cumi1 just outside the city walls at ,jerusalem1 where one hundred and fourteen native girls were last year taught by the ,kaiserswerth deaconesses4 ,over a hundred more made application to enter1 but there was no room to receive them4 ,in ,constantinople1 ,alexandria1 ,cairo1 ,beirut1 and ,pesth there are also well-appointed hospitals1 some of them of spacious dimensions1 and all having excellent medical service and nursing that cannot be surpassed4 ,the orphanage and school at ,beirut had a sad foundation4 ,in #ahfj came the terrible news of the massacre of the ,maronite ,christians by the ,druses in the ,lebanon mountains4 ,kaiserswerth deaconesses were immediately sent out1 and were among the first to arrive to join the resident ,europeans and ,americans in caring for the sufferers4 ,numbers of children were left fatherless and motherless1 and the sisters started the orphanage at ,beirut to shelter them4 ,when its twenty-fifth anniversary was celebrated in #ahhe over eight hundred girls had received a home and education here1 and had gone forth to eastern homes1 carrying with them the light and knowledge of ,christian faith into the dark1 degraded social life of the ,orient4#cd ,from the two orphanages at ,beirut and ,jerusalem over forty have gone out as teachers in girls' schools in ,palestine and ,syria4 ,twelve others have become deaconesses1 and are ministering in this capacity to their own countrymen and to foreigners in eastern hospitals4#ce ,in ,smyrna there is also a girls' school1 that was opened at the request of some wealthy ,protestants residing there4 ,the school is not so needed as formerly1 since the government has started girls' high schools1 but it is still maintained1 and aids in bringing new life into the hopeless society of the ,east4 ,there is also an orphanage at ,smyrna1 where some girls of the poorer classes were gathered after the ravages of the cholera had left them without parents or homes4 ,the eastern deaconesses have also their ,salem4 ,just above the little village of ,areya1 in the ,lebanon1 on the summit of a hill overlooking the ,mediterranean1 stands the house of retreat1 where1 during the summer months1 the more than forty sisters stationed in ,beirut1 ,alexandria1 ,cairo1 and ,jerusalem can take refuge in seasons of overpowering heat4 ,the deaconess who superintends the house has a school for the native children of the village1 which is taught by one of the girls educated at the ,beirut orphanage4 ,prosperous girls' schools are also in existence at ,bucharest1 and at ,florence1 ,italy4 ,the ,italian school was started in #ahfj with four girls in the upper floor of a rented house4 ,it now possesses a beautiful house and grounds of its own1 and had one hundred and forty-five girls under its charge the past year4 ,most of these were ,italians1 but different foreign residents also availed themselves of the opportunity to send their children to an excellent ,protestant school4 ,there is also a mission at ,rome maintained by deaconesses during the winter months4 ,the large majority of the undertakings outside of ,kaiserswerth were initiated personally by ,fliedner4 ,when we recall the complex demands of the home field in ,germany we marvel at the versatile executive ability of this man1 who started life as the humble pastor of an obscure village church4 ,but he loved work4 ,he possessed iron industry4 ,he was ever hopeful1 courageous1 and indefatigable4 ,above all1 he trusted completely in the leadings of ,divine ,providence1 and constantly went forward with sure confidence4 ,then he was a true leader4 ,he knew men4 ,he put the right person in the right place1 gave him full liberty of action1 and held him to a strict responsibility for results4 ,so1 while ,fliedner remained the soul of the great institution1 he knew how to make himself spared1 which was not the least of his qualifications for his calling4 #cj ,der ,diakonissenberuf1 ,emil ,wacker1 ,gtersloh1 #ahhh1 p4 #aaf4 #ca ,life of ,pastor ,fliedner1 translated by ,c4 ,winckworth1 ,london1 #ahfg4 #cb ,ein und fnfzigster ,jahres-,bericht1 p4 #cj4 #cc ,achtzehnter ,bericht ber die ,diakonissen ,stationen im ,morgenlande1 #ahhh4 #cd ,vierzehnten ,bericht ber die ,diakonissen ,stationen am ,libanon4 #ce ,der ,rheinisch ,westflische ,diakonissen ,verein1 p4 #fd1 ,j4 ,disselhoff4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,regulations ,,at ,,kaiserswerth1 ,,and ,,the ,,duties ,,and ,,services ,,of ,,the ,,deaconesses4 ,the regulations in daily use at ,kaiserswerth are based on those that ,fliedner drew up in the early days of the institution4 ,they have been adopted with few alterations by the larger number of deaconess institutions that have since arisen1 so that to understand the spirit and usages prevailing in them it is well to give these rules some study4 ,they are contained in a book numbering one hundred and seven pages1#cf treating with great minuteness every question that affects the daily lives of the deaconesses4 ,the qualities that the office demands are first dwelt upon as they are described in ,acts vi1 #c1 and #a ,tim4 iii1 #h1 #i4 ,the sisters are reminded that their life is one of service2 that they serve the ,lord ,jesus2 that they serve the poor and the sick and helpless for ,jesus' sake2 and that they are servants one of another4 ,special stress is given to the importance of cultivating unity1 love1 and forbearance in the relations of daily life1 and the deaconesses are enjoined to protect and further the honor of other sisters1 to form one family living unitedly as sisters1 through the tie of a heartfelt love for the one great object that brings them to this place4 ,there are two classes of deaconesses formally recognized1 nurses and teachers2 although there is another1 deaconess whose work is year by year becoming more important1 and that is the deaconess who is attached to a church in the capacity of a home missionary4 ,she is designated by the term commune-deaconess1 or1 as the ,english translate it1 parish-deaconess4 ,those who desire to become nurse-deaconesses must have the elements of a common school education1 must be in good health1 and1 as a general rule1 be over eighteen and not over forty years of age4 ,most important of all is it that she possess personal knowledge of the salvation of ,christ1 and a living experience of the grace of ,god4 ,those who desire to become teacher-deaconesses must1 in addition1 present certain educational certificates1 and be able to sing4 ,all must pass some months at the mother-house1 taking care of children and assisting in housework1 so that their fitness for the office can be proven4 ,a great deal of care is taken to test the efficiency of the candidates1 and only about one half the probationers finally become deaconesses in full connection4 ,the teachers have1 further1 a seminary course of one year for those who are to teach in infant schools1 of two years to prepare for the elementary schools1 and of three years for the girls' high schools4 ,while probationers1 they receive1 free of charge1 board and instruction1 and the caps1 collars1 and aprons that are their distinctive badges4 ,their remaining expenses they provide for themselves4 ,those who have completed the full term of probation1 and have proved their fitness for the office1 must pledge themselves to a service of at least five years4 ,at the end of the time they may renew the engagement or not1 as they wish4 ,should a deaconess be needed at home by aged parents1 or should she desire to marry1 she is free to leave her duties1 but is expected to give three months' notice of her intention to do so4 ,the deaconess performs her duties gratuitously4 ,this is a main feature of the system4 ,she is not even free to accept personal presents1 for envy1 jealousy1 and unworthy motives might then creep into the system4 ,she is truly the servant of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,all of her wants are supplied1 and her future needs anticipated1 so that1 literally taking no thought for the morrow1 she can give herself with single-hearted devotion to the work in hand4 ,the deaconess at ,kaiserswerth receives from the institution her modest wardrobe1 consisting of a ,sunday suit1 a working-dress of dark blue1 blue apron1 white caps and collars4 ,a deaconess attired in her garb1 with the placid1 contented countenance that seems distinctively to belong to her1 is a pleasant1 wholesome sight that is constantly to be seen on the streets of ,german cities4 ,her deaconess attire is not only a protection1 assuring her chivalrous treatment from all classes of men1 but it is a convenient identification that insures her certain privileges on the ,state railroads and steamboats1 for the ,german government recognizes the sisters as benefactors of society1 and treats them accordingly4 ,for her personal expenses the ,kaiserswerth deaconess in ,germany receives yearly twenty-two dollars and fifty cents2 sometimes when in foreign lands she is paid a slightly larger sum4 ,when she becomes unfitted for service by reason of sickness or old age1 and has no means of her own1 the ,board of ,direction provides for her maintenance4 ,the rules for probationers are full of practical suggestions touching the details of daily life4 ,there is not space to transcribe them here1 but those who have charge of training schools will find them valuable reading4 ,every kind of house and hospital service is clearly defined4 ,the deaconesses are instructed what duties are theirs in hospitals for women and in hospitals for men4 ,in the latter the sister undertakes only such nursing as is suited to her sex1 and for that reason she has a male assistant4 ,she must follow strictly the doctor's orders in all matters pertaining to diet1 medicine1 and ventilation1 and must inform him daily of the patient's state4 ,she also assists the clergyman1 if desired1 in ministering to spiritual needs4 ,but she must not obtrude her religion1 when it is distasteful to her patients2 rather manifest it in her deeds and manner of life4 ,every portion of the day has definite duties assigned to it4 ,on reading them over you say1 ,can much be accomplished when the hours are subdivided into so many portions1 and given over to so many objects8 ,but the unvarying testimony is that no nurses accomplish more than the ,german deaconesses4 ,no matter how busy they may be1 the effort is made for each to have a quiet half hour for meditation and private devotion4 ,every afternoon the chapel is opened for this purpose1 and all the sisters who can be spared meet here4 ,a hymn is sung1 and afterward each spends the time as she will in meditation1 reading the ,bible or silent prayer1 the quietness and stillness being unbroken by words4 ,the ,stille halbe ,stunde1 as it is called1 is greatly prized by the sisters1 and is observed by them in all their institutions1 and in all lands4 ,there are ,bible-classes and prayer-meetings for the deaconesses during the week1 and the first ,sunday of every month there is a special service of prayer and thanksgiving for all sisters1 all the affiliated houses1 and similar homes wherever they exist4 ,fliedner prepared a book of daily ,bible readings for the use of the sisters1 and a hymn-book1 used in all the ,kaiserswerth institutions at home and abroad4 ,we have no vows1 he said1 and ,i will have no vows1 but a bond of union we must have1 and the best bond is the word of ,god1 and our second bond is singing4#cg ,the sisters of each house meet together to give their votes for the admission of new deaconesses and the election of the superintendents4 ,each deaconess is expected to obey those who are placed over her1 and to accept the kind of work assigned her1 except in the case of contagious diseases1 when her permission is asked4 ,what a tribute it is to these women that such a refusal has never yet been known6 ,every effort is made to harmonize the right of the individual with the needs of the whole body1 a marked characteristic of the ,protestant sisters of charity4 ,when a probationer becomes a deaconess she is consecrated to her work by a service the main features of which it may be well to indicate4 ,they are as follows3 ,singing4 ,address commending the deaconesses for acceptance4 ,address to the deaconesses1 recalling the ever-repeated thought1 ,you are servants in a threefold sense3 servants of the ,lord ,jesus2 servants of the needy for ,jesus' sake2 servants one of another4 ,then1 having answered the question1 ,are you determined to fulfill these duties truly in the fear of the ,lord1 and according to his holy will8 the candidate kneels and receives the benediction3 ,may the ,triune ,god1 ,god the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 bless you2 may he give you fidelity unto death1 and then the crown of life4 ,after this is repeated the prayer of the ,apostolical ,constitutions1 that beautiful prayer which has been said on similar occasions in many lands and in many tongues4#ch ,the service ends with the communion4 ,a similar consecration service is used by nearly all the ,german deaconess houses4 ,the features of those that meet together in the triennial ,conferences at ,kaiserswerth are strikingly similar2 the spirit of the original founder pervades them all4 ,the first of the ,conferences was held in #ahfa1 just twenty-five years after the founding of the first deaconess house at ,kaiserswerth4 ,it was celebrated as a ,thanksgiving festival for the restoration of the diaconate of women to the ,church4 ,the representatives of twenty-seven distinct mother-houses met together to exchange their experiences1 and to deliberate on matters touching the further usefulness of the order4 ,since then the ,conferences have been continued at intervals of three and four years4 ,the last ,general ,conference assembled at ,fliedner's old home in ,september1 #ahhh4 ,just before it convened1 as is the custom1 statistics were obtained from the different mother-houses represented in the association1 and pains were taken to verify their correctness4 ,the results so obtained are given in the following table3#ci ,mother- ,fields of ,conferences4 houses4 ,sisters4 ,work4 #ahfa #bg #a1aig 8 #ahfd #cj #a1eib #chf #ahfh #dj #b1ajf #ebf #ahgb #dh #b1feg #fdh #ahge #ej #c1bci #hff #ahgh #ea #c1ija #a1jic #ahha #ec #d1gdh #a1dcf #ahhd #ed #e1fec #a1gdb #ahhh #eg #g1abi #b1bfc ,five additional houses had made application for entrance at the time the table was made1 and were received at the ensuing ,conference1 among which was the ,philadelphia mother-house of deaconesses in connection with the ,mary ,j4 ,drexel ,home4 ,over sixty mother-houses now belong to the association1 and notwithstanding the necessary loss of deaconesses from death or removal from work since the preceding ,conference1 there are #a1dgf more in number now than then4 ,surely the deaconess cause is striking deep root in the religious life of ,protestant ,europe4 ,during ,fliedner's life-time occasions arose which called the deaconesses outside their accustomed fields of work1 and proved their value in the exceptional emergencies that so often arise4 ,here is an instance that occurred during the early days of the establishment3#dj ,an epidemic of nervous fever was raging in two communes of the circle of ,duisburg1 ,gartrop1 and ,gahlen4 ,its first and most virulent outbreak took place at ,gartrop1 a small1 poor1 secluded village of scarcely one hundred and thirty souls1 without a doctor1 without an apothecary in the neighborhood1 while the clergyman was upon the point of leaving for another parish1 and his successor had not yet been appointed4 ,four deaconesses1 including the superior1 ,pastor ,fliedner's wife1 and a maid1 hastened to this scene of wretchedness1 and found from twenty to twenty-five fever patients in the most alarming condition1 a mother and four children in one hovel1 four other patients in another1 and so on1 all lying on foul straw1 or on bed-clothes that had not been washed for weeks1 almost without food1 utterly without help4 ,many had died already2 the healthy had fled2 the parish doctor lived four ,german leagues off1 and could not come every day4 ,the first care of the sisters1 who would have found no lodging but for the then vacancy of the parsonage1 was to introduce cleanliness and ventilation into the narrow cabins of the peasants2 they washed and cooked for the sick1 they watched every night by turns at their bed-side1 and tended them with such success that only four died after their arrival1 and the rest were only convalescent after four weeks' stay4 ,the same epidemic having broken out in the neighboring commune of ,gahlen1 in two families1 of whom eight members lay ill at once1 a single deaconess was able1 in three weeks1 to restore every patient to health1 and to prevent the further spread of the disease4 ,what would not our doctors give for a few dozen of such hard-working1 zealous1 intelligent ministers in the field of sanitary reform8 ,the ,schleswig-,holstein war of #ahfd was the first in which ,protestant deaconesses were active as nurses4 ,already in the ,crimean war the ,greek ,sisters of ,charity among the ,russians1 the ,sisters of ,mercy among the ,french1 and ,florence ,nightingale and ,miss ,stanley among the ,english1 had wakened the liveliest gratitude on the part of the soldiers1 and secured the respect and approbation of the surgeons4 ,in the ,austrian war of #ahff two hundred and eighty-two deaconesses were in the hospitals and on the battle-fields1 fifty-eight of whom were from ,kaiserswerth4 ,the ,franco-,prussian war of #ahgj was on a greater scale1 and afforded wider opportunities for the unselfish1 priceless labors of these ,christian nurses4 ,neatly eight hundred deaconesses1 sent from more than thirty mother-houses1 cared for the sick and wounded in the camp hospitals or on the field4 ,the willingness of a number of boards of administration to release sisters who were in their service1 and the voluntary offers of other women to take their places1 enabled ,kaiserswerth to send two hundred and twenty of the number4 ,their experience in improvising hospitals1 in aiding the surgeon in his amputations1 and in ministering to the wounded and dying1 throws a tender glow of compassionate sympathy over the terrible scenes of war4#da ,the importance of trained deaconesses in times of war is now well understood by the military authorities at ,berlin4 ,in the winter of #ahhg1 when war seemed imminent1 the directors of the ,german deaconess houses were summoned by the government to a conference at the ,german capital to take measures for supplying nurses in case war should be declared4 ,deaconesses are now thoroughly incorporated into the religious and social features of the ,german national life1 as must be admitted by any one who has weighed the facts that have been given4 ,the example of ,kaiserswerth has been far-reaching2 the mission of ,fliedner1 that simple-hearted1 true-souled1 practical1 energetic pastor1 has been wonderfully successful4 ,in this rapid sketch ,i have said but little of the hinderances he met1 nothing of the ridicule which at first attacked him unsparingly4 ,he paid no heed to these obstacles1 and why should we waste time in detailing them8 ,steadfastly and undeviatingly he went forward toward the end he had in view2 that is1 to restore in all its aspects the devoted disciplined services of ,christian women to the ,church4 ,he passed away from life ,october #e1 #ahfd1 leaving the great establishment that he had watched over in the charge of his son-in-law1 ,pastor ,disselhoff1 and other members of his family4 ,the institution has become an imposing mass of building1 forming an almost absurd contrast to the little garden house1 the cradle of the whole establishment1 which is still standing in the parsonage garden4 ,when the fiftieth anniversary of the rise of the deaconess cause was celebrated in #ahhf the ,kaiserswerth sisterhood put their mites together and purchased the little house1 to hold it in perpetuity as a monument of ,god's providence4 ,the symbol of ,kaiserswerth is a white dove1 carrying an olive branch1 resting against a blue ground4 ,the blue flag floats from the old windmill tower on the river-bank1 attracting the attention of the traveler as he floats up the ,rhine4 ,other flags bear messages of conquest1 of victory1 of battles fought and won1 of storm and stress and endeavor in the conflict of man against his fellow-man4 ,but only peace and good-will1 the victory of goodness and of love--these alone are the messages that are waved forth to the wind by the blue flag of ,kaiserswerth4 #cf ,haus ,ordnung und ,dienst-,anweisung fr die ,diakonissen und ,probeschwestern des ,diakonissen ,mutterhauses zu ,kaiserswerth4 #cg ,deaconesses1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,s4 ,howson1 ,d4,d41 p4 #ha4 #ch ,refer back to page #bc1 chapter ii1 where it can be found4 #ci ,der ,armen und ,kranken ,freund1 ,august ,heft1 #ahhh4 #dj ,woman's ,work in the ,church1 p4 #bgc1 ,j4 ,m4 ,ludlow4 ,a4 ,strahan1 ,london1 #ahff4 #da ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 p4 #bae4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,other ,,establishments ,,on ,,the ,,continent4 ,in a book of these dimensions no exhaustive historical account can be given of all the developments of the deaconess movement in the various countries on the ,continent4 ,only a few of the leading houses can be spoken of1 but through a knowledge of these we can gain an insight into the life and characteristics of the movement as a whole4 ,the mother-house at ,strasburg is one of the oldest ones1 dating from #ahdb4 ,it owes its origin to the holy enthusiasm and life experiences of ,pastor ,hrter1 who exercised a deep religious influence in the city where he lived4 ,in #ahag1 when he was a young man of twenty1 the great ,strasburg hospital was re-organized4 ,the six to eight hundred patients were divided according to their religious faith4 ,to the ,catholics were assigned as nurses ,sisters of ,charity4 ,for the ,protestants there were paid women nurses4 ,the magistrates appealed to the pastors to find at least two ,protestant women of experience and ability to oversee the nurses1 but the most persistent search in the various churches of ,strasburg failed to procure suitable candidates4 ,years afterward1 when death entered ,hrter's family circle1 and his life became clouded and darkened1 he was called as a pastor to the largest church in ,strasburg4 ,he entered upon his new pastorate with a heart heavy and sad1 and not until after ten months of struggle1 in which the depths of his soul were stirred1 did he come forth strong1 confident1 and positive as never before that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners1 of whom ,i am chief4 ,henceforth there was force to his life1 conviction in his words1 and never-ceasing energy in good works4 ,when he heard of ,fliedner's new undertaking below him on the ,rhine he remembered the difficulty in finding ,protestant nurses for the hospital1 and declared that ,strasburg must have a similar institution4 ,he won the support of a number of ,christian men and women1 and the house was opened in ,october1 #ahdb4 ,from its beginning many branches of charitable and religious work were undertaken4 ,especial attention was at first given to preparing ,christian teachers1 and the schools in connection with the deaconess house were filled with pupils4 ,the success in this particular aroused apprehension lest the deaconesses should be diverted from their legitimate duties in caring for outside interests1 so for a time the schools were discontinued4 ,they have been resumed1 however1 and are to-day prosperous as of old4#db ,there are also a hospital1 a home for aged women1 a servants' training-school and a foundling asylum under the charge of the deaconesses4 ,they are1 as a class1 of higher social rank than these of ,kaiserswerth1 the preponderating number of whom are from the lower grade of social life4 ,they are also better educated4 ,this is partly a necessity1 from the fact that the city is on the border-land between two great nations and if the deaconesses are to be effective they must be familiar with the spoken and written speech of both peoples4 ,strasburg continues to be a great and powerful center of deaconess activities1 having a number of branch houses and various fields of work4 ,the affiliated house at ,mlhausen has obtained an especially good report for its successful use of parish deaconesses4 ,no other house has so systematized their labors or developed their possibilities as has the deaconess house at ,mlhausen4 ,all the authorities on deaconess work agree that the office of the parish deaconess is the crown and glory of the diaconate1 and approaches most nearly the type of the deaconesses of the early ,church4 ,the parish deaconess has occasion to use every gift which she can possibly acquire in the varied training of the deaconess school4 ,she must know how to care for the poor1 the weak1 the sick1 and those needing help for either body or soul1 as she finds them in her visits from house to house4 ,she must be able to pray at the bedside of the rich man1 and to serve in the kitchen of the poor man2 to be motherly to children1 sympathetic with the sorrowing1 and silent with the complaining4 ,she must be an intelligent nurse1 having some knowledge of medicine1 able to faithfully carry out the instructions of the physician4 ,she must be keen in detecting imposition1 and wise in the administration of charity1 knowing that to deny is often to help1 and to give is often to corrupt4 ,truly1 there is no gift of ,christian womanhood which has not here its use4 ,for many reasons ,mlhausen was well adapted for a field of labor for parish deaconesses4 ,it is an old city1 dating back to medival times1 having a population of about sixty thousand inhabitants1 half of whom are workmen4 ,it has long been known for its noble and successful endeavors to promote the well-being of the working class4 ,one of the first building and loan associations was started here to enable the operatives to earn their homes by gradual payments4 ,other organizations whose object is the moral elevation of the employees have united the different social circles by strong ties of sympathy4 ,it was an easy matter1 therefore1 to raise a subscription of two hundred thousand francs to provide a home for the deaconesses who were invited here from ,strasburg in #ahfa4 ,there are now fourteen sisters in the deaconess house4 ,half of the number remain at the home to nurse the sick1 and perform house duties4 ,the remainder are parish deaconesses1 who go forth early in the morning1 each to her own quarter of the city1 where she is busy at her labors during the day4 ,in the evening she returns to the central home4 ,in each of the seven districts into which the city is divided is located a district house2 a pleasant1 well-kept place4 ,this contains a waiting-room for the deaconess and a consultation-room for the district physician1 who comes at stated hours during the week4 ,the poor who are recommended by the sister he treats gratuitously1 and1 so far as the physician directs1 she furnishes food gratuitously4 ,she keeps on hand a good stock of lint1 bandages1 and instruments4 ,each house has a kitchen and cellar4 ,every morning a woman comes in and prepares a large kettle of nourishing soup1 and at #aa ,a4 ,m4 this is given out to the sick and poor4 ,in the store-room are rice1 sugar1 coffee1 meal1 and similar articles of food4 ,from here she sends out at noon such portions as are needed for the most destitute of the district4 ,in winter she also sells from her stores to the poor4 ,then there is a closet amply provided with sewing materials1 and when the deaconess obtains work for seamstresses she furnishes them at a small price the necessary outfit to begin sewing4 ,at two o'clock the deaconess ends her duties at the district house1 and spends the remainder of the day in making visits in her quarter4 ,to provide means to support the constant expenditure1 there is in each quarter of the city a committee of fifteen ladies and three gentlemen1 being in all more than one hundred ladies and twenty gentlemen1 who are responsible for the administration of the charity4 ,each committee has a yearly collection in its district1 and in this way about forty thousand francs are gathered annually4 ,in each quarter nine hundred francs 7one hundred and eighty dollars7 is set apart for the maintenance of the sister and the rent of the district house4 ,the remaining sum is expended by the deaconesses in their several districts in caring for the sick and destitute4 ,every month each one receives the sum allotted her from the treasurer1 and in return reports her expenditure4 ,the ladies on the committee often give personal assistance to the deaconess1 and sometimes assume responsibility for individual cases1 or for an entire street4 ,the arrangements are constantly being improved upon as knowledge is gained by practice4 ,the experience that has been gathered at ,mlhausen is very practical1 and therefore very valuable4 ,similar work could be undertaken in any of our large ,american cities1 with the anticipation of like beneficent results4 ,for that reason the above detailed description has been ventured upon1 with the hope that the ,old ,world example will find imitators in the ,new4#dc ,similar institutions1 although not so carefully perfected1 are found in ,gorlitz and ,magdeburg4 ,in ,berlin are a good many deaconess institutions4 ,among them is the ,marthashof1 a training-school for servants1 and a home for those out of employment4 ,the first impulse to care for the girls who come to large cities to obtain work1 and to provide them a home where they can have respectable surroundings1 came from ,pastor ,vermeil1 the founder of the deaconess house at ,paris4 ,when ,fliedner visited the ,paris house his heart was touched by what he saw4 ,he thought of the thousands of girls coming annually to ,berlin from the provinces1 and of the exposures and temptations to which they were subjected4 ,he knew that many of them in their ignorance and inexperience were ruined body and soul in the lodging-houses to which they resorted1 and drifted away on the streets of the city1 only to find a place eventually in the hopeless wards of the great hospital1 ,la ,charit4 ,he determined to do what he could to provide a remedy1 and1 as was his wont1 without money and without noise he set to work4 ,in the north of ,berlin1 at quite a distance from the railroad stations1 he hired a small house on a street then called ,the ,lost ,way--a street well named1 as it was unlighted and unpaved1 and so poorly kept that when the queen came to visit the home1 shortly after it was opened1 her carriage1 in spite of the strong horses1 got stuck in the mud4 ,by the aid of some ladies in the city the home was furnished with twelve beds2 three deaconesses were put in charge1 and after perplexing difficulties the authorization to open a registry for servants was obtained4 ,the idea at first met with derision4 ,it was said that such an institution was rightly located on ,the ,lost ,way1 for no one would ever come to it4 ,but they came4 ,in two years the number of beds increased to twenty1 and the same year ,fliedner purchased the entire court in which the house stood1 containing five houses and a fine garden4 ,queen ,elizabeth of ,prussia became the patroness of the institution1 and it grew in favor with the people4 ,a training-school was added in which the girls were taught to wash1 iron1 cook1 and sew1 and also to work in the garden and to care for cows1 the last two branches of domestic service being required of servant-girls in ,germany4 ,later an infant school was added in which nursery girls were practiced in taking charge of children1 a pleasant1 helpful demeanor being made one of the requisites4 ,over two hundred children1 mostly coming from the poorest and gloomiest homes1 are in daily attendance4 ,about three hundred and fifty more attend the girls' school for children of the working classes4 ,in the home and training-school for servants about eight hundred girls are received annually1 and sixteen thousand have been sheltered and taught during the years it has been open4 ,they readily secure situations1 over two thousand applications being annually received for the servants of the ,marthashof4 ,they remain in friendly relation to the home1 receive good counsel and advice1 and are encouraged to spend their free ,sundays there4 ,the ,marthashof has had a beneficent influence over the moral and spiritual welfare of servants throughout ,germany4 ,in nearly all the cities similar homes are now established1 while in the larger cities ,sunday associations are formed to provide suitable places of meeting for the entertainment and instruction of those who are free ,sunday afternoons and evenings4 ,so far as ,i am aware1 no similar work has been attempted for servant-girls in the ,united ,states4 ,it is true that training-schools exist1 but not with religious supervision1 and with the moral and religious instruction of the inmates made a prominent feature4 ,the ,marthashof offers us a lesson well worth our learning4 ,the deaconess house1 ,bethanien1 in ,berlin1 was founded by ,king ,frederick ,william ,,iv41 who as the ,crown ,prince took a warm interest in ,fliedner's undertakings4#dd ,it still remains under the protection of the emperor1 and is one of the most important mother-houses4 ,over three thousand patients are annually admitted to the hospital connected with the house1 and five hundred children are treated at a dispensary devoted solely to cases of diphtheria4 ,outside of the city it has thirty-three stations4 ,there are also the ,lazarus ,hospital and ,deaconess ,home1 the ,paul ,gerhardt ,deaconess ,home1 provided for parish deaconesses1 and the ,elizabeth ,hospital and ,home1 which started independently but is now allied to ,kaiserswerth4 ,the deaconess house in ,neudettelsau stands in closest union with the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the sisters are mostly from the higher ranks of society1 and intellectual training is made prominent4 ,certain liturgical forms are used1 and in the main deaconesses are employed in preparing ecclesiastical vestments and embroideries for church adornment4 ,in marked contrast to ,dettelsau is the deaconess house at ,berne4 ,it is almost a private institution1 having only slight connection with the ,state ,church4 ,it owes its origin to ,sophie ,wurdemberger1 a member of one of the old patrician families of ,berne4 ,a visit to ,england made her acquainted with ,elizabeth ,fry1 with the usual beneficent result of increased interest and activity in good works4 ,on her return to ,berne she gained the support of a society of women1 and through their aid secured a hospital and deaconess home4 ,it is now fourth in number among the largest mother-houses1 has two hundred and ninety-seven deaconesses1 five affiliated houses1 and forty-five different fields of work4 ,the oldest mother-house in ,switzerland is at ,st4 ,loup1 not far from ,lausanne1 standing on one of the beautiful heights of that picturesque region4 ,it was founded by ,pastor ,germond in #ahda1 through the direct influence of the work at ,kaiserswerth4 ,there are now seventy-three deaconesses1 mostly acting as nurses either in private homes or public institutions4#de ,there is also a large institution at ,riehen near ,basel1 which sends out two hundred deaconesses4 ,the greater number are of the peasant class1 and are nearly all employed as nurses4 ,the home at ,zrich was at first a daughter-house of ,riehen1 but is now an independent institution with twenty-seven stations4 ,in ,austria there is a mother-house at ,gallneukirchen from which sisters are sent forth1 four of them working in as many ,vienna parishes4 ,the story of deaconess work in ,austria is an interesting one1 and is told by ,miss ,williams in a recent number of ,the ,churchman1 from which the following extracts are taken3 ,the ,protestants of ,gallneukirchen were first formed into an independent parish in the year #ahgb1 and it is the only one lying between the ,danube and the ,bohemian frontier4 ,it is very widely extended1 but numbers only three hundred and eighteen souls1 and is so poor that with the greatest effort it can raise only four hundred florins a year 7about one hundred and sixty dollars7 for church and school4 ,with the aid of those interested in the work a parish-house has been secured1 where the pastor and his wife reside1 and in which is the deaconess asylum for the aged1 infirm1 and insane of all classes4 ,it has not as yet been possible to clear off the debt on the purchase4 ,still the sisters strive in every way to enlarge their usefulness1 so that they now possess extensive buildings and farms--only partly paid for1 it is true--wherein to house the many afflicted who apply to them for aid4 ,in one building1 standing alone on a hill1 they purpose to collect the insane patients1 and suitable additions are now being made to insure their safety and comfort4 ,in another village1 two hours' drive from here1 is their school1 where more than sixty boys and girls are taught1 fed1 and clothed1 in most cases gratuitously1 at worst at a nominal charge4 ,the sisters are bright and cheerful1 and keep their various dwellings so exquisitely neat and clean1 with their white-washed walls adorned with ,scripture texts and pictures4 ,no work1 however menial1 is beneath them4 ,i have myself seen one scrubbing the stairs1 and in turns they sleep on a hard straw bed on the floor1 ready to rise in the night as often as a bell summons them to the aid of a suffering invalid or a refractory lunatic4 ,there are a few institutions that exist independently of those represented at the ,kaiserswerth ,general ,conference4 ,they stand alone for various reasons2 perhaps they have not met the conditions required of those which belong to the association4 ,any house whose administration rests exclusively either in the hands of a man or a woman is excluded from the ,conference4 ,in every mother-house there represented the administrative head is twofold1 consisting of a gentleman1 who1 with rare exceptions1 is a clergyman1 and a lady who is a deaconess4 ,the ,kaiserswerth authorities regard this joint management as an indispensable condition4 ,the rector1 as he is usually called1 cares for the intellectual and spiritual instruction of the probationers1 conducts public services in the chapel1 and issues the publications and reports of the house4 ,the oberin1 or house-mother1 is the direct head of the sisters4 ,she is responsible for the interior management1 regulates the duties of the sisters1 and gives practical instruction4 ,the two are jointly responsible for the acceptance and dismissal of probationers1 for the assignment of the sisters to different fields of labor1 and the kind of labor required4 ,every mother-house has its own peculiarities4 ,the personal characteristics of those who conduct it are naturally impressed upon the house4 ,then1 too1 the influence of environment is to be reckoned with4 ,the house may be located in a large city or in a small one2 in the country or in towns4 ,it may be under the influence of a ,state ,church1 as in ,germany1 or of ,christians of all ,churches1 as at ,mildmay4 ,it will share the characteristics of the race of people from which come its workers4 ,doubtless in the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church in ,america the deaconesses that eventually become recognized as set apart to special ,christian service1 through the training that is provided for them1 will be women who are peculiarly adapted to the needs of that ,church1 with all the distinguishing ,american traits that will prepare them to understand the people whom they are to serve1 and that will give them access to the hearts of this people4 ,if the deaconess cause should gain favor with us as it has in ,europe1 and should the deaconesses become as established in the social life of the people as they are there1 the effective agencies will be largely increased that are to deal with the questions that come to the front whenever1 as in great cities1 large numbers of people are massed together4 ,deaconess institutions now exist in ,switzerland1 ,france1 ,holland1 ,denmark1 ,norway1 ,sweden1 ,russia1 ,austria1 ,england1 and ,germany1 while the countries in which these homes have stations are literally too numerous to mention4 ,spain1 ,italy1 ,greece1 ,turkey1 the countries of ,northern ,africa1 and of ,asia ,minor1 as well as isolated mission stations throughout the entire world are now served by deaconesses4 ,if there were ten times the number of sisters1 places could be at once found for them4 ,it is instructive on this point to read what ,pastor ,disselhoff says#df in the account he gives of the various demands made upon him1 which he has been unable to meet4 ,one of the letters he quotes was from an ,english missionary on the ,cameron ,river4 ,send us deaconesses for our hospital1 he says4 ,it was built for ,european sailors1 especially ,germans4 ,we hope and trust to overcome the superstitions of the natives1 and that they too1 may come to be healed4 ,but there were no sisters to send4 ,a similar call came from ,shanghai1 but as it was impossible to return a favorable answer1 although the hospital was a ,protestant institution1 the ,sisters of ,mercy were invited in1 and given control4 ,from #ahgj up to #ahhf over two hundred and twenty-seven places at widely remote distances1 such as ,madras1 ,new ,orleans1 ,port ,said1 ,rio de ,janeiro1 and elsewhere1 sent most urgent appeals for ,kaiserswerth deaconesses to be assigned them1 but invariably the same answer must be returned3 ,there are none to send4 ,disselhoff closes by saying1 ,how many open doors has ,god given6 ,whose fault is it that they remain closed8 #db ,schfer1 ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 i1 p4 #ba4 #dc ,the details of the deaconess work at ,mlhausen are largely taken from ,schfer's ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 ii4 #dd ,life of ,pastor ,fliedner1 translated by ,c4 ,winckworth1 ,london1 #ahfg1 p4 #acc4 ,the favor of the great1 especially the condescending kindness of our late ,sovereign1 he took as a gift from the ,king of kings1 who allowed his own work to be thus promoted4 ,he strenuously avoided all personal distinction1 and never wore the order which had been sent him2 'for a servant of the ,church1' he said1 'there should be but one order--the ,cross of the ,lord4' #de ,der ,armen und ,kranken ,freund1 ,august1 #ahhh4 #df ,denkschrift zur ,jubelfeier1 pp4 #bdh1 #bdi4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,german ,,methodism4 ,the good results of the work of deaconesses in the other ,protestant bodies of ,germany doubtless had their influence upon ,german ,methodism4 ,as far back as #ahfh in ,wurtemberg1 and later in ,frankfort1 some preachers introduced parish deaconesses for the care of the sick2 but well-directed efforts1 and unity in management1 were lacking4 ,the existing association was started ,july #h1 #ahgd1 under the title of ,bethanienverein1 or the ,bethany ,society1 through the efforts of several members of the ,german ,conference1 among whom were ,rev4 ,g4 ,weiss1 who1 with two deaconesses1 initiated the work in ,bremen1 ,rev4 ,frederick ,eilers1 the present inspector1 and ,rev4 ,g4 ,hausser1 who for several years was president of the board of direction1 and now resides in ,america4#dg ,a further number of ministers showed themselves inclined to stand by the society1 both by their influence and through contributions taken in their churches1 so that in #ahgf the first trained deaconesses were set at work in the city of ,frankfort4 ,as has been said1#dh the little institution in its early days had to pass through a series of critical experiences1 as a young child has to encounter the series of childhood diseases that assail it2 but it outlived them all1 and is now enjoying a vigorous youth4 ,it was but another illustration of the truth that all beginnings are difficult1 and that successful experience has to be bought by overcoming hinderances and obstacles4 ,to-day there is no branch of ,german ,methodism more successfully and substantially incorporated into the ,church life than the deaconess society1 and none that wins greater favor among those outside of denominational lines4 ,the first printed report was issued in ,october1 #ahhd4 ,in this the inspector says3 ,our society is now in three cities1 ,frankfort1 ,hamburg1 and ,berlin1 and our sisters are not able to meet all the demands upon them for service4 ,at that time there were thirteen deaconesses and twenty probationers4 ,the last report1 issued in ,july1 #ahhh1 shows an increase in numbers both of deaconesses and their stations4 ,there are now eighty-nine deaconesses1 eleven of whom are probationers1 and there are stations in five places4 ,besides the ones previously mentioned in ,germany1 two additional stations have been started in ,switzerland3 one in ,zrich1 and one in ,st4 ,gall4 ,nearly all the ,methodist ,german deaconesses are engaged in caring for the sick2 it is only recently that attempts have been made in some other directions of charitable endeavor4 ,in the last report we are told that at ,frankfort steps have been taken to reform fallen women4 ,one of the sisters seems to be especially endowed with tact and ability for this difficult work4 ,she has already induced twenty-two of these girls to enter the asylum at ,sachsenhausen4 ,the police authorities and city magistrates have given this same sister access to the women prisoners1 which is a decided favor1 coming from ,german officials4 ,besides her work in this particular1 she has devoted her remaining time to the care of the poor and the sick4 ,many deaconesses were called upon to go out as nurses in private families1 and1 in order to obtain room to accommodate the added number these services required1 it has been necessary to rent an additional house4 ,there are two clinics in connection with the institution2 one for those suffering from nose1 throat1 or lung diseases1 the other for diseases of women4 ,in both1 the hours of consultation are free1 and attract numerous visitors4 ,two hundred and forty-six people were received in the hospital last year1 and were cared for in four thousand one hundred and fifty days of nursing4 ,spiritual results are also anticipated from the seed of ,god's word sown in the hearts of the sick through daily prayer and ,sunday services4 ,the house at ,frankfort is too small for its increasing needs1 and a permanent home of more ample dimensions is greatly to be desired4 ,in ,hamburg the house has been enlarged1 and there is now room for thirty-five sisters2 yet still there are more demands made than can be met4 ,in one month ninety requests were handed in for the aid of the deaconesses4 ,the city authorities offered them a large lot of land at a very moderate sum1 which is at present used as a garden1 and adds much to the enjoyment of the home4 ,on the #dth of ,march1 #ahhh1 occurred the anniversary of the founding of the ,hamburg house1 at which time six sisters were set apart to their life calling by a service of consecration4 ,as in all places where our deaconesses are employed1 so also in ,hamburg their influence is felt in the increase of religious life among the families they serve4 ,in ,berlin1 again1 there is an imperative call for enlarged house accommodations1 and more sisters are needed to meet the requests for help that are constantly coming to them4 ,as the report expresses it1 ,something must happen6#di ,after six years of activity in ,berlin the deaconesses find themselves well appreciated1 and with a broad field of labor4 ,the city authorities gave them permission to take a house collection during the months of ,february and ,march4 ,one of the ,german ministers said1 ,this is an unusual favor1 only granted in exceptional cases1 as when a village is swept away1 or there is an inundation1 or a failure of harvests4 ,this collection was no easy task4 ,in the depth of winter1 in rigorous cold and snow the sisters had to climb weary flights of stairs1 in houses four and five stories high1 arranged in flats2 to knock at many doors1 often meeting with but slight success or a positive refusal2 yet daily they went with fresh courage to their work1 encouraged by the thought that they were toiling not for themselves1 but to serve the needy1 for ,jesus' sake4 ,the collection resulted in obtaining nearly twenty thousand marks1 to which has been added the loan of a larger sum at a small rate of interest1 so that there is good prospect of soon obtaining a permanent home as the property of the deaconess society4 ,st4 ,gall is one of the newer stations1 but from the beginning it has been a work of promise4 ,in this old center of missionary operations1 where ,irish missionaries founded one of the most famous monasteries of medival times1 is now to be erected a hospital under the care of ,methodist deaconesses1 who have already begun to collect means for this purpose4 ,in ,scheffel's famous story of ,ekkehard the only way in which the ,duchess ,hadwig could enter the monastery of ,st4 ,gall 7as there was a law that no woman should set her foot upon the threshold7 was by the ingenious device of a young monk1 who lifted her over in his arms4 ,these peaceful women of ,methodism are finding no obstacle now as did ,hadwig of old2 they do not need even figuratively to be lifted over the entering threshold2 they are gladly welcomed1 and are introducing a new element into the life of the old city4 ,in ,zrich seven deaconesses are at work under the protection1 and with the sympathetic co-operation1 of the pastor and the church4 ,i saw something of the deaconesses and their duties in this place4 ,the inspector1 ,rev4 ,fr4 ,eilers1 came with the first deaconesses and introduced them to their new field when ,i was a resident of the city4 ,on ,sunday morning he occupied the pulpit1 preaching from ,rom4 xvi1 #a1 commending the deaconesses to the kindness and helpful aid of the members of the church4 ,i used often to see ,sister ,myrtha1 who was the head sister1 hastening hither and thither on her errands of mercy4 ,in her plain black dress and round shoulder-cape to match1 and broad white collar and white cap1 she was a pleasant and attractive figure4 ,she was always happy and contented1 ready to answer the many questions with which ,i plied her in my desire to look through the eyes of a deaconess1 and to obtain her views of the office to which she belonged4 ,she had a great love for her work1 and believed that she was doing service for ,christ in a true missionary field4 ,her simple uniform was a distinguishing mark that insured her respect and attention wherever she went1 and she regarded it as a garb of honor that marked her as belonging to the daughters of the great ,king4 ,you could not call such a life an austere or unnatural one4 ,it was too thoroughly filled with thoughts of love to others to be either morbid or introspective4 ,i obtained my first favorable impressions of the usefulness of deaconesses and their importance to the ,church from the cheerful1 contented labors of ,sister ,myrtha and her associates among the poor and sick of ,zrich--quiet women1 of no particular prominence in the social world1 and not learned or accomplished2 nur einfache ,mdchen 7only simple maidens1 quiet1 ordinary women1 as we might translate ,sister ,myrtha's own phrase71 but living not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 commending their creed by their deeds1 and winning sympathy by the loving1 self-denying spirit that they manifest4 ,during the last year a house of rest has been opened similar to the house ,salem at ,kaiserswerth4 ,this is called by the beautiful name ,gottestreue1 or ,god's ,fidelity4 ,the report says that they have named it ,god's ,fidelity in recollection of this3 ,that the ,lord has so faithfully led us and has cared for us in all storms which1 especially at the beginning of the work1 threatened to overwhelm it1 has watched over us and upheld us1 and has so richly blessed us4 ,the acquisition of this house came through the work of the sisters4 ,one of them was caring for an aged widow1 whose sympathies were so won that she offered to give her property1 amounting to about ten thousand marks1 to the deaconess society1 asking only that she be cared for for the remainder of her life4 ,this sum enabled the house to be built1 and last summer it was opened for use4 ,it lies upon a mountain1 has a pleasant outlook to the south1 and a beautiful view over the valley of the ,main and off to the distant forests4 ,near at hand is a grove of chestnut trees1 and farther removed are extensive pine forests with pleasant walks4 ,the house is in the charge of one of the older sisters4 ,the regulations touching the training and duties of the sisters are similar to those of ,kaiserswerth4 ,two years of probation are required1 part of which is devoted to practical work under the superintendence of an older deaconess4 ,the rules of daily life are much the same2 a quiet half hour of prayer and meditation is strongly urged1 and the same freedom in control of personal property and withdrawal from the office exists4 ,it is pleasant to record that our deaconesses have secured to themselves such good report for their usefulness that the city officials in ,germany accord to them the free use of steamboats and street-cars2 and the ,prussian government does the same for roads that are under ,state control4 ,the ,bethany ,society of the ,german ,methodists is self-supporting and is independent of the ,conference1 save only that the board of direction is composed of ,methodist preachers chosen by the ,conference4 ,each of the homes at the five stations has also its board of control1 made up of the inspector1 the pastor in charge1 and the head sister4 ,the inspector is a member of the ,conference1 but has no appointment1 as his whole time is devoted to the duty of superintendence4 ,last year the society took the further step of deciding that henceforth the deaconesses should not be sent1 as heretofore1 to outside hospitals or other institutions to complete their training1 but should be given the advantages they require at our own homes4 ,owing to this decision only six probationers can be received for the coming year1 and others who have made application to enter must wait their turn4 ,the ,german ,methodist ,church1 the daughter of ,american ,methodism1 anticipated the parent ,church in utilizing the womanly gifts and services of deaconesses as members of her aggressive forces1 and furnished it a very helpful and stimulating example4 #dg ,jahresbericht des ,bethanienvereins1 #ahhd1 ,bremen4 #dh ,der ,christliche ,apologete1 article by ,rev4 ,g4 ,hausser1 ,september #bj1 #ahhh4 #di ,jahresbericht1 #ahhh1 page #h4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,paris4 ,when in ,paris we visited the deaconess establishment on the ,rue de ,reuilly1 and had the pleasure1 ever to be remembered1 of seeing the institution in all its workings under the guidance of ,mademoiselle ,sara ,monod1 the daughter of ,adolphe ,monod2 members of a family that have been ,protestants of the ,protestants in the annals of ,france4 ,we examined with some degree of thoroughness the different departments1 and saw them in the busy working hours1 when the full activities of the great establishment were in exercise4 ,in addition to the information and reports then secured ,i am under further obligation to ,mademoiselle ,monod for other material lately received1 among which is a pamphlet entitled ,une ,visite la ,maison de ,diaconesses1 by ,madame ,w4 ,monod1 the worthy daughter of one of the founders1 and the worthy wife of one of the present chaplains of the institution4 ,i have translated freely from this in the following pages1 as it is pervaded by a tone of intimate knowledge1 and nothing can take the place of the long years of close personal relation that make this little book so fresh and attractive in its recital4 ,the institution is situated on the outskirts of the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine1 upon an elevation1 where the view in one direction is limited by ,mont ,st4 ,genevive1 and on the other embraces a large territory intersected by the windings of the ,seine and by lines of railroad4 ,the space is thickly dotted by the high chimneys of manufactories and massive constructions of various forms4 ,a great pile of buildings which fronts upon the street forms one of the sides of the court within2 two long wings extend at right angles1 which seem to have been built at different intervals of time4 ,that on the right ends with the penitentiary1 or house of correction2 the left wing terminates more modestly at the garden entrance2 while farther1 at the extreme portion of the grounds1 still to the left1 rises the hospital1 standing apart from the rest4 ,the whole establishment1 including the gardens1 has an extent of fifty-five hundred square meters4 ,in the little room at the entrance1 where the concierge is usually found in these ,french houses1 sits one of the sisters1 surrounded by bell-cords and tubes and bells which are constantly in use1 bringing messages to and fro in all directions4 ,a sister is always on duty1 morning1 afternoon1 and at night when it is necessary1 responding with discreet politeness to the inquiries made4 ,adjoining are the little reception rooms1 where comers and goers are met1 and the consulting-room of the distinguished oculist1 who twice a week gives gratuitously his valuable services4 ,then come the office and reception-room of the chaplain of the house1 followed by the little prophet's chamber1 occupied by the former directress when she returns upon visits which her age and poor health render only too infrequent4 ,what the ,french call the conomat or business office1 next demands our attention4 ,a dozen registers admirably kept1 portfolios of all kinds1 and numberless papers are arranged upon different shelves4 ,the sister in charge notes in her journal every entrance and every departure1 and all the journeys and leaves of absence of the sisters4 ,in a safe she has the necessary money for current expenses1 the rest being deposited in the bank4 ,she provides the stores1 examines the accounts of the pharmacy and the kitchen1 pays the salaried employees1 gives or sends to each deaconess the modest sum allowed her for personal needs1 and transacts the daily business of the house4 ,she must also every month hand in three reports--one to the ,prefect of ,police1 another to the ,minister of the ,interior1 and the third to the ,minister of ,finance1 giving detailed statistics concerning the age1 occupation1 and progress of her protgs4 ,how many know how to read8 ,how many to read and write8 ,how many to read1 write1 and cipher8 ,what progress has been made since the last report8 ,these are some of the questions she has to answer2 and1 meanwhile1 if a crowd of little children come in1 she turns from her writing and calculations and plays with them as if she had nothing else to do4 ,let us see where these children come from4 ,here is the ,salle d',asile1 as it is called1 with its benches and chairs for the little ones1 maps and historical pictures suspended upon the walls1 slates and globes1 and all the belongings of a school-room4 ,the sister who has directed this school for thirty-five years has seen sons and daughters succeed fathers and mothers4 ,more than nineteen hundred children have passed through her hands4 ,with what pride she showed us the copy-books1 and pointed out some particularly good compositions4 ,hers was no perfunctory task2 a mother could not have displayed greater interest in her children4 ,the number of pupils varies from one hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty1 a little less than half of them being ,catholics4 ,all kinds of primary instruction are given1 including gymnastics1 singing1 and marching4 ,bible stories hold an important place in this elementary teaching1 even those which are sometimes considered to be beyond the reach of children2 for there is nothing in any other book to take their place4 ,it is useless to add that not only lessons are given1 but shoes1 aprons1 and garments of all kinds1 some of the little ones being clothed from head to foot by the institution4 ,every day soup is distributed1 ostensibly to the poor and the ill-nourished1 but practically partaken of by all4 ,even during the siege of ,paris the soup continued to appear4 ,it gradually became less substantial1 it is true1 but still it was soup4 ,from four to six o'clock the mothers and older sisters and brothers1 or perhaps some old lady who has been engaged to have the care of several children1 come to take the little ones home4 ,the influence of these children is felt beyond the school-room2 it is a visible1 constant force4 ,such a little girl has persuaded her grandmother not to work on ,sundays4 ,another asks for a book that her father can read aloud to the family4 ,and similar instances could be multiplied2 they are always to be obtained where loving ,christian hearts are interested in children1 and when they remember that fine saying of ,jacqueline ,pascal2 ,parler ,dieu des petites mes plus qu' aux petites mes de ,dieu4#ej ,there used formerly to be attached to this a ,crche1 where a mother could bring her babe when she went to work in the morning1 and could come for it at night4 ,but the government has now started a day-home for this district of the city1 so this part of the work of the deaconesses has been discontinued4 ,passing by the vegetable garden1 which is also a pleasure garden for the sick and infirm1 we come to the hospital4 ,this was opened in ,september1 #ahgc1 and can accommodate sixty to seventy patients4 ,there are two large wards for women1 one for children1 a dormitory for aged women1 and rooms with one1 two1 and three beds4 ,all are perfectly heated1 lighted1 and ventilated4 ,the medical inspector visits the house every month1 and gives it due praise for meeting every condition of modern medical science4 ,a committee of ladies takes the hospital as an especial object of its care4 ,they have organized a system of patronage1 by which beds are furnished poor patients at a low rate1 in some cases gratuitously4 ,fifteen subscribers give each two francs1 or forty cents1 a month2 the sick man or his patron pays a franc a day1 to which the ,deaconess ,home adds also a franc daily4 ,these three francs represent the bare expenses of a hospital bed4 ,of course1 sixty cents a day is far from meeting the entire cost of rent1 food1 baths1 medicine1 and service2 but those patients who have been accustomed to a certain degree of comfort in life1 when paying three francs1 are freed from the painful impression of receiving charity4 ,many of the patients1 when sent forth from the hospital1 are directed to the ,convalescents' ,home1 at ,passy4 ,this is an inestimable benefit2 what could this poor servant do1 whose strength is not yet sufficient to undertake fatiguing labor8 ,or this mother of a family1 who would certainly fall ill again if obliged to resume the heavy burden of housekeeping1 accompanied by privations and wearing economies1 were it not for the home at ,passy8 ,such homes of rest and convalescence are a necessity in connection with every well-equipped deaconess institution4 ,the pharmacy is in the charge of a deaconess trained especially for her duties4 ,a deaconess director1 several nurse deaconesses and probationers1 with one or two aged women1 constitute the working force of the hospital outside of the physicians4 ,so many denominational hospitals are now arising in ,america that the arrangement of hospitals under the care of deaconesses in ,germany1 ,france1 and ,england1 cannot fail to have interest for us4 ,there are no nurses like the deaconesses4 ,other nurses1 however well prepared in the best of training-schools1 do not have the same high motive that lifts the service onto the plane of religious duty1 where the question of self-interest is wholly lost sight of4 ,it was the perception of this truth that led the authorities of the ,german ,hospital in ,philadelphia to send to ,germany for deaconesses as nurses1 and that has brought about the erection of the magnificent ,mary ,j4 ,drexel ,home for ,deaconesses4 ,but let us return to ,paris and our examination of the home on the ,rue de ,reuilly4 ,leaving the hospital1 and turning in the opposite direction from that to which we came1 we are at the house of correction4 ,bars of iron before the windows apprise us of the character of the building4 ,there are two divisions of inmates2 the one in which the discipline is more rigid is called the retenue4 ,those placed here are generally between fourteen and twenty-one years of age1 although occasionally a child of precocious depravity is met with1 who has to be separated from those under less restriction even at ten years of age4 ,the disciplinaire is the division of milder restraint4 ,the twenty-five or twenty-six places in each of the two divisions are ordinarily applied for in advance4 ,pastor ,louis ,valette said3 ,we shall not have room enough until we have too much room4 ,there are three classes of inmates3 those who are put here by their parents for insubordination or other grave faults2 those who are sent here by order of a judge of the court for a limited period1 and those who are recognized guilty of a misdemeanor1 but are acquitted on account of their age1 and must remain a certain time1 sometimes until they have attained their majority1 in houses of correction and education4 ,the ,minister of the ,interior pays twelve cents a day for pupils of the third class2 the ,prefect of ,police four hundred dollars a year for those of the second class1 whatever their number1 only the establishment is bound to receive them at any time and at any hour4 ,there is a system of rewards1 to promote good behavior1 and those who profit by it can accumulate a small sum of money1 sometimes amounting to sixteen or eighteen dollars1 to have when they go out from here4 ,in other cases there is a large indebtedness on the opposite side1 which can never be collected4 ,the days are occupied in household work1 washing1 ironing1 and sewing1 and two hours of schooling4 ,when the nature of the work will permit1 instructive books are read aloud1 or the deaconesses give pleasant talks on different subjects that will keep the thoughts of the workers busy1 and give them helpful ideas to store away in their minds4 ,as we went about in the sewing-classes1 we noticed that the time was invariably utilized in some way that was profitable to the girls4 ,most of them are pitiably ignorant of even the commonest knowledge demanded in life4 ,there are separate court-yards for the recreations of the two divisions4 ,the girls of the disciplinaire are sometimes taken outside the institution for walks2 those of the retenue1 never4 ,the work in this last division is especially difficult1 and requires the utmost patience and love4 ,these poor girls have to be watched carefully1 and kept isolated from one another4 ,some are greatly influenced by the atmosphere of the place1 the gentle1 firm kindness of the sisters1 and the restriction they receive4 ,others go out to take up again the old life of immorality1 and are dragged away into the meshes of sin1 finding their place1 after brief delay1 in the wards of a hospital1 or sometimes a suicide's grave4 ,it is a singular fact that the numerical appreciation of those influenced by this school of reform is precisely the same as that given in the report of the similar work at ,kaiserswerth1 although the two reports have no connection with one another1 and one in no wise supposes the other4 ,thirty-three years ago one of the founders of the institution1 ,pastor ,valette1 said in answer to a question as to the amount of good accomplished1 ,sixteen years ago this question came to my ears1 and ,i stated as a principle that one cannot and ought not to answer it precisely and absolutely1 because no one but ,god can give an appreciation of its real value4 ,however1 out of curiosity1 ,i set myself at work to gather and register some results2 and1 matured by the experience of six years1 ,i offer them1 such as they are3 ,one third of the moral results may be considered excellent2 another third as offering good guarantees1 and a final third has no value4 ,it seems to me1 however1 as ,i am sure it will seem to you1 that here is cause for rejoicing4 ,here is something for which to praise the ,lord1 and to encourage those who administer our affairs4 ,for1 ,i ask of the merchants who listen to me1 if any one were to offer you thirty-three and one third per cent4 assured1 with the hope of a dividend1 would you refuse the investment8 ,in #ahga an occurrence took place worthy of being recorded4 ,on ,april #ac1 at ten o'clock in the evening1 emissaries of the ,commune entered the house1 revolvers in hand4 ,armed men were posted at all the entrances4 ,the deaconesses were summoned to one of the parlors1 and held prisoners until three o'clock the following morning4 ,meanwhile an investigation took place among the girls in the penitentiary1 as they would be the most likely of any of the inmates of the house to have complaints4 ,the officers of the ,commune interrogated them closely4 ,their answers were favorable beyond all expectation4 ,are you happy here8 ,oh1 yes1 very happy4 ,what have you done deserving punishment8 ,nothing that we need talk to you about4 ,how are you punished here8 ,the sisters don't punish us2 they advise us what to do1 and warn us4 ,now1 said the chief to one1 just tell me quietly1 no one else need hear2 if you are not contented ,i will take you away with me4 ,what a coward you are1 she answered1 quite scornfully4 ,not one of them thought of escaping4 ,all this time the prison wagon had been waiting in the street1 and would have been filled with deaconesses had the slightest cause of complaint been found2 but it went away empty4 ,later the sisters had occasion to go to the head-quarters of the ,commune in their ward1 and they met with polite consideration4 ,this is not the only experience of the troubled political life of the great city that the deaconesses have had4 ,the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine has been noted ever since the time of the ,fronde as being the haunt of all that is turbulent and revolutionary4 ,in ,february #ahdh1 a great barricade was thrown across the ,rue de ,reuilly1 men1 women1 and children hurrying with bricks and stones to help in building it4 ,then came the moment of storm and attack1 and forty-two men lay dead in the street4 ,some of the wounded were received by the sisters1 crowded as they were with the children whom the mothers had brought for safety4 ,meanwhile the deaconesses went about unmolested1 bought food and medicine1 hunted friends and relatives for the sick1 and through all that period of excitement and strife kept up their ministrations of mercy4 ,there is no distinct home for women who are left alone and desire ,christian surroundings1 as is the case in several ,german institutions1 but about sixty such ladies are received as boarders in the ,paris home4 ,frequently also the hospitality of the house is enjoyed by young girls who come to ,paris alone to earn a livelihood1 or who have to stop here for some hours on their way to another place2 a great advantage for inexperienced young women1 unversed in the ways of a city1 who find themselves alone in the great world for the first time4 ,the preparatory school for deaconesses is on the first floor1 below the rooms of the sisters4 ,for two years the candidates are under the instruction of superior sisters4 ,they are received into the house gratuitously1 and accept its regulations while they remain4 ,they have to pass through all practical duties of house-work1 and care of the sick and children4 ,they also pursue practical and theoretical courses in hygiene1 and receive lessons in singing and pedagogics4 ,the chaplains of the institution give them courses of religious instruction1 and lectures on ,church history4 ,some 7the larger number7 need very elementary lessons2 others come with a good education4 ,each is directed according to her education and experience4 ,in fact1 all classes are represented among the deaconesses2 servants1 teachers1 ladies1 and shepherdesses4 ,they come from different parts of ,france1 but in larger numbers from the ,south4 ,deaconesses are constantly in demand to go out in the city as nurses in private families4 ,such requests often meet with refusals1 because sisters cannot be spared for such duties4 ,their work is limited by the smallness of their numbers4 ,the last report gives sixty deaconesses attached to the ,home on the ,rue de ,reuilly4 ,the work is upon sterile soil as compared to ,germany4 ,the ,protestants of ,france are in a small minority1 surrounded by an overwhelming majority of ,catholics2 while in the beginning of the work some influential members of the ,protestant faith1 having an inadequate comprehension of the good in the movement1 and a misconception of its plans1 exerted a powerful influence that for awhile told adversely to the cause4 ,the home has now passed beyond the stage when it can be affected by adverse criticisms2 and it to-day not only has the approbation of ,christians1 but also of those who regard it solely from the point of view of philanthropy4#ea ,there are but two parish deaconesses who are at work in ,belleville and ,ste4 ,marie4 ,the directors of the institution would be glad to increase the number1 as they regard the work of the sisters under the direction of the city pastors as that which presents the widest opportunities for doing good1 while it perpetuates those aspects of the deaconess work which most closely resemble those of the early ,church4 ,but ,calvin's reply from ,geneva to the ,church of ,france is theirs4 ,when petitioned to send more pastors over the boundary into ,france he replied1 ,send us wood and we will send you arrows4 ,so the want of deaconesses is a continual hinderance to the furtherance of the cause1 both in the city and the provinces4 ,the prisons for women in ,france are under the supervision of women1 save the office of chief director1 which is filled by a man4 ,the great majority of the prisoners in ,france being ,catholics1 the number of ,sisters of ,charity is naturally much larger than the number of deaconesses employed4 ,at the prison of ,clermont four of the ,paris deaconesses are kept constantly at work among the prisoners4 ,in connection with the old prison of ,st4 ,lazare1 the women's prison of ,paris1 the deaconesses have a mission especially concerned with caring for discharged female convicts4 ,as was the case at ,kaiserswerth1 this1 in its initiation1 is closely connected with the saintly life of ,elizabeth ,fry4 ,when she came to ,paris1 in #ahce1 a drawing-room meeting was held at the residence of the ,duchess de ,broglie1 in which she told of her efforts to effect a reform in prisons in ,england4 ,none of the ladies of rank and wealth who heard her were stirred to greater effort than was demanded by the keen interest with which they listened to her words2 but a quiet governess was present1 ,mademoiselle ,dumas1 and with her the seeds of truth fell into prepared ground4 ,she determined to attempt for her own country a portion of the work ,mrs4 ,fry had accomplished for ,england4 ,obtaining permission from the authorities to visit the prison of ,st4 ,lazare1 she went daily to the prisoners shut up in the rooms of this great building1 formerly the monastery of ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 the founder of the ,sisters of ,charity4 ,after the deaconess home was established1 some deaconesses were set apart to aid ,mademoiselle ,dumas in her work4 ,all these years the mission has continued1 not interrupted even during the dark days of the ,commune4 ,a committee of ladies aids in providing shelter and work for the prisoners when they are discharged4 ,the great publishing house of ,hachette ,co41 although the head of the firm is a ,catholic1 provides employment in folding paper for books4 ,through the kind offices of ,mademoiselle ,monod we called on ,mademoiselle ,dumas4 ,she is now an extremely aged woman2 but her interest in the ,christian reformation of prisoners of her sex is as keen as it was over fifty years ago1 when her labors began4 ,the registers of many years stand by her desk1 and from these we were shown how the records of the mission are kept1 and in what way the lives of those assisted are watched and followed for years4 ,narratives of individual reformation were related to us1 and through the long correspondence of many years she was enabled to tell us of those who had turned to a better life and held to it permanently4 ,as she talked her eyes brightened1 the tones of her voice became stronger and clearer1 her manner more vivacious1 and the years seemed to slip from her4 ,finally1 as if overcome by the memories that the long retrospect had brought to her1 and thrilled by the recollections1 of all this work meant to her1 she ended by exclaiming1 ,o1 my dear ,st4 ,lazare6 ,i looked at her astonished4 ,i had just come from the walls of the gloomy prison1 and the place had chilled me with horror as ,i walked through its corridors1 and read the stories of shame and guilt in the faces of its inmates2 most hopeless looking faces1 belonging to little children of ten and twelve up to hardened and prematurely aged women of fifty and sixty4 ,i could not comprehend a term of endearment applied to such a place4 ,but a moment's consideration led me to see that this aged saint had there fought and won the best of her life's battles1 and the place remains glorified in her thoughts by most hallowed and ,christ-like memories4 ,now that ,mademoiselle ,dumas is kept to her room1 the deaconesses still come to her weekly1 make their reports1 and keep up the proper entries in her books4 ,a recent letter from ,mademoiselle ,monod says3 ,mademoiselle ,dumas still lives1 having completed her ninety-sixth year the #bfth of last ,december 7#ahhh74 ,only yesterday our prison committee met at her house1 she acting as presiding officer4 ,the life of this quiet woman is but little known outside the circle of her immediate influence1 but it has been more valuable to her country than that of many a general or statesman who has been ranked among the famous of the earth4 ,the deaconess home has also branches of work in different parts of ,france4 ,these include nine hospitals1 two homes for the aged and infirm1 four orphanages1 two work-rooms for young girls1 and a convalescents' home4 ,the house has established close connection with the deaconess houses at ,st4 ,loup in ,french ,switzerland1 and with ,strasburg4 ,the ties of a common language and former memories are strong1 and these are the homes most akin to the ,paris home4 ,the ordinary expenses of the ,paris deaconess home are about thirty thousand dollars a year4 ,nearly seven thousand dollars are collected annually by subscriptions1 the remaining sum being made up of returns arising from service4 ,the institution was founded in #ahda by ,rev4 ,antoine ,vermeil1 a distinguished minister of the ,reformed ,church1 aided by a devout and worthy minister of the ,lutheran ,church1 ,rev4 ,louis ,valette4 ,it has grown up under the joint and harmonious patronage of these two ,state ,churches4 ,a later deaconess home1 entirely devoted to training and employing parish deaconesses1 was started in #ahgd1 under the sole control of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,some pastors secured the co-operation of a few young ,christian women to consecrate a portion of their strength and time to the service of the ,church4 ,from this beginning sprang the work that exists to-day4 ,the home is located in the ,rue de ,bridaine4 ,there are now sixteen deaconesses1 six of whom are probationers4 ,five of them are located in different parishes in ,paris1 usually at a long distance from the central house4 ,each goes forth early in the morning to her parish1 where is a room of some kind serving as a center to the work4 ,materials used in nursing and medicines are stored here1 and there is an office for the physician1 who comes at stated periods to give free consultation4 ,from the district house the deaconess goes in all directions and in all weather to look up families which have fallen away from the ,church1 to gather in children for the ,sunday-school1 to visit the sick1 and to collect garments and money from the rich in order to distribute them among the poor4 ,such are some of their duties4 ,each sister is under the direction of a pastor1 and is aided by his advice1 while still remaining a member of the community to which she belongs4 ,in both of the deaconess houses of ,paris1 as in the ,german houses1 a special service sets apart those sisters who have passed their period of probation1 and have been received into full connection4 ,as one of the deaconess reports beautifully says3 ,when ,christ calls the soul to a special vocation he gives it special grace1 and those who consecrate themselves to him he consecrates to their task by the strength of his ,spirit4 ,so in conformity with the usages of the primitive ,church we give consecration to our sisters by the laying on of hands4 ,the consecration is not a sacramental act1 conferring a particular character1 greater sanctity1 or special powers2 neither is it simply a ceremony or pious formality4 ,it is a real and efficacious benediction1 which the ,saviour accords to our sisters to consecrate them to their holy work1 as he accorded it to the deacons who received the imposition of the apostles' hands4 ,the good that can be accomplished by deaconesses working together with ministers in behalf of the manifold interests of the ,church is incalculable4 ,the most faithful pastor can make only short and unsatisfactory visits4 ,many sorrows which he overlooks the deaconess can discern and assuage4 ,she knows best how to reach the heart of a sorrowing woman1 to care for her needs1 to discern her wants1 and to bring solace to the sorrowing and succor to the needy4 ,deaconesses who have been specially trained for service cannot be spared now that the world has learned to know of them4 ,for charity cannot take the place of experience1 nor good-will replace knowledge2 and trained ,christian service is the highest of all service4 ,the old spirit of the ,huguenots has not died out of ,france1 and with that ready susceptibility to noble ideas which is a marked characteristic of the ,french character1 we can expect to see the deaconess cause thrive and prosper as it has done in other lands4 #ej ,speak to ,god about the little ones1 rather than to the little souls of ,god4 #ea ,see a sympathetic study of the work by ,maxime du ,camp1 a member of the ,french ,academy1 in his book ,paris ,bienfaisant4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,england4 ,to learn the first facts about deaconesses in ,england1 we must go back to the early days of the ,puritans4 ,in #aegf1 under ,queen ,elizabeth1 about sixty non-conformist ministers of the eastern counties assembled to make regulations concerning ,church constitution and discipline1 and one of them was as follows3 ,touching deacons of both sorts1 namely1 both men and women1 the ,church should be admonished what is required by the apostle1 that they are not to choose men by custom or course1 or for their riches1 but for their faith1 zeal1 and integrity2 and that the ,church is to pray in the meantime to be so directed that they may choose them that are meet4 ,let the names of those that are thus chosen be published the next ,lord's ,day1 and after that their duties to the ,church1 and the ,church's duty toward them4 ,then let them be received into their office with the general prayers of the whole ,church4#eb ,there are other references in the works of the early ,puritans that indicate that the office of deaconess was as well known and recognized as were the other offices that were named in accordance with the usages of the primitive ,church4 ,in the early part of the seventeenth century it still survived1 as we shall see from a quaint and curious picture that is of especial interest to all ,americans1 because it portrays what took place in that community of pious souls who furnished us the men we delight to honor as the ,pilgrim ,fathers4 ,a number of these heroic souls1 who could give up their country1 but would not yield their faith1 went forth from ,england in #afjh1 and settled in ,amsterdam4 ,they preserved in a foreign land their own ,church usages1 as the following words show3 ,in ,amsterdam there were about three hundred communicants1 and they had for their pastor and teacher those two eminent men before named 7,johnson and ,ainsworth72 and had at one time four grave men for ruling elders1 three able1 godly men for deacons1 and one ancient widow for a deaconess1 who did them service many years1 though she was sixty years of age when she was chosen4 ,she honored her place1 and was an ornament to the congregation4 ,she usually sat in a convenient place in the congregation1 with a little birchen rod in her hand1 and kept little children in awe from disturbing the congregation4 ,she did frequently visit the sick and weak1 especially women1 and as there was need called out ladies and young women to watch and do them other helps as their necessity should require2 and if there were poor she would gather relief for them of those that were able1 or acquaint the deacons4 ,and she was obeyed as a mother in ,israel and an officer of ,christ4#ec ,whether the ancient widow with the little birchen rod had any followers in the early ,puritan communities of the ,plymouth ,colony we cannot say1 as there are no records that throw light on the subject2 but the history of early ,new ,england ,congregationalism gives us one indication that the office was recognized in the ,new ,world4 ,in the ,cambridge ,platform1 a system of ,church discipline agreed upon by the elders and messengers of the ,new ,england churches assembled in synod at ,cambridge1 in #afdh1 the seventh chapter enumerates the duties of elder and deacons1 and then adds1 ,the ,lord hath appointed ancient widdows1 where they may be had1 to minister in the ,church1 in giving attendance to the sick1 and to give succor unto them and others in the like necessities4 ,the same confusion of thought concerning the ,church widow and the deaconess is here seen1 but there is evident the recognition of the services that women were officially to render the ,church4 ,in the early part of the present century ,southey voiced the complaint1 long reiterated1 that ,protestantism had no missionaries4 ,we who live in the closing years of the same century1 surrounded by the multiplied evidences of the extent of missions1 when the ,protestants of the world are expending nearly ten millions of dollars annually1 and employing nearly six thousand men and women as missionaries1 cannot realize the change that has taken place4 ,in #ahcj ,southey again wrote3 ,thirty years hence another reproach may also be effaced1 and ,england may have her ,sisters of ,charity4 ,he had learned to know their value when serving as a volunteer in ,wellington's army1 and a year after the battle of ,waterloo he had visited the ,bguines at ,ghent1 and what he saw deeply impressed him4 ,we should have such women among us1 he said4 ,it is a great loss to ,england that we have no ,sisters of ,charity4 ,there is nothing ,romish1 nothing unevangelical in such communities2 nothing but what is right and holy2 nothing but what belongs to that religion which the apostle ,james has described as 'pure and undefiled before ,god the ,father4'#ed ,southey's prophecy has come true4 ,england to-day in her deaconesses possesses her ,sisters of ,charity4 ,how has this change been brought about8 ,the acquaintance of ,mrs4 ,fry with ,fliedner1 and her visit to ,kaiserswerth1 led her to introduce into ,england the practical training of nurses for the sick4 ,the ,nursing ,sisters' ,institution in ,devonshire ,square1 ,bishop's ,gate1 was founded through her efforts in #ahdj1 and still exists to train nurses for private families1 and to provide pensions for aged nurses4#ee ,in #ahdb1 ,fliedner came to ,london1 accompanied by four sisters1 at the invitation of the ,german ,hospital at ,dalston4 ,these deaconesses won golden opinions from the hospital authorities for their quiet1 efficient manner1 and their trained skill4 ,the hospital continues to be served by them1 but the ,sisters now come from the mother house at ,darmstadt4 ,kaiserswerth and its deaconesses became more widely known through the life and inestimable services of ,florence ,nightingale4 ,when a child1 one of ,fliedner's reports fell into her hands4 ,its perusal marked an era in her life4 ,it made clear to her what she should do4 ,she would go to ,kaiserswerth1 and fit herself for a nurse4 ,her childish resolve never wavered4 ,happy is the man who holds fast to the ideals of his youth4 ,florence ,nightingale held fast to hers4 ,she went to ,kaiserswerth at two different times1 and through her deeds and her writings the care of the sick in ,england has been completely transformed4 ,she has won a nation's gratitude1 and now is living in honored old age in one of the ,london institutions founded mainly by the money that she contributed1 and which she obtained by selling some valuable gifts given her by a foreign government in acknowledgment of her care of its wounded soldiers during the ,crimean war4 ,another woman distinguished in ,england's philanthropies is ,agnes ,jones1 who left a home of wealth and refinement to receive her training also at ,kaiserswerth4 ,returning to ,england she gave her time and talents in single-hearted devotion to the care of the poor in the ,liverpool work-house1 and met death in the midst of her labors4 ,the training which led two such women to accomplish such noble deeds naturally was recognized as valuable1 and ,kaiserswerth soon became an honored name in ,england4 ,in #ahea ,miss ,nightingale sent out anonymously her little book entitled ,an ,account of the ,institution of ,deaconesses1 which added to the knowledge already in circulation about the movement in ,germany4 ,meanwhile articles were appearing in the reviews4 ,in #ahdh one was written in the ,edinburgh ,review by ,john ,malcolm ,ludlow1 who later1 in #ahff1 gave the results of the thoughts and studies of a number of years in ,woman's ,work in the ,church1 the best historical study of the subject up to the date at which it was written4 ,since then the ,germans have pushed their historical investigations further1 and the work needs to be revised and to be brought down to the present time4 ,in ,good ,words for #ahfa there were two articles by ,dr4 ,stevenson1 of the ,irish ,presbyterian ,church1 entitled ,the ,blue ,flag of ,kaiserswerth1 afterward incorporated in his work1 ,praying and ,working1 a book too little known among us4 ,the great upholder of the deaconess cause in the ,church of ,england was the late ,dean of ,chester1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,s4 ,howson4 ,his essay1 first published in the ,quarterly ,review1 was amplified and issued in book form in #ahfj under the title ,deaconesses4 ,it won many friends4 ,the cause remained a favorite one with him1 and he constantly advocated it by speech and by deed4 ,since his death his latest thoughts1 which remained substantially the same as those that he first advanced1 have been published in a work entitled ,the ,diaconate of ,women4 ,within the ,church of ,england1 however1 the deaconess cause has not met the same prosperous development that it has obtained in connection with certain independent institutions1 notably that of ,mildmay4 ,among the institutions on the ,continent1 as well as in the pages of this work up to the present1 the terms sister and deaconess are used synonymously1 to indicate one and the same person4 ,but when we come to consider the deaconess institutions within the ,church of ,england we cannot continue to use these two names in the same way4 ,a deaconess is a member of a deaconess institution1 actively engaged in charitable deeds1 but1 like the deaconess on the ,continent1 she can sever her connection with it when adequate cause presents itself1 and return to her family and friends4 ,a sister belongs to a sisterhood which closely resembles the ,roman ,catholic sisterhoods in many features4 ,these sisterhoods began in #ahdg with a number of ladies brought together through the influence of ,dr4 ,pusey1 who formed themselves into a community to live under its rule4 ,their influence and number increased1 and twenty-three sisterhoods are mentioned in the last official report4#ef ,doubtless it was the activity and great usefulness of the continental deaconess houses that provided the stimulating examples which acted on the ,church of ,england and led to the rise of sisterhoods and deaconess institutions4 ,but the two opposing tendencies within the ,episcopal ,church--namely1 that which desires to approach the ,church of ,rome1 with which it feels itself in sympathy on many points1 and that which views with disfavor any conformity to it1 and strives to keep to the landmarks set at the great ,reformation--these two distinct tendencies are closely reflected in the woman's work of the ,anglican ,church4#eg ,the sisterhoods are distinctly under the fostering care of the former element1 the deaconesses are manifestly favored by the latter4 ,sisterhoods1 again1 differ among themselves1 some being strongly conventual in their life and practice1 adopting the three vows of poverty1 chastity1 and obedience1 and a few even advocating penance and confession4 ,the vows are taken for life1 and1 in connection with the view of the sacred obligation to life-long service1 great stress is laid upon the position of the sister as the bride of ,christ--the same thought of the mysterious union with the heavenly ,bridegroom that is so dwelt upon in the nunneries of the ,catholic ,church4 ,with such views ,protestants1 distinctly such1 can have no sympathy4 ,those who look upon the deaconess as a valuable member of the ,church economy do so because they regard her as a ,christian woman1 strengthened and disciplined by special training to do better service for ,christ in the world4 ,this is the recognized difference3 ,the sisterhood exists primarily for the sake of forming a religious community1 but deaconesses live together for the sake of the work itself1 attracted to deaconess work by the want which in most populous towns is calling loudly for assistance2 and with a view of being trained1 therefore1 for spiritual and temporal usefulness among the poor4#eh ,there are now seven deaconess establishments in the ,church of ,england1 each having a larger or smaller number of branches1 with diocesan sanction and under the supervision of clergymen4#ei ,the first of these was founded in #ahfa1 and is now known as the ,london ,diocesan ,deaconess ,institution4 ,at that time ,kaiserswerth was accepted as its model2 deaconesses were sent there to be trained2 ,kaiserswerth rules were adopted as far as possible1 and a modification of the ,kaiserswerth dress for the sisters4 ,the house was then represented at the triennial ,conferences in ,germany1 and in the list of mother houses published at ,kaiserswerth#fj the name still appears4 ,it would seem1 however1 that now the ,kaiserswerth connection is entirely set aside by the ,london house1 for in an historical sketch of the revival of deaconesses in the ,church1 that is found in the organ of the institution1 called ,ancilla ,domini1 for ,march1 #ahhg1 there is no mention made of any of the continental houses4 ,the ,anglican ,church apparently dates the entire work from the setting apart of its first deaconess1 ,elizabeth ,c4 ,ferard1 in #ahfa1 as she was the first to receive consecration through the touch of a bishop's hand4 ,the former connection with ,kaiserswerth and the great work carried on in ,germany from #ahcf to the present time are quite ignored4 ,besides the ,london house already mentioned an ,east ,london deaconess home was opened in #ahhj1 to provide deaconesses and church-workers for ,east ,london4 ,besides the deaconesses and probationers thirty-two associates are connected with this home4 ,the associates are ladies who do not intend to become deaconesses1 but give as much time as they can to the work4 ,they live with the deaconesses1 conform to the rules1 and wear the garb1 but pay their own expenses4 ,these associates are a highly important part of the working force4 ,they form a valuable tie connecting the sisters with sources of influence and aid that would otherwise be closed to them4 ,nearly always they are ladies of independent means1 and come for longer or shorter periods to relieve the deaconesses1 their zeal often being as great as that of the sisters whose places they take4 ,besides these houses there are homes located at ,maidstone1 ,chester1 ,bedford1 ,salisbury1 and ,portsmouth1 in the respective dioceses of ,canterbury1 ,chester1 ,ely1 ,salisbury1 and ,winchester4 ,in the home at ,portsmouth sisters not only engage in nursing and parish work1 but are also given special training for penitentiary and out-of-door rescue work4 ,they also have a home for the rescue of neglected children4 ,the ,salisbury ,home is beautifully situated in the quiet cathedral city of the same name4 ,the house is a picturesque and venerable mansion1 covered with clinging green vines1 opening out into a garden which in olden times belonged to the convent4 ,there is in connection with the home an institution for training girls for domestic service1 supported by the funds of a charity given for that purpose4 ,the whole service of the house is done by the girls4 ,they attend upon the deaconesses and the ladies who board there to receive training in the hospital4 ,each deaconess pays for board and lodging while training1 and1 if able to do so1 when she returns for rest1 or a visit to her old home4 ,in other houses the deaconess is expected to keep her own room in order1 and may have some duties in the house1 but servants do the rough work4 ,the social status of the ,english deaconesses is1 as a rule1 markedly different from the ,german deaconesses4 ,here ladies of rank and inherited social traditions1 of refinement1 of accomplishments1 and of education1 many of them women of means1 defraying their entire expenses and often those of their poorer sisters1 are largely represented among the deaconesses4 ,on the other hand1 the ,german deaconesses1 as we have seen1 are largely of that station in life that furnishes many for domestic service4 ,although of course there are among them women of all ranks and all degrees of education1 still such women form the larger number2 and the conditions under which ,fliedner began the work1 as well as the difference of custom and habit in the two countries1 incline the ,german houses to maintain the rules of service by which nearly every detail of domestic service in their institutions is cared for by the deaconesses4 ,there is more of ceremony and formality in the ,english deaconess institutions which are under the direction of the ,church of ,england4 ,at ,salisbury1 for instance1 the candidate must reside in the home for three months1 that her ability and efficiency may be tested4 ,if accepted1 she then puts on a gray serge habit1 a leathern girdle1 white cap1 black bonnet1 the veil and cloak of a probationer1 and is admitted to the degree of a probationer at a special service4 ,the year of probation having come to an end1 she is again presented to the bishop1 and is set apart as a deaconess by the laying on of hands4 ,this time the habit is changed from gray to blue1 and a black ebony cross1 with one of gold inlaid1 is hung upon her neck4#fa ,this is very different from the way in which ,fliedner regarded the dress and adornment of the deaconesses for whom he was responsible4 ,the king of ,prussia desired to present them with a small silver cross as their badge of service1 but the simple-hearted ,german pastor dissuaded him1 saying that the deaconesses needed no ornament save a meek and quiet spirit1 and they must avoid symbols which would suggest ,romish imitations4 ,the ,strasburg deaconesses also at first wore a small cross1 but ,pastor ,hrter discontinued it when he found that the wearing of it gave occasion for complaint4 ,yet however we may differ in the lesser details1 of garb1 of rules1 and of ceremonies1 from those accepted by some of the ,church of ,england deaconess institutions1 we can give unstinted admiration to the lives of self-denial1 and active1 unceasing efforts in behalf of others1 that we see among their numbers4 ,take1 for instance1 the little publication ,the ,deaconess1 issued by the ,east ,london ,home1 and notice the undertakings carried on by the members--district-visiting1 nursing of the sick1 mothers' meetings1 ,sunday-school teaching1 ,bible classes1 and all the multitudinous ways of meeting the squalor1 poverty1 ignorance1 sickness1 and sin of the poor of the east of ,london4 ,there is no poetic enthusiasm that strengthens one for such work1 the dirt1 the degradation1 the forlorn condition are so trying4 ,the little children so precociously wicked1 so preternaturally cunning1 that the natural charm and attraction of childhood have wholly disappeared2 the sights and sounds that assail the senses2 the dulled1 hopeless faces1 the apathy1 the stunted intellectual growth--these are the depressing influences that continually beset the deaconesses1 and nothing short of ,god-given strength and ,christ-like enthusiasm can enable these women to devote six1 eight1 and ten years of service to this worst city district1 and to come forth with sunshiny1 peaceful faces1 and sympathetic1 loving hearts4 ,taking the total number of deaconess institutions under the ,church of ,england1 there are eighty one deaconesses1 thirty-four probationers1 and two hundred and twenty-nine associates4#fb ,so far1 sisterhoods have proved more attractive to the women of the ,church of ,england than have deaconess establishments4 ,the latter do not seem to increase largely in numbers4 ,vexing questions have arisen as to how the deaconess should be set apart to her work4 ,should she be consecrated by the imposition of the bishop's hands8 ,what relation should she have to the ,church8 ,these questions have been partially settled by the principles and rules that were drawn up in #ahga and were signed by the two archbishops and eighteen bishops4 ,they define a deaconess as a woman set apart by a bishop1 under that title1 for service in the ,church2#fc placing her under the authority of the bishop of the diocese4 ,these recommendations have not been formally adopted by the ,church of ,england2 they hold good only so far as they are accepted4 ,but there are other institutions1 lying outside of the boundaries of the ,state ,church1 which have developed more fully and prosperously than those within it4 ,of these we must speak first of the institution of ,dr4 ,laseron1 which is more closely connected with ,kaiserswerth than any other in ,england4 ,in #ahee ,dr4 ,laseron and his wife lost their only child2 and as ,mrs4 ,laseron walked through the streets with burdened heart she looked at the little children with quickened sympathy1 and noticed how many were poor and hungry and scantily clothed4 ,she talked with her husband1 and they opened a ragged school for children4 ,this increased and branched off1 until now there is an orphanage1 workhouses for boys1 and a servants' training school for girls4 ,requests were frequently made for some of the older girls to act as nurses among the poor2 and1 finally1 ,dr4 ,laseron1 who was a ,german by birth1 determined to found a deaconess house and hospital4 ,a small hospital of twelve beds was opened1 and proved insufficient to meet the demands2 and none could be accepted as deaconesses1 as there was no opportunity to train them in so small a place4 ,while waiting to see how the house could be enlarged1 he mentioned his perplexity to ,mr4 ,samuel ,morley4 ,this gentleman heard him with interest1 and said that he was one of the directors of a large hospital2 that at a recent meeting of the directors a ,catholic bishop had offered to send ,sisters of ,charity who1 without compensation1 should nurse the sick1 and he had thought what a fine thing it would be if the ,protestant ,church had also its women of piety who could devote themselves to a similar work4 ,the result of the conversation was that ,mr4 ,morley contributed forty thousand dollars1 with which ,dr4 ,laseron purchased a site in ,tottenham1 built a hospital with fifty beds1 and a deaconess was called from ,kaiserswerth to superintend it4 ,the hospital has been again enlarged1 so that it now accommodates one hundred patients4 ,sixty-four deaconesses are connected with it1 who are at service in the hospitals of ,cork1 ,dublin1 ,scarborough1 and ,sunderland4 ,this institution is unsectarian1 and has met with special aid from non-conformists4 ,it still keeps in close relation to ,kaiserswerth1 and is represented at the ,conferences4 ,it has constantly thriven1 and the mother-house at ,tottenham is a center for various benevolent enterprises4 ,in connection with ,dr4 ,barnardo's ,orphanage there is also a deaconess house4 ,harley ,house1 the missionary training-school under the direction of ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,grattan ,guinness in ,east ,london1 has a deaconess home as one of its branches4 ,the ,kilburn 7,st4 ,augustine's7 ,orphanage of ,mercy1 and the ,london ,bible-women's ,mission are also centers for the training and organizing of women's work in ,london4 ,we must pause more at length over the prison mission under the care of ,mrs4 ,meredith4 ,american women are beginning to occupy themselves with questions of philanthropy and religious activity to an extent not before equaled4 ,the women's prisons in ,england are especially fruitful of suggestions to us1 as many here are interested in having our women prisoners separated in prisons by themselves1 as has already been attempted in a few ,states4 ,mrs4 ,meredith's work is in behalf of the prisoners after they have served their sentence and are discharged4 ,she is the daughter of ,general ,lloyd1 who was formerly governor-general of prisons in ,ireland4 ,as a little child she was accustomed to go about with her father1 and the interior of prisons became familiar to her4 ,later in life1 when her family ties were broken1 and her hands left free for service1 her interest was engaged in behalf of the women convicts who were discharged from prison4 ,she enlisted the support of other ladies of like views1 able to assist her1 and in #ahff the ,prison ,gate ,mission began1 which has continued to the present day4 ,every morning1 as the gate of ,millbank prison swings back to allow those who have been released from penal bondage to come forth1 a sister stands waiting to invite those who will go with her to a room near by1 where breakfast awaits them2 there are ladies to inquire about their plans and to offer them work4 ,a great laundry was opened in #ahfg to provide employment for these women4 ,here washing is done for two classes3 for the poor and sick1 to whom the service is given as a charity1 and to those who pay for the work and whose money enables the mission to be partly self-supporting4 ,then the ladies extended their plans to take in the children of the prisoners4 ,a law was passed by ,parliament which enabled ,mrs4 ,meredith and her associates to have the care of those children at the ,princess ,mary ,village ,home until they are sixteen years of age4 ,this home was founded at ,addlestone in #ahgj1 and was named after the ,princess ,mary1 ,duchess of ,teck1 who aided in obtaining funds to build it4 ,the institution takes not only the female children of criminal mothers1 but also little girls who are likely to drift into a career of crime4 ,it is conducted on the cottage plan1 each little house having ten inmates and a house mother to superintend it1 and being complete in its own arrangements4 ,there are eighteen cottages1 a large1 generous school-room1 a small infirmary for the sick1 and a little church4 ,about two hundred children of criminals and the unfortunate class are here cared for4 ,instead of allowing them to drift away and to perpetuate vice1 crime1 and immorality1 they are taken entirely from their old surroundings1 and new influences of knowledge and purity are thrown about them4 ,there is no part of ,mrs4 ,meredith's mission which has such hope for the future and is so valuable in results as this preventive work among the children4 ,there are also a woman's medical mission 7#ahhb71 a ,christian woman's union1 a girls' school1 and a deaconess house in ,jerusalem under the control of the same association4 ,how it arose is well intimated by the following extract from a letter from ,mrs4 ,meredith to the author1 dated ,march #i1 #ahhi3 ,you will know that my course has been progressive with regard to the mode of congregating the women who joined me in working4 ,at first we merely came together daily from our own homes1 as those who make a business concern do4 ,then to spare time and money we began to live together4 ,the next step was to admit useful and devoted women who had no property1 and to form an association with degrees of membership4 ,when we found ourselves becoming a corporation of importance1 and having combined to acquire property and to found institutions1 we invited the help and counsel of some men of known eminence4 ,our institutions are all branches of a parent stock1 and are now placed in the charge of these good men1 and we have taken the name of the ,church of ,england ,woman's ,missionary ,association4 ,i am daily persuaded of the value of such organizations4 ,in connection with the ,london ,west ,central ,mission there is an association of ladies called the ,sisters of the ,people4 ,they are expected to be worthy of the beautiful name they bear4 ,they are true sisters of the unprivileged and the disheartened2 as ready to make a bed1 cook a dinner1 or nurse a baby as to minister to the higher need of the immortal spirit4 ,the sisters live together in the neighborhood of their work1 and wear a distinctive dress as a protection and for other reasons2 but they take no vows1 and are at liberty to withdraw from the mission at any time4 ,their work is directed by ,mrs4 ,hughes4 ,katherine ,house1 the residence of the ,sisters of the ,people1 was opened early in ,november1 #ahhg1 and from that day the work of the sisters dates its commencement4 ,their daily labors are very similar to those of the deaconesses of ,mildmay1 who work among the ,london parishes4 ,each sister has a district allotted to her1 which she visits regularly and systematically4 ,the first object which she sets before herself is to get to know the people1 and to make them feel that she is their true sister and friend1 irrespective of the fact that they are themselves good or bad1 respectable or degraded4 ,when once true friendliness is established1 the way is opened for direct religious influence2 and many1 who in the first instance would never pay any attention to religion1 will listen to an appeal from one whom they love and respect4#fd ,katherine ,house accommodates twelve sisters4 ,a second house is urgently needed1 and a strong plea is made for it in the ,report4 ,there are besides out sisters1 who work with the sisters but reside at their own homes4 ,this is a valuable feature of this mission1 as it interests ladies who are living in their own homes1 and yet who can be very useful to those who devote their whole work to the sisters' labor4 ,in the ,report a great many instances are given which show what an intimate knowledge of the poor people is obtained by these sisters1 and in what practical ways they minister to the bodily and spiritual needs of those whom they find in their house-to-house visitations4 ,the term sister1 as it is used in the report of the ,london ,west ,central ,mission1 is in all respects a synonym for deaconess1 as the name is understood in the large deaconess establishment at ,mildmay4 ,to the study of this we shall devote the following chapter4 #eb ,daniel ,neal's ,history of the ,puritans1 ,london1 #agjc1 vol4 i1 pp4 #cdd-cdf4 #ec ,chronicles of the ,pilgrim ,fathers of the ,colony of ,plymouth1 from #afjb to #afbe4 ,by ,alex4 ,young4 ,second edition4 ,boston3 ,c4 ,e4 ,little ,j4 ,brown1 #ahdd1 pp4 #dee1 #def4 #ed ,schfer1 ,die ,weibliche ,diakonie1 vol4 i1 p4 #bjg4 #ee ,the ,royal ,guide to ,london ,churches for #ahff1 #ahfg4 ,by ,herbert ,fry1 p4 #afb4 #ef ,official ,year-book of the ,church of ,england1 #ahhi4 #eg ,andover ,review1 ,june1 #ahhh1 art41 ,european ,deaconesses1 p4 #egh4 #eh ,deaconesses in the ,church of ,england4 ,griffith ,farran3 ,london1 #ahhj1 p4 #bb4 #ei ,official ,year-book of the ,church of ,england1 #ahhi4 #fj ,armen und ,kranken ,freund1 ,october1 #ahhh4 #fa ,deaconess ,work in ,england1 ,the ,churchman1 ,may #ai1 #ahhh4 #fb ,i am indebted to the kindness of the ,rt4 ,rev4 the ,bishop of ,wakefield for these numbers1 upon whom the mantle of ,dean ,howson seems to have fallen in caring for the deaconess cause4 #fc ,london ,diocesan ,deaconess ,district ,services4 #fd ,first ,annual ,report of the ,london ,west ,central ,mission1 pp4 #ad-db4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,mildmay ,,institutions4 ,valuable suggestions will be obtained from the study of every successful deaconess institution1 and none will perhaps furnish more practical models for ,american ,methodism than does the establishment at ,mildmay ,park in ,north ,london4 ,its methods of work are flexible1 and allow place for a diversity of talent among the workers1 while a wide variety of charitable and evangelistic effort is undertaken4 ,these two causes give a breadth and vigor to the work at ,mildmay that impress every one who has knowledge of it4 ,whenever we find a good cause carried on successfully and prosperously1 we know that behind it there must be a strong man or woman who has thought and wrought to good purpose4 ,so the first question that arises in the mind of the visitor who for the first time forms one of the audience in the great ,conference ,hall1 or looks about in the adjoining building to see the deaconess home1 is1 ,who first thought this out8 ,who was the founder of this wonderful mission8 ,and the answer tells us that ,mildmay originated1 as did ,kaiserswerth1 in the prayerful determination of a ,christian minister and his wife to reach out to every good end that ,god's spirit of enlightenment could suggest to them4 ,rev4 ,william ,pennefather was rector of ,christ's ,church at ,barnet1 and while devoted to his ministerial duties his sympathies did not end with his own people1 nor his own denomination4 ,his home was sometimes called the ,missing ,link1 for it was a meeting-place for noblemen and farmers1 bishops and clergymen of all churches2 a place where nationalities and denominations were easily merged in the broad sunshine of ,christian love4#fe ,he carried his principle of ,christian fellowship further1 for1 after mature deliberation1 in #ahef1 he issued a call for a conference to be held at ,barnet whose object was to bring into closer social communion the members of various ,churches1 as children of the one ,father1 animated by the same life1 and heirs together of the same glory4#ff ,these conferences have been continued from then to the present time1 and are known and prized in many lands4 ,i was present at the conference of #ahhh1 and representatives were there from nearly every ,protestant country1 while on the platform were leaders of nearly every ,protestant denomination1 furnishing a wonderful illustration of the union of the ,christian ,church in ,christ2 a spiritual union so real and eternal that the minor differences of faith were swallowed up in the great fact that in ,christ ,jesus all are one4 ,gradually a variety of missionary and evangelistic agencies grew up about the conferences4 ,in #ahfj the little ,home was opened at ,barnet which subsequently developed into the deaconess house at ,mildmay ,park4 ,the question of calling into more active exercise the energies of educated ,christian women1 as we have seen in the preceding chapter1 was one that was attracting attention at the time in ,england4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pennefather had long desired to do something in this direction1 and their desire took this practical form4 ,in its beginning it had to battle with all the definite and indefinite objections that could be advanced against any attempt at organizing woman's work4 ,but those days of latent suspicion or more open antagonism are long past4 ,the institution has justified its right to be by doing a work that otherwise would have remained undone4 ,in #ahfd ,mr4 ,pennefather was called to ,st4 ,jude's1 ,mildmay ,park1 and the philanthropic and religious undertakings which he had begun were transferred to his new home4 ,he took with him the iron room that had been erected for the conferences at ,barnet1 and continued to use it for the same purposes at ,mildmay2 while the missionary training-school and home were accommodated in a house which he hired for the purpose4 ,his new parish was in a part of ,london where poverty and want abounded4 ,there was no adequate provision for the education of the poor and neglected children1 so he erected a building where elementary instruction could be given at a very low price4 ,a soup-kitchen was started at the iron room3 clubs of various kinds were formed1 and other agencies were set at work1 both for the temporal and spiritual welfare of the people4 ,the degraded and miserable neighborhood gradually underwent a transformation1 and the police testified that there was a manifest restraint on the lawless locality4 ,to many of the waifs of life no human hand was stretched in kindness until he came to the district and taught them what ,christianity was4#fg ,a small legacy coming to him1 he bought a house with a large garden attached1 and made it a mission center for the needs of the infirm and aged2 while the ignorant and careless1 who would not enter a church1 were often induced to attend meetings here4 ,the training-school had been started at ,barnet for the purpose of training foreign missionaries2 but ,mr4 ,pennefather now saw that there was as great a demand for home mission workers in the sorrowful and benighted portions of the vast metropolis1 so1 after much deliberation and consultation between himself and his wife1 he decided to initiate the ministry of ,christian women as deaconesses4 ,he hesitated about the name to be given to the women whom he employed as ,christian workers1 but no other was suggested conveying the same idea of service to ,christ among his suffering and needy ones1 and1 as the appellation had already won respect through the good reports of the deaconess houses on the ,continent1 he decided to adopt the same name4 ,they continued to work in his parish only until the terrible visitation of the cholera in #ahff4 ,then when men were swept into eternity by hundreds1 and hundreds more were in dire distress1 the deaconesses were invited by the minister of another parish to come to his assistance4 ,in this way the bounds of the work began to enlarge4 ,a small hospital was added to the home and a medical-school mission was begun4 ,it now became necessary to build a large hall2 the iron room was too small for the conferences1 the church too small for the congregation1 and the missions had outgrown the capacity of the mission room4 ,when the plan for a new building was made known money came in unsolicited from various sources4 ,the undertaking was pushed rapidly forward1 and in ,october1 #ahgj1 the hall was opened4 ,it will seat #b1ejj people1 having a platform at the west end1 and a gallery running around the sides and east end4 ,thanksgiving and prayer were built into the walls from the very foundation2 and before the basement rooms were cleared of rubbish1 or the floor laid1 a prayer-meeting was held to ask for a blessing upon the future undertakings of the mission4 ,the basement was divided into five rooms1 to be used for night-schools and other agencies for the benefit of the poor4 ,adjoining the hall1 at the west end1 was built the deaconess house4 ,from his home near by ,mr4 ,pennefather had watched the completion of the work with great interest4 ,in one of his letters he says3#fh ,sometimes ,i can scarcely believe that it is a reality1 and not all a dream--the ,conference ,hall1 with its appendages1 and the deaconess house actually in existence4 ,may the ,holy ,spirit fill the place1 and may he make it a center from whence the living waters shall flow forth4 ,from a letter written to one of these deaconesses1 we gain his opinion as to the need of deaconesses1 and what was his ideal of a ,home4#fi ,the need for such an institution is great indeed4 ,i do not suppose there was ever a time in the history of ,christianity in which the openings for holy1 disciplined1 intelligent women to labor in ,god's vineyard were so numerous as at present4 ,the population in towns and rural districts are waiting for the patient and enduring love that dwells in the breast of a truly pious woman1 to wake them up to thought and feeling4 ,o6 if ,i had the women and had the means1 how gladly would ,i send out hundreds1 two by two1 to carry the river of truth into the hamlets of our country1 and the streets and lanes of our great cities4 ,will you pray for the ,home8 ,ask for women and for means4 ,i want our ,home to be such a place of holy1 peaceful memories that1 when you leave it1 it may be among the brightest things that come to your mind in a distant land1 or in a different position2 and each inmate can help to make it what it should be4 ,but ,mr4 ,pennefather did not live to see the great extension in usefulness and importance that the ,deaconess ,home was to obtain in later years4 ,he passed away from life ,april #bh1 #ahgc1 leaving to his wife1 who had ever been his sympathetic and devoted helper1 the care of continuing the work he had begun4 ,she is still the head of the ,mildmay ,institutions1 assisted by a resident superintendent1 and aided by the counsels of wise1 experienced men1 who form the board of trustees4 ,from the beginning of the erection of the new building every portion of it was put to use4 ,in one of the basement rooms is the invalid kitchen1 where1 daily1 puddings1 jellies1 and little delicacies are prepared and sent out to sufferers in the neighborhood1 who could not otherwise obtain suitable nourishment4 ,from eleven to two o'clock tickets are brought in1 which have been distributed by the sisters or by the district visitors2 and those who come to take the dinners1 while waiting their turn1 have a kind word1 or sympathetic inquiry about the sick one1 from the deaconess in charge4 ,a flower mission occupies another room4 ,kind friends send here treasures from the garden and green-house1 field and wood1 and children contribute bouquets of wild flowers4 ,a deaconess superintends the willing hands that tie the bunches1 each of which is adorned with a brightly colored ,scripture text4 ,ten hospitals and infirmaries were regularly visited during #ahhh2 and more than thirty-eight thousand bunches of flowers were distributed1 each accompanied by an appropriate text4 ,near at hand is the ,dorcas room1 where deaconesses are kept busy in cutting out clothing and superintending the sewing classes4 ,during the winter of #ahhg thirty widows attended this class three times a week1 glad to earn a sixpence by needlework done in a warm1 lighted room1 while a deaconess entertained them by reading aloud4 ,a large amount of sewing is given out from the same room1 and the garments that are made are often sold to the poor at a low price4 ,a most impressive scene is witnessed during the winter months1 when1 on three evenings of the week1 all the basement rooms are crowded with the men's night-school1 which has1 it is believed1 no rival in ,england4 ,the ordinary number of names on the books exceeds twelve hundred4 ,there are forty-nine classes1 all taught by ladies1 the majority of them being deaconesses4 ,the subjects range from the elementary to the higher branches of general and practical knowledge1 including arithmetic1 geography1 geometry1 freehand drawing1 and short-hand4 ,the ,bible is read in the classes on ,monday and ,friday1 and a scriptural address is given by some gentleman on ,wednesday4 ,the school always closes with prayer and singing4 ,the men may purchase coffee and bread and butter before leaving1 and of this they largely avail themselves4 ,a lending library is also attached to the school4 ,the highest attendance during last session was five hundred and eighty-one1 the lowest two hundred and eighty-seven4 ,the influence of this school is very great1 and many pass on from it to the men's ,bible-class1 which is held on ,sunday afternoons in the largest basement room4#gj ,a servants' registry is attached to the deaconess house1 and through its means about four hundred servants are annually provided with places4 ,nearly fifty deaconesses make their home at this central house1 many of them having work in the different parts of the city1 perhaps at remote distances1 but returning at night to the home-like surroundings and purer air of the central house4 ,the large sitting-room1 the common living-room of the deaconesses1 is a charming place4 ,it is of great size1 but made cheerful and attractive by pictures1 flowers1 and bright and tasteful decorations that are restful to the eyes4 ,both ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pennefather made it a principle of action to have the home life cheerful1 pleasant1 and attractive1 so that when the sisters come in toward evening1 tired physically1 and mentally depressed and exhausted by the long strain of hearing tales of misery1 and seeing sights of wretchedness and squalor the day through1 they could be cheered not only by the words of sympathy and love of their associates1 but by the silent1 restful influences of their surroundings4 ,as ,i looked around the great room with deep-set windows1 brightened by flowers1 and still more by the happy faces of the deaconesses1 some of whom were young girls with the charms of happy girlhood set off by the plain1 black dress and wide white collar of the deaconess garb1 ,i could but think the founders wise in arranging such pleasant1 home-like surroundings for their workers4 ,from the windows you look down into a beautiful garden1 a rare luxury for a ,london dwelling4 ,this garden was among the later accessions of ,mr4 ,pennefather1 being purchased by him shortly before his death4 ,a train of circumstances led to its possession which he regarded as markedly providential2 and the delightful uses to which that blessed garden1 as it has been called1 has since been put1 seem to justify the importance he attached to securing it4 ,during the conference times great tents are reared here for the refreshments which the weary body needs4 ,a fine old mulberry tree extends its branches1 and under its ample shade meetings of one kind or another are held at all hours of the day4 ,the lawn1 with its quiet1 shady walks1 furnished with comfortable garden seats1 provides a meeting place for friends1 where1 in the intervals between the services1 those who perhaps never see each other during any of the other fifty-one weeks of the year may walk or sit together4 ,here in more ordinary times may be seen the children of the ,orphanage 7where thirty-six girls form a happy1 busy family7 playing together1 or the deaconesses in their becoming little white caps1 who have run out for a breath of air4 ,here1 too1 during the summer1 a succession of tea-parties is held for the different classes which have been reached by the deaconesses in the more densely populated parts of ,london1 to whom the garden is a very paradise4#ga ,before leaving the ,central ,deaconess ,home ,i must speak of one branch of work--the artistic illustration of ,scripture texts--because it so illustrates the happy freedom and wisdom of the ,mildmay methods1 which seek to develop the strength of each sister in the line of her special aptitudes4 ,two of the deaconesses have marked ability as artists1 and they devote their time to illuminating texts and adorning ,christmas and ,easter cards with rare and exquisite designs4 ,from the sale of these illuminations over five thousand dollars were realized last year for the benefit of the institution4 ,the ,conference ,hall1 too1 should have a further word of recommendation for the truly catholic spirit in which it serves the interests of a myriad of good causes4 ,besides the crowded meetings of the conference there are held ,sunday services throughout the year4 ,the hospitality of its rooms is readily granted to every good cause with which the mission has sympathy4 ,during #ahhg temperance society meetings1 railway men and their wives1 ,moravian missions1 ,pastor ,bost's mission at ,la ,force1 the ,mac,all ,paris missions1 the ,sunday closing movement1 young men's and young women's ,christian associations1 a ,christian police association1 the ,children's ,special ,service mission1 the ,christmas ,letter mission1 ,bible readings for ,german residents1 and various other foreign and home missions have all in turn been advocated here4#gb ,the larger number of the deaconesses at the central house1 as well as the twenty-five at the branch house in ,south ,london1 are employed in twenty-one ,london parishes1 where their work has been sought by the clergymen2 they go to all1 undertaking every kind of labor that can give them access to the hearts and homes of the people4 ,while co-operating with the clergyman in charge of a parish their work is superintended from the ,deaconess ,home4 ,they visit from house to house among the sick and poor1 hold mothers' meetings1 teach night-schools1 hold ,bible-classes separately for men1 women1 and children2 hold special classes for working women and girls who are kept busily employed during the day1 and during the winter months have a weekly average of more than nine thousand attendants on their services4 ,they are solving the problem of how to save the masses by resolving the masses into individuals1 and then influencing these individuals by the power of personal effort and love4 ,but a few steps from ,conference ,hall is the ,nursing ,home1 where about one hundred nurse sisters1 nurses1 and probationers make their home in the intervals between their duties1 and are presided over by a lady superintendent of their own4 ,adjoining is the ,cottage ,hospital1 a beautiful building1 the gift of a lady in memory of her son4 ,the walls have been painted and decorated throughout by some ladies who delight in using their skill to make beautiful the homes of the sick4 ,a large hospital and medical mission also exist in ,bethnal ,green1 a densely populated part of ,london that in some portions can vie with the worst slums of the city4 ,it was so necessary to provide better accommodations for nursing the sufferers than could be found in their poor homes that a warehouse was fitted up with beds and transformed into a small hospital4 ,in #ahhg four hundred and thirteen patients were received at the hospital1 and in the dispensary for outside patients sixteen thousand four hundred and eighteen visits were paid during the year1 nearly two thirds of which number were to patients in their own houses4 ,there is no place in which a hospital could be more sorely needed than in this destitute part of ,london1 and perhaps no place where it could be more appreciated4 ,i had no idea1 said a man of the better class who was brought in1 of there being such a place as this2 you give as much attention to the poorest man you get out of the street as could be given to a prince4#gc ,every ,christmas some kind of an entertainment is arranged for the hospital patients1 and1 through the gift of friends1 articles of warm clothing are distributed to protect against the winter's cold4 ,a variety of mission work is carried on in connection with ,bethnal ,green4 ,there is a ,men's ,institute1 open every evening except ,sunday and ,monday1 in connection with which is a savings' bank that is well patronized4 ,there is a ,lads' ,institute1 where the deaconesses have classes and meet the boys in a friendly way2 a men's lodging-house1 where a comfortable bed and shelter can be had for eight cents a night4 ,the latter is an enterprise which could be imitated with profit in all our large ,american cities1 where it is very difficult for the homeless and poverty-stricken to obtain a decent lodging1 or to find any place1 in fact1 where liquor is not sold4 ,there are also evangelistic services in the mission here1 ,sunday-schools1 ,bible-classes1 temperance meetings1 a soup kitchen1 and a coffee bar1 where1 during ,christmas week1 between four and five hundred men and boys were given light refreshments1 and at the same time some idea of the kindliness and good-will that are associated with this happy season of the year4 ,there are also two convalescent homes1 one at ,barnet and one at ,brighton4 ,the home at ,brighton is especially designed for the poor patients of the ,east ,end mission4 ,the report for the year ending ,december #ca1 #ahhg1 says that five hundred and fifty men1 women1 and children enjoyed its benefits for a fortnight or longer4#gd ,mildmay nurse deaconesses have also charge of the ,doncaster ,general ,infirmary1 the ,nurses' ,institute at ,malta1 and the ,medical ,mission ,hospital at ,jaffa1 where two hundred and nineteen patients were received the last year1 of whom one hundred and seventy-five were ,moslems4 ,there also exists under the supervision of ,mildmay workers a railway mission that was begun in #ahhj for men on duty at two of the ,london stations4 ,an organized mission has sprung up from this small beginning that has now extended over three great lines of railroads which employ thousands of men4 ,the long list of labors given do not exhaust the efforts of ,mildmay workers1 for1 besides special teas for policemen and postmen1 and the mission room and day-school at ,ball's ,pond1 there is also an educational branch that is meeting the demand for higher educational advantages for women1 under distinctly religious influences1 by the ,clapton ,house ,school4 ,the questions involuntarily present themselves1 when reading the undertakings just enumerated1 that involve not only faithfulness and devotion in service1 but disciplined1 practiced faculties1 ,what class of women are these by whom so much has been accomplished8 ,and what is the training that has made them so effective8 ,it is difficult to answer the first question4 ,the deaconesses are of all classes1 many of them being ladies who devote their time1 talent1 and means to forward the cause4 ,there are a good many daughters of clergymen1 who are carrying out the associations of their life at home4 ,just how many are self-supporting and just how many are maintained by the ,institution are facts that are never known2 as ,mrs4 ,pennefather says in a letter of ,february #aa1 #ahhi1 ,there are certain points we deal with as strictly private4 ,while every probationer pays four guineas for her first month1 the after monetary arrangements are never known except to myself and the resident lady superintendent4 ,,note4--,there is a further department at ,mildmay that has never been named1 but is certainly an important and busy one2 it might be called the ,department of ,inquiry1 for certainly the personal visits and letters received1 inquiring into the details of the institution1 must be very large4 ,my obligations to ,mrs4 ,pennefather are great1 who1 both by letter and printed matter1 has placed a great number of facts at my disposal1 of which ,i have availed myself freely in writing this sketch4 ,mrs4 ,pennefather's words1 we are glad when we can help any ,christian work with the experience ,god has permitted us to gather1 echo the words of the great apostle1 ,let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things4 ,i remember1 too1 the gracious patience with which1 during one of the crowded days of the last conference1 ,miss ,coventry1 the superintendent1 spent a long hour with us1 answering fully and minutely the many questions which we put when trying to supplement our want of knowledge by her long experience4 ,indeed1 the spirit of ,mildmay impressed me as generous and helpful2 as has been said1 ,over the whole house rules the spirit of love1 devotion1 and prayer499 99 ,deaconess ,work in ,england1 ,the ,churchman1 ,may #ab1 #ahhh4 ,the second question is more easy of response4 ,there is a probation house1 where ladies that present themselves as candidates are received for a month1 and are given work in teaching orphan children1 or go out to the city missions and the night-schools under the care of a deaconess4 ,if the probation has proved satisfactory the candidate enters the training-school called the ,willows1 a mile or two from the ,central ,house1 a pleasant home which about three years ago came into the possession of the institution and the inmates of the school1 formerly accommodated in five small houses1 are now gathered1 at slightly greater expense1 under one roof in the larger1 pleasanter home4 ,the following extracts1 taken from a little circular called ,a ,missionary ,training-school1 will give us a good idea of the life of the embryo deaconesses1 and the instruction1 practical and theoretical1 that they receive4 ,the house1 which lies a little back from the road1 is entered through a conservatory passage1 and on the other side of the spacious hall1 with its illuminated motto1 ',peace be to this house1' above the fireplace1 are the lady superintendent's sitting-room and the large dining-room1 where1 on the day when ,i visited 'the ,willows1' about thirty of us sat down to dinner4 ,several others were absent in connection with their medical studies4 ,both these rooms open on a terrace1 and beyond stretches a garden which1 even in lifeless winter-time1 looked inviting1 and1 in its spring beauty and summer loveliness1 must be in itself a training for the young natures which are learning in the slums of ,bethnal ,green and ,hoxton their hard acquaintance with sin and sorrow4 ,perhaps in these days of strain and toil too little has been thought of the need of young hearts for some gentle relief from the first shock of meeting with the evil with which older workers have a mournful familiarity4 ,the inmates of the ,training-school are not deaconesses alone4 ,the school was started to prepare workers for the foreign field1 but the crying need of the vast metropolis turned attention to the home field4 ,the ,church of ,england ,zenana ,society sends its candidates to ,mrs4 ,pennefather for training1 and she is glad to accept them1 believing that a variety of companionship is needed by those who1 in zeal for their personal work1 might lose the broad sympathy for all kinds of ,christian labor1 which is an invaluable cultivation for wise and useful laborers4 ,the several classes who pass through the course of training may be designated as follows3 a47 ,those who pass on to the deaconess house4 b47 ,candidates for 7#a7 the ,church of ,england ,zenana ,society2 7#b7 the ,church ,missionary ,society4 c47 ,those who receive medical training for working among the women and children of ,india4 d47 ,those who are as yet unconnected with any society4 e47 ,when vacancies occur some few are received who merely return to home or parish work1 but who are greatly benefitted by training and experience4 ,the general routine of life seems to be as follows3 ,prayers at eight o'clock1 then breakfast1 followed by a certain amount of domestic duty which falls to the lot of each4 ,for it is not forgotten that these years of training are not for the sake of home life1 but as preparation for the self-denials of missionary life4 ,speaking broadly1 the mornings seem to be chiefly devoted to classes2 afternoons to out of door and district work2 and thus theory and practice pleasantly relieve and support each other4 ,there are regular ,bible-classes held by different clergymen1 and once a fortnight there are lectures on the history of missionary work4 ,there are classes in ,hindustani1 drawing1 and singing1 and for those whose education is defective1 elementary classes in arithmetic1 geometry1 and short-hand4 ,the probationers are also given training in the duties of the store-room1 and the order and method that they are taught in caring for the minutest details must certainly form valuable habits in all those who have any desire to profit by the instruction they receive4 ,for those who are destined for medical work among the women of ,india there is a special course of medical training1 both theoretical and practical4 ,the age requirement is not so strictly maintained at ,mildmay as at many other deaconess houses1 but1 as a rule1 ladies from about twenty to thirty years of age are preferred as students in the training-school4 ,the sum of three hundred dollars is charged for the year's expenses at the training-school1 medical students paying one hundred dollars additional4 ,our study of the ,mildmay ,institutions has been somewhat extensive4 ,as was said at the beginning of the chapter1 the great freedom and simplicity of the ,mildmay methods1 as well as the happy faculty that its directors possess of utilizing all varieties of individual talent1 make this deaconess establishment one that is full of valuable suggestions to the similar institutions that are now arising in ,american ,methodism4 ,no working force is wasted2 if a deaconess possess a special talent1 she is given a field in which to exercise it2 and if exceptional conditions arise workers are found ready to meet them4 ,this training provides well-equipped missionaries for the foreign field1 and equally well-prepared missionaries for the great field of the present hour--the home mission work in the crowded wards of great cities4 ,the annual expenses of the ,mildmay ,institutions vary from one hundred and ten thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars4 ,sixty thousand dollars are received in voluntary contributions1 and the remaining sum is generally obtained from friends who are immediately concerned in the work4 ,it is certainly a marvelous tribute to ,christian faith1 although it is never heralded as such1 that an establishment of the extent and magnitude of ,mildmay has been maintained for years with no permanent endowment to fall back upon1 and that annually the renewed self-denial of constant friends has to supply the large amount of money needed to meet the entire expenses4 ,besides those outward and visible services which it renders for the love of ,christ1 and in his name ,mildmay furnishes a constant testimony to the fidelity of the ,christian faith in the hearts of many believers4 #fe ,life and ,letters of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,pennefather1 p4 #bgi4 #ff ,ibid41 p4 #cje4 #fg ,life and ,letters of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,pennefather1 p4 #dce4 #fh ,life and ,letters of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,pennefather1 p4 #dga4 #fi ,life and ,letters of the ,rev4 ,w4 ,pennefather1 p4 #dga4 #gj ,mildmay ,deaconesses and their ,work1 p4 #g4 #ga ,mildmay ,deaconesses and their ,work1 p4 #f4 #gb ,a ,retrospect of ,mildmay ,work ,during the ,year #ahhg4 #gc ,mildmay ,deaconesses and their ,work1 p4 #ac4 #gd ,a ,light in a ,dark ,place1 p4 #ba4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,scotland4 ,when ,fliedner went on his second tour to ,england he extended his journey to ,scotland1 and ventured to ,edinburgh at a time when the cholera was sweeping with fearful ravages through the city in order to become acquainted with ,dr4 ,chalmers4 ,the great ,scotch divine and his good deeds1 that were connected with all kinds of charitable endeavor1 moved the ,german pastor to admiration and stirred him to holy emulation4 ,on the other hand1 that ,chalmers was profoundly touched by the work that ,fliedner had accomplished in ,germany there can be no doubt2 we have his own words to testify to the importance he attached to the diaconate of women4 ,in his lectures on ,romans1 he says3 ,here1 too1 we are presented with a most useful indication1 the employment of female agency1 under the eye and with the sanction of an apostle1 in the business of the ,church4 ,it is well to have inspired authority for a practice too little known1 and too little preached on in modern times4 ,phebe belonged to the order of deaconesses1 in which capacity she had been the helper of many1 including ,paul himself4 ,in what respect she served them is not particularly specified4 ,like the women in the gospels who waited on our ,saviour1 she may have ministered to them of her substance1 though there can be little doubt that1 as the holder of an official station in the ,church1 she ministered to them by her services also4 ,it is but recently1 however1 that deaconesses have become incorporated into the religious life of ,scotland1 and1 so far1 they do not exist in connection with the ,free ,church1 of which ,chalmers was the able and heroic leader1 but only in connection with the national ,church--the old historic ,church of ,scotland4 ,within this ,church the question has assumed the form1 not alone of the revival of the apostolic order of deaconesses1 but also of the organization of all the manifold activities of women within the ,church into one whole1 which is put under the authority and direction of the officers of the ,church4 ,isolated attempts in this direction had previously been made1 but in #ahhe the first definite steps were taken when the ,committee on ,christian ,life and ,work1 of which ,dr4 ,charteris was the ,convener1 presented to the ,general ,assembly a report on ,the need of an organization of women's work in the ,church1 part of which is as follows3 ,the organization of women's work in the ,church has become a subject of pressing interest4 ,the ,assembly has already sanctioned and regulated the organization of women's work in collecting for foreign missions1 and in sending out and superintending missionaries4 ,the great and growing strength of the movement thus recognized is one of the most gratifying things in our mission2 444 but of still older date1 and not less powerful1 is the part taken by women in the home work of the parish church4 ,lady visitors are carrying messages of divine truth and of human sympathy into the dwellings of the poor both in town and country4 ,many have been trained as nurses that they may be skilled ministrants to the suffering and sick2 and there can be little doubt that the greater part of the actual personal help which ministers receive in parishes is from the women of the congregations4 ,but those who have done most of the good work are most instant in asking from the ,church some means of doing still more4 ,from ministers and from their female helpers have come many requests to the committee for some provision for training2 some recognition and organization of those who are trained4444 ,in the ,church of ,england are many homes for nurses and deaconesses2 training institutions for female mission work of every kind2 and the rapidity with which they are multiplying proves of itself how much they are needed2 also non-conformist institutions of the kind1 and some separate from all ,churches4 ,your committee believe that the time has fully come for our ,church's taking steps to supply her own wants in this important department of mission work4#ge ,the ,general ,assembly then directed the committee to inquire into the subject of women's work in the ,church1 and to bring up a definite report to the next assembly4 ,the committee accepted the task1 sent out requests to every parish for suggestions as to the forms of ,christian work to be carried on by women1 and the best means of making preparation for their special training1 and prepared themselves by personal inspection of the leading institutions for training women workers in ,england to be able to answer intelligently the same questions4 ,a scheme was reported in #ahhf which should incorporate all existing parish organizations1 such as ,sabbath-school teachers' and women's societies of all kinds1 and should aim at increasing their number and working power4 ,in #ahhg regulations were perfected for working this scheme1 and the approval of this by the ,assembly of #ahhg made the new plan a part of the organized work of the ,church4 ,the comprehensive character of the new departure in the ,church of ,scotland is plainly seen from a view of the organization as it now exists4 ,the three grades into which the ,christian women workers are divided embrace every kind of work done in connection with the ,church4 ,the first grade is general in its character1 and forms an association called the ,women's ,guild4 ,in each parish the members of ,bible-classes1 of ,young ,women's ,congregational ,associations1 of mission working parties1 of ,dorcas societies1 as well as tract distributers1 ,sabbath-school teachers1 members of the ,church choir1 and any who are engaged in the service of ,christ in the ,church are all to be accepted as members of the guild4 ,the next higher grade is the ,women ,workers' ,guild1 for which a certain age is required1 and an experience of at least three years1 with the approval of the kirk session which enrolls them4 ,in connection with this guild are associates1 who have a similar relation to the members of the ,women ,workers' ,guild that the associates have to deaconesses in the ,english deaconess houses4 ,they are not pledged to regular or constant service1 but engage to do some work or contribute some money every year4 ,they can go to the deaconess house1 put on the garb of the deaconess while there1 and as long as they remain can assume the responsibilities and enjoy the privileges belonging to deaconesses4 ,the third higher grade is that of the deaconesses4 ,any one desiring to become a deaconess must purpose to devote herself1 so long as she shall occupy the position of a deaconess1 especially to ,christian work in connection with the ,church1 as the chief object of her life4#gf ,provision was also made for a training-school and home where deaconesses could be prepared for their duties4 ,there are a great many ladies who for a long time have been engaged in doing the practical work of a deaconess without being clothed in the garb1 or invested with the office4 ,the ,church of ,scotland recognized these workers by providing two classes of deaconesses1 who should be equal in position1 but have different spheres of activity4 ,those who for seven years had been known as active workers1 and who have given their lives largely to ,christian service1 are accepted as deaconesses of the first class1 and are free to work wherever they find themselves most useful within the limits of the ,church4 ,the second class embraces those who shall have received training in the deaconess institution1 or have been in connection with it for at least two years4 ,when the measure was finally passed by the ,general ,assembly there was no delay in carrying into execution the details indicated by the plan of work4 ,the ,deaconess ,institution and ,training ,home was at once started4 ,it was located at ,edinburgh1 as the most central and convenient place for the institution1 and as furnishing the most available advantages for the instruction and training of the deaconesses4 ,from here as a center the work is expected to penetrate into every part of ,scotland by means of the trained workers whose services will be available for all parts of the country when desired by the ministers and kirk sessions4 ,with true ,scotch prudence and wisdom it was arranged that the lady who was chosen to be the superintendent should fit herself thoroughly for the duties of her responsible place by becoming familiar with the workings of similar institutions in ,england4 ,she was accordingly given six months' leave of absence1 which she spent among the great ,london ,homes1 and only assumed the duties of her position ,may #a1 #ahhh4 ,meanwhile the ,home had opened under the temporary care of a lady who had been a worker in ,mrs4 ,meredith's ,prison ,mission1 and for six years a ,mildmay deaconess4 ,it had from the beginning the warm co-operation of sympathizing1 influential friends4 ,regular courses of lectures were arranged on subjects connected with ,christian work1 and as similar courses will be demanded of like institutions in ,america it may be interesting to give the syllabus in full3 ,,syllabus ,,of ,,lectures4 7,on ,tuesdays at #ab47 #a4 ,b4--,professor ,charteris4 ,four ,lectures4 ,how to ,begin a ,mission4 ,nov4 #bi4--a4 ,whom to visit1 and why4 ,the ills we know of1 bodily1 spiritual1 social2 and seek to lessen4 ,dec4 #f4--b4 ,how to induce the people who belong to no church--perhaps care for none--to come in4 ,dec4 #ac4--c4 ,what to do with the children2 7a7 to attract1 7b7 to influence them4 ,dec4 #bj4--d4 ,what agencies besides ,sunday services prove best4 #b4 ,c4--,dr4 ,p4 ,a4 ,young4 ,six ,lectures4 ,medical ,hygiene for the ,use of ,visitors4 ,jan4 #c4--a4 ,object and scope of the course of lectures2 short sketch of the structure and functions of the human body1 including a brief description of the functions of digestion1 absorption1 circulation1 respiration1 excretion1 secretion1 and enervation4 ,jan4 #aj4--b4 ,fractures1 how to recognize and treat them temporarily2 bleeding1 and how to treat it2 the use of the triangular bandage4 ,jan4 #ag4--c4 ,treatment of fainting1 choking1 burns and scalds1 bites from animals1 bruises and tears from machinery1 convulsions1 sunstroke1 persons found insensible1 suspected poisoning and frostbite2 how to lift and carry an injured person4 ,jan4 #bd4--d4 ,sick-room1 its selection1 preparation1 cleaning1 warming1 ventilation1 and furnishing1 bed and bedding1 infection and disinfection4 ,jan4 #ca4--e4 ,washing and dressing patients1 bed-making1 changing sheets1 lifting helpless patients1 food administration1 medicines and stimulants1 what to observe regarding a sick person4 ,feb4 #g4--f4 ,taking temperature1 baths1 bedsores1 nursing sick children1 application of local remedies1 poultices1 fomentations1 blisters1 etc42 management of convalescents4 #c4 ,d4--,rev4 ,george ,wilson4 ,four ,lectures4 ,difficulties ,encountered by ,district ,visitors4 ,feb4 #ad4--a4 ,difficulties proceeding from indifference4 ,feb4 #ba4--b4 ,difficulties proceeding from ignorance4 ,feb4 #bh4--c4 ,difficulties proceeding from adversity4 ,mar4 #f4--d4 ,difficulties proceeding from anxiety4 ,note4--,questions invited from the ladies4 #d4 ,e4--,rev4 ,dr4 ,norman ,macleod4 ,four ,lectures4 ,some ,qualifications of a ,church ,worker1 especially among the ,poor4 ,march #ac4--a4 ,motives and aims4 ,march #bj4--b4 ,difficulties and hindrances1 how to overcome them4 ,march #bg4--c4 ,conditions of success4 ,april #c4--d4 ,helps1 agencies1 etc4 #e4 ,f4--,rev4 ,john ,mc,murtrie4 ,two ,lectures4 ,history and ,methods of ,missions to the ,heathen4 ,april #aj4--a4 ,history of missions4 ,april #ag4--b4 ,methods of missions4 ,another wise provision in this ,scotch home is the arrangement by which those who do not wish to become deaconesses1 but who want to become competent ,christian workers in their own homes1 can come here and spend some months in receiving training and instruction in various methods of ,christian work4 ,there is no department in life in which many blunders and much loss of time and usefulness cannot be prevented by making use of the experience of others who have previously overcome the difficulties to be encountered4 ,in other words1 we need to obtain all the preparation and discipline we can possibly have in order to do our work well2 and especially is this true of ,christian work1 which demands the highest service that the heart and soul of humanity can give4 ,many individuals will come to the home to be trained and fitted to work in their own homes1 and will start new lines of ,christian activity that will win the sympathies and efforts of many who are eager to be employed in good works1 if only they can have competent direction4 ,a pamphlet entitled ,the ,deaconess ,institution and ,training ,home says3 ,are there not many parts all over ,scotland--mines1 quarries1 etc4--where the population is poor and hard-working8 ,would it not in such places be an advantage both to minister and people to have a ,christian lady1 trained1 experienced1 and devoted1 to live and work among them8 ,or1 which would be possible in every parish1 would it not be a great advantage that in case of need--in a mining accident1 an outbreak of sickness--a trained ,christian nurse should be available during the emergency8 ,the ,general ,assembly provided that deaconesses should be solemnly inducted into their office at a religious service in church4 ,it also provided that along with the application for the admission of any person to the office of a deaconess there shall be submitted a certificate from a committee of the ,general ,assembly intrusted with that duty stating that the candidate is qualified in respect of education1 and that she has had seven years' experience in ,christian work1 or two years' training in the ,deaconess ,institution and ,training ,home4 ,also1 ,before granting the application1 the kirk session shall intimate to the presbytery their intention of doing so1 unless objection be offered by the presbytery at its first meeting thereafter4 ,on ,sunday1 ,december #i1 #ahhh1 the first deaconess was set apart to her duties4 ,the kirk session was already in possession of the necessary certificates testifying to her character1 education1 experience1 devotedness1 and power to serve and co-operate with others4 ,due intimation had been made to the presbytery4 ,the questions were put that were appointed by the ,general ,assembly3 ,do you desire to be set apart as a deaconess1 and as such to serve the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in the ,church1 which is his body8 ,do you promise1 as a deaconess of the ,church of ,scotland1 to work in connection with that ,church1 subject to its courts1 and in particular to the kirk session of the parish in which you work8 ,do you humbly engage1 in the strength and grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord and ,master1 faithfully and prayerfully to discharge the duties of this office8 ,the lady who1 by answering the above questions1 received the sanction of the ,church as one of its appointed officers was ,lady ,grisell ,baillie1 of ,dryburgh ,abbey4 ,she writes to the author of this book3 ,i count it a great honor to be permitted to serve in the ,church of my fathers1 and ,i pray that ,i may be enabled faithfully and prayerfully to fulfill the duties to which ,i am called1 and that it maybe for the glory of our ,god and ,saviour that ,i am permitted to work in his vineyard4 ,miss ,davidson1 who was temporary superintendent of the home1 but who is now engaged in organizing branches of the ,women's ,guild throughout ,scotland1 and ,miss ,alice ,maud ,maxwell1 the present superintendent of the home1 have also been set apart to the same office4 ,as has been said1 ,each represents an old ,scottish family1 whose members have been distinguished for ,christian and philanthropic labors2 and each represents a different type of deaconess work4 ,lady ,grisell ,baillie is engaged in gentle ministrations among the people of her own home4 ,miss ,davidson is at the service of every minister who desires aid in organizing women's work in his parish4 ,and ,miss ,maxwell is at the training-home1 leading a busy life in directing the class labors and missionary activities that center around it and in impressing her life and spirit upon a band of workers who are to further ,christ's cause both at home and in the mission field4 ,the mention of any facts that can bring before us the varied character that the deaconess work can assume is valuable4 ,for to be truly useful1 this cause needs to provide a place for women of very unlike qualities1 and also to allow a certain degree of freedom which will insure the individuality of each worker4 ,the action of the ,church of ,scotland has had its influence upon the ,reformed ,churches throughout the world holding the presbyterial system4 ,at the session of the ,london ,council of the ,alliance of ,reformed and ,presbyterian ,churches during the summer of #ahhh1 ,dr4 ,charteris presented a report embracing many of the features of the elaborate scheme which he had previously devised for the ,church of ,scotland4 ,and the ,council1 in receiving the report1 not only approved it1 but commended the details of the scheme stated in the report to the consideration of the churches represented in the ,alliance4 ,we may regard the ,presbyterian churches of ,great ,britain1 therefore1 as committed1 not only to the indorsement of deaconesses as officers in the service of the ,church1 but to the organization of the whole work of women in the churches1 under ecclesiastical authority and direction4 ,there is one feature of the deaconess cause as it has been developed in the ,church of ,scotland that is of especial interest to the ,methodists of ,america4 ,most of the great deaconess houses of ,england have sprung from the personal faith and works of earnest-souled individuals4 ,mildmay1 for example1 is a living testimony to the faithfulness and energy of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,pennefather and those associated with him4 ,within the ,church of ,england the recognition accorded deaconesses is a partial one1 resting on the principles and rules signed by the archbishops and eighteen bishops1 and suggested for adoption in #ahga4 ,but as yet the ,english ,church has not formally accepted this utterance1 and made it authoritative4 ,the ,german deaconess houses1 while receiving the practical indorsement of the ,state ,church of ,germany1 are not in any way officially connected with it4 ,even ,kaiserswerth itself is solely responsible to those who contribute to its support for a right use of the means placed at its command4 ,the same fact applies to the ,paris deaconess houses4 ,they are all detached efforts1 not parts of a general system4 ,but the ,scotch deaconesses are responsible to a church1 and a church is responsible for their work4 ,the ,church of ,scotland is1 therefore1 justified in its claim when it says that the adoption of the scheme of the organization of women's work by the assembly of #ahhh1 is the first attempt since the ,reformation to make the organization of women's work a branch of the general organization of the ,church1 under the control of her several judicatories4#gg ,the second attempt was made1 which was the first also for any ,church in ,america1 when1 ,may #ah1 #ahhh1 the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church of the ,united ,states instituted the office of deaconess1 and made it an inherent part of the ,church economy1 under the direction and control of the ,annual ,conferences4 #ge ,organization of ,women's ,work in the ,church of ,scotland4 ,notes by ,a4 ,h4 ,charteris1 ,d4,d42 p4 #d4 #gf ,report of ,committee on ,christian ,life and ,work1 #ahhh1 p4 #cf4 #gg ,nearly all of the facts1 both printed and personal1 concerning the deaconess cause in ,scotland have been furnished the writer through the kindness of ,lady ,grisell ,baillie1 ,dryburgh ,abbey1 ,scotland4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,deaconess ,,cause ,,in ,,america4 ,it was no part of the plan of this book1 when first projected1 to treat of the deaconess cause as it is developing within the ,united ,states of ,america1 but gradually1 through the kindness of many friends belonging to different denominations1 a number of facts have been obtained which bear directly upon the question of how the example of ,european deaconess houses has influenced and is influencing the ,protestant ,churches of ,america2 and it seems unwise to omit them from the consideration of the subject4 ,naturally the ,german ,lutherans1 who were well acquainted with the deaconess work in their native land1 were the first to try to introduce it among their churches4 ,in the yearly report sent out from ,kaiserswerth1 ,january #a1 #ahdg1 ,fliedner mentions that an urgent appeal had been made to him to send deaconesses to an important city in the ,united ,states1 there to have the oversight of a hospital1 and to found a mother-house for the training of deaconesses4 ,in the report for the following year ,fliedner again refers to the call from ,america1 and states his intention to extend his travels to the ,new ,world1 and to take with him sisters who shall aid in founding a mother-house4 ,in the summer of #ahdi he was enabled to carry out his intention1 and ,july #ad1 #ahdi1 accompanied by four deaconesses1 he reached ,pittsburg1 ,pa41 where ,rev4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,passavant1 who had written so many urgent appeals for his aid1 was awaiting him4 ,the building had already been secured for a hospital and deaconess home1 and1 ,july #ag1 was solemnly dedicated at a service where ,fliedner delivered the principal address1 and a large audience testified to their interest4 ,before his return to ,europe ,fliedner visited the ,new ,york ,synod1 and1 in an ,english discourse1 described the character and aims of ,kaiserswerth1 and commended the newly founded institution at ,pittsburg to the sympathy and aid of the ,german ,lutheran ,church in ,america4 ,no further results were reached1 as the synod contented itself with resolving that this ,ministerium awaits with deep interest the result of the work made in behalf of the institution of ,protestant deaconesses at ,pittsburg4#gh ,the institution is occasionally heard of afterward in the proceedings of the ,pittsburg ,synod1 and in the paper1 ,the ,missionary1 published under the auspices of the same ,church4 ,urgent appeals were also sent out for devoted ,christian women to come to the aid of the sisters and to join their numbers2 but although the hospital1 commended by their skillful and able ministrations as nurses1 had the full approval of the public1 there were few1 if any1 who came to join them1 and they were unduly burdened by a task too great for their small number4 ,in #ahed ,dr4 ,passavant resigned his pastoral charge1 and devoted his entire time to the furtherance of the cause1 but1 up to the present1 it has not attained the complete organization and wide extension that its friends in the ,german ,lutheran ,church have desired4 ,the institutions which owe their existence to ,dr4 ,passavant's efforts are the infirmary at ,pittsburg2 the hospital and deaconess home in ,milwaukee2 the hospital in ,jacksonville1 ,ill42 the orphanages for girls in ,rochester and ,mount ,vernon1 ,n4 ,y41 and one for boys in ,pennsylvania4 ,there is1 at the present time1 only one of the original ,kaiserswerth sisters left1 and that is ,sister ,elizabeth1 the head deaconess at ,rochester4 ,dr4 ,passavant still continues to labor at forming a complete organization on the basis of the ,kaiserswerth system1 and1 to quote the words of ,dr4 ,a4 ,spaeth1 ,as he succeeded forty years ago in bringing the first sisters over from ,kaiserswerth to ,pittsburg1 ,i have no doubt that now1 when the ,church is at last awakening to the importance of this work1 he will succeed in the completion of his undertaking4 ,a more recent development of the deaconess work in the ,german ,lutheran ,church has arisen in connection with the ,german hospital in ,philadelphia4 ,the hospital was well equipped for its work1 but there was much dissatisfaction with the nursing1 which was inefficient and unskillful4 ,in the fall of #ahhb the hospital authorities turned for advice and co-operation to ,dr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,mann1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,spaeth1 and other clergymen of the denomination in ,philadelphia4 ,it was determined to secure ,german deaconesses as nurses4 ,several attempts were made to induce ,kaiserswerth1 or some other large mother-house in ,germany1 to give up a few sisters to the hospital1 but on all sides the applications were refused4 ,the deaconesses were too greatly needed in the ,old ,world to be spared for work in the ,new4 ,at length1 through the unremitting efforts of ,consul ,meyer1 and of ,john ,d4 ,lankenau1 president of the board of managers1 a small independent community of sisters under the direction of ,marie ,krueger1 who had herself been trained in ,kaiserswerth1 acceded to the proposal1 and the head-deaconess1 with six sisters1 arrived in ,philadelphia ,june #ai1 #ahhd4 ,they left the field of their self-denying work in the hospital and poor-house at ,iserlohn1 in ,westphalia1 sadly to the regret of the authorities and citizens of the place1 but to the hospital at ,philadelphia they gave invaluable aid4 ,from the first their good services met with appreciation4 ,the efficiency of the hospital service was greatly increased2 and from physicians and hospital authorities there was only one testimony1 and that a most favorable one1 to the value of deaconesses as trained nurses4 ,mr4 ,lankenau1 who has ever been the wise and munificent patron of the institution1 determined to insure a succession of these admirable nurses for the service of the hospital1 and1 at an expense of over five hundred thousand dollars1 he built an edifice of palace-like proportions1 and made over this munificent gift to the hospital corporation4 ,it was accepted by them ,january #aj1 #ahhg4 ,the western wing of the building is used as a home for aged men and women2 the eastern wing is a residence and training-school for the deaconesses1 the chapel uniting the two1 and the whole being known as the ,mary ,j4 ,drexel ,home and ,philadelphia ,mother-house of ,deaconesses4 ,a visit to the ,home convinced me that the regulations of the house1 the work of the sisters1 and the devotion to duty that characterize the mother-houses in ,germany rule also in this home in the ,new ,world4 ,the imposing entrance hall with the great stair-way1 the floor and stairs of white marble1 the wide halls and spacious reception-rooms and offices seemed at first almost incongruous surroundings for the modest active deaconesses1 some of whom were busy in the hospital wards1 others hanging clothes on the line1 and others occupied in duties within the building4 ,but place and environments are only incidental matters2 the spirit within is the determining quality2 and a conversation with the ,oberin 7head deaconess7 and the rector left me with the persuasion that the spirit of earnest devotion to ,god and humanity is the main-spring of duty in this house4 ,the arrangement of the rooms for the sisters is similar to that at ,kaiserswerth2 each consecrated sister has a small apartment simply furnished for her own use4 ,the older probationers are divided two and three in a room4 ,those who have recently entered are placed in two large rooms1 but here every one has her own four walls--even if they are only made by linen curtains4 ,when ,elizabeth ,fry first visited ,kaiserswerth1 among the arrangements that she at once recognized and commended was that by which each deaconess was given the privacy of her own apartment4 ,in the deaconess houses that are so rapidly springing up in different parts of the ,united ,states this provision ought to be guarded with care1 for a life that is so constantly drawn out in ministrations to others should have some moments of absolute privacy upon which no one can intrude4 ,there are at present thirty-two deaconesses at the ,philadelphia ,mother-house1 twenty of whom are probationers4 ,the house was admitted to the ,kaiserswerth ,association1 and will henceforth be represented at the ,conferences4 ,the direction is vested in a rector and head deaconess1 neither of whom can be removed except on just cause of complaint4 ,the distinctive dress is black1 with blue or white aprons1 white caps and collars4 ,there is one addition to their garb which ,fliedner would have looked upon with disfavor1 and that is a cross--worn by the sisters from the time they are fully accepted as deaconesses4 ,the first consecration took place in the beautiful chapel of the ,home1 ,january #ac1 #ahhi1 when three deaconesses were accepted as members of the order4 ,for those who desire to form a good conception of the deaconess institutions as they are conducted in ,germany1 a visit to the ,philadelphia ,mother-house of ,deaconesses will be fruitful of valuable suggestions4#gi ,in ,july1 #ahhg1 a ,swedish ,lutheran pastor in ,omaha sent a probationer to ,philadelphia to be trained as a sister for a deaconess house to be established in that central city of the ,united ,states4 ,in #ahhh four others joined her1 and the building of a hospital and deaconess home is now progressing by the generous support of all classes of philanthropists in ,omaha4 ,a deaconess home has also recently been founded by ,norwegian ,lutherans in ,south ,brooklyn1 ,l4 ,i4 ,in the ,german ,reformed ,church a layman endeavored in #ahff to arouse interest in the deaconess office4 ,the ,hon4 ,j4 ,dixon ,roman1 of ,hagerstown1 ,md41 at ,christmas gave five thousand dollars to the congregation1 and with it sent a proposition to the consistory that three ladies of the congregation should be chosen and ordained to the order of deaconesses1 with absolute control of the income of said fund for the purposes and duties as practiced in the early days of the ,church4#hj ,this1 and the action of the ,lebanon ,classis in #ahfg1 requesting the synod to take into consideration the propriety of restoring the apostolic society of deaconesses1 seem to have been the only steps taken by those connected with this denomination4 ,in the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church of ,america the bishop of ,maryland first instituted an order of deaconesses in connection with ,st4 ,andrew's ,parish1 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,two ladies gave themselves to ministering to the poor1 and1 with the sanction and approval of the bishop1 a house was obtained and given the name of ,st4 ,andrew's ,infirmary4 ,in #ahgc there were four resident deaconesses and four associates4#ha ,an early report of the infirmary says3 ,the deaconesses look to no organization of persons to furnish the pecuniary aid required by the demands of their position4 ,their first efforts have been for the destitute and sick4 ,at the home they minister daily to the suffering and destitute sick wherever found2 some requiring only temporary medical aid and nursing2 others1 whom ,god has chastened with more continuous suffering1 requiring1 in their penury1 constant care and continual ministration4 ,there is also under their charge a church school for vagrant children1 and one also for the children of those comfortably situated in life4 ,the ,forms for ,setting ,apart ,deaconesses1 the ,rules for ,self-,examination1 and the ,rules of ,discipline in the order of deaconesses in ,maryland are largely patterned after the ,kaiserswerth rules4 ,in truth1 the general questions for self-examination in regard to external duties1 spiritual duties to the sick1 the conduct of the deaconesses or sisters to those whom they meet1 and the means for improving in the duties of the office are in many cases selected1 and but slightly altered1 from the series prepared by ,pastor ,fliedner4#hb ,the influence of the devout ,german pastor is indelibly stamped upon the deaconess cause in whatever denomination it has developed during the nineteenth century4 ,in #ahfd the deaconesses of the ,diocese of ,alabama were organized by ,bishop ,wilmer4 ,under the supervision of the bishop the three deaconesses with whom the order originated were associated in taking charge of an orphanage and boarding-school for girls4 ,in #ahgc there were five deaconesses1 one probationer1 and two resident associates4#hc ,in the ,church ,home all of the work is done by the inmates4 ,as in the foreign ,homes1 the deaconesses are provided with food and raiment1 and during sickness or old age they are cared for at the expense of the order4 ,they are forbidden to receive fee or compensation for their services4 ,any remuneration that is made is paid to the order4 ,in one feature1 however1 the deaconesses of ,alabama differ from either their ,german or ,english sisters1 and that is in the care of their individual means4 ,the ,constitution and ,rules says3 ,the private funds of deaconesses shall not be expended without the approval of the chief deaconess or the bishop4#hd ,this usage prevails in sisterhoods1 but1 outside of this instance1 so far as the author has been able to learn is not known in deaconess institutions4 ,the rules for the associates in connection with the order are given somewhat at length1 from which the following are taken4 ,after defining an associate as a ,christian woman desiring to aid the work of the deaconesses1 and admonishing her that1 although not bound by the rules of the ,community1 yet she must be careful to lead such a life as is becoming one associated in a work of religion and charity1 she is requested to state what kind of work she will undertake1 under the direction of the chief deaconess1 and to report the result to her at such intervals as may be agreed upon4 ,the following modes of assistance are suggested as most useful2 namely1 to provide and make clothing for the poor2 to collect alms2 to procure work1 or promote its sale2 to teach in the school2 to assist in music or other classes2 to relieve the destitute2 to minister to the sick2 to visit and instruct the ignorant2 to attend the funeral arrangements for the poor2 and to take charge of or assist in the decoration of the church4 ,the feature of the union of the associates with the deaconesses is one whose importance can scarcely be exaggerated4 ,there are many who would be able to serve for a short time in this relation whose valuable aid would be entirely lost if none but deaconesses who give all their time and strength could work in the order4 ,in the ,diocese of ,long ,island ,bishop ,littlejohn instituted an association of deaconesses by publicly admitting six women to the office of deaconess in ,st4 ,mary's ,church1 ,brooklyn1 ,february #aa1 #ahgb4 ,the association has not continued in the form in which it originated1 but has now changed into the ,sisterhood of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4 ,still this sisterhood retains many of the distinctive deaconess features4 ,a sister may1 for instance1 withdraw from the sisterhood for proper cause4 ,she labors without remuneration1 and the sisters live together in a home1 or singly1 as they may please1 in any place where their work is located4 ,in the ,diocese of ,western ,new ,york there are five deaconesses1 with their associates and helpers1 under the direction of the bishop of the diocese4 ,in ,america1 however1 as in ,england1 within the ,episcopal ,church sisterhoods are more influential and more rapid in their growth than are deaconess institutions4 ,in a list of the sisterhoods of the ,episcopal ,church in ,america1 given in the monthly magazine devoted to women's work in the ,church1#he fourteen sisterhoods are named1 one religious order of widows1 and two orders of deaconesses1 one of which is that which is now changed into the ,sisterhood of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4 ,in #ahga the ,board of ,missions of the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church discussed at some length the relation of women's work to the ,church1 and there resulted increased interest in the subject of sisterhoods and deaconess institutions4 ,an effort has been made to obtain for the order of deaconesses a wider recognition than it now enjoys1 as it simply has the support of the bishop within whose diocese the deaconesses are at work4 ,to this end1 in the ,general ,convention of #ahhj1 a canon was presented to the ,house of ,bishops1 and accepted by a large vote4 ,but it reached the ,lower ,house too late for consideration1 and no further action has been taken since that time4 ,in the ,presbyterian ,church of ,america the question of the revival of the office of deaconess has already claimed some attention4 ,the late ,dr4 ,a4 ,t4 ,mc,gill for many successive years earnestly recommended the revival of the office to the members of his classes in the theological seminary at ,princeton2 and his views1 matured by years of reflection1 were given for publication in an article published in the ,presbyterian ,review1 #ahhj4 ,in the ,minutes of the ,general ,assembly for #ahhd1 page #aad1 and of #ahhh1 page #fdj1 we find an overture asking if the education of deaconesses is consistent with ,presbyterian polity1 and1 if so1 should they be ordained1 answered in the negative in the following words3 ,the ,form of ,government declares that in all cases the persons elected deacons must be male members4 7,chap4 #ac4 #b47 ,in all ages of the ,church godly women have been appointed to aid the officers of the ,church in their labors1 especially for the relief of the poor and the infirm4 ,they rendered important service in the ,apostolic ,church1 but they do not appear to have occupied a separate office1 to have been elected by the people1 to have been ordained or installed4 ,there is nothing in our constitution1 in the practice of our ,church1 or in any present emergency1 to justify the creation of a new office4 ,the next year an explanation of this action1 which so obviously contradicts the facts of history1 was asked1 but the committee declined to say any thing more4 ,the ,southern ,presbyterian ,church has proceeded further1 and in the direction of the female diaconate1 as it is characterized in its main features wherever it has existed1 when it declares in its ,book of ,church ,order1 adopted in #ahgi1 that where it shall appear needful1 the church session may select and appoint godly women for the care of the sick1 of prisoners1 of poor widows and orphans1 and1 in general1 in the relief of the sick4#hf ,in isolated ,presbyterian congregations deaconesses have already obtained recognition4 ,at the ,pan-,presbyterian ,council1 held in ,philadelphia in #ahhj1 ,fritz ,fliedner1 the son of ,dr4 ,theodor ,fliedner1 was present as a member1 and through the influence of his words the ,corinthian ,avenue ,presbyterian ,church set apart five deaconesses1 whose duty it should be to care for the poor and sick belonging to the congregation4 ,more recently the ,third ,presbyterian ,church of ,los ,angeles1 ,cal41 empowered its three deacons to choose three women from the congregation to co-operate with them in their work1 granting them seats and votes in the board's monthly meeting4#hg ,the very interesting article from which the quotation has just been made seems to think the term deaconess a misnomer for the ,kaiserswerth deaconess1 as she belongs to a community1 whereas the deaconess of the early ,church was attached to a congregation and belonged to a single church as an officer2 but it may well be questioned whether the class of duties assigned to the deaconess of the early ,church and of modern times alike1 that is1 the nursing of the sick1 the care of the infirm in body and mind1 the succoring of the unfortunate1 and the education of children1 are not the main characteristics of the office of a deaconess1 while the fact of her connection with a number of like-minded women in community life is merely an external feature of the office as it has developed in the nineteenth century4 ,whatever form the question may assume1 with the ,presbyterian churches of ,scotland and ,england so far committed to the adoption of the office of the deaconess as an effective part of the organization of the ,church1 it seems inevitable that the ,presbyterian ,church of ,america will have to meet this question in the near future4 ,the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church of ,america1 although occupying itself with the question of the diaconate of women later than any of the denominations previously mentioned1 by its acceptance of the office and by making it an inherent part of its ecclesiastical organization has taken a higher ground than any ,protestant body1 with the exception of the ,church of ,scotland4 ,the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church has ever offered a freer scope for the activities of its women members than any other body of ,christians save the ,quakers1 who are still the leaders in this respect2 but it may be questioned if any furnishes a larger number who are actively engaged in promoting philanthropic and religious measures4 ,the honor of practically beginning the deaconess work in connection with the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church in the ,united ,states belongs to ,mrs4 ,lucy ,rider ,meyer1 of the ,chicago ,training-school1 who1 during the summer months of #ahhg1 aided by eight earnest ,christian women1 worked among the poor1 the sick1 and the needy of that great city without any reward of man's giving4 ,in the autumn the ,home opened in a few hired rooms1 and ,miss ,thoburn came to be its first superintendent4 ,the story of the growth of the work1 the securing of a permanent home1 and the enlargement of its resources is a most interesting one4#hh ,the ,rock ,river ,conference1 within whose boundaries the ,chicago ,home is situated1 had from the beginning an earnest sympathy and confidence in the work as it was developing in its midst4 ,a memorial was prepared1 and was presented to the ,general ,conference in ,may1 #ahhh1 by the ,rock ,river ,conference1 through its ,conference delegates1 asking for ,church legislation with reference to deaconesses4 ,at the same time the ,bengal ,annual ,conference1 through ,dr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,thoburn1 also presented a memorial asking for the institution of an order of deaconesses who should have authority to administer the sacrament to the women of ,india4 ,our missionaries in ,india have long felt the need of some way of ministering to the converted women who are closely secluded in zenana life1 and who1 though sick and dying1 are precluded by the customs of the country from any religious service of comfort or consolation that male missionaries can render4 ,if it had been possible for our women missionaries to administer the sacrament many ,indian women could have been received into the ,church4 ,all of the papers and memorials on this subject were put into the hands of a committee1 of which ,dr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,thoburn 7afterward made missionary bishop to ,india and ,malaysia7 was chairman2 and the report of the committee was as follows3 ,,the ,,new ,,office ,,of ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,the ,,methodist ,,episcopal ,,church4 ,for some years past our people in ,germany have employed this class of workers with the most blessed results1 and we rejoice to learn that a successful beginning has recently been made in the same direction in this country4 ,a home for deaconesses has been established in ,chicago1 and others of a similar character are proposed in other cities4 ,there are also a goodly number of similar workers in various places2 women who are deaconesses in all but name1 and whose number might be largely increased if a systematic effort were made to accomplish this result4 ,your committee believes that ,god is in this movement1 and that the ,church should recognize the fact and provide some simple plan for formally connecting the work of these excellent women with the ,church and directing their labors to the best possible results4 ,they therefore recommend the insertion of the following paragraphs in the ,discipline1 immediately after #aih1 relating to exhorters3 ,,deaconesses4 #a4 ,the duties of the deaconesses are to minister to the poor1 visit the sick1 pray with the dying1 care for the orphan1 seek the wandering1 comfort the sorrowing1 save the sinning1 and1 relinquishing wholly all other pursuits1 devote themselves in a general way to such forms of ,christian labor as may be suited to their abilities4 #b4 ,no vow shall be exacted from any deaconess1 and any one of their number shall be at liberty to relinquish her position as a deaconess at any time4 #c4 ,in every ,annual ,conference within which deaconesses may be employed1 a ,conference board of nine members1 at least three of whom shall be women1 shall be appointed by the ,conference to exercise a general control of the interests of this form of work4 #d4 ,this board shall be empowered to issue certificates to duly qualified persons1 authorizing them to perform the duties of deaconesses in connection with the ,church1 provided that no person shall receive such certificate until she shall have served a probation of two years of continuous service1 and shall be over twenty-five years of age4 #e4 ,no person shall be licensed by the board of deaconesses except on the recommendation of a ,quarterly ,conference1 and said board of deaconesses shall be appointed by the ,annual ,conference for such term of service as the ,annual ,conference shall decide1 and said board shall report both the names and work of such deaconesses annually1 and the approval of the ,annual ,conference shall be necessary for the continuance of any deaconess in her work4 #f4 ,when working singly each deaconess shall be under the direction of the pastor of the church with which she is connected4 ,when associated together in a home all the members of the home shall be subordinate to and directed by the superintendent placed in charge4 ,j4 ,m4 ,,thoburn1 ,chairman4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,leonard1 ,secretary4 ,the adoption of this report made its contents a portion of the organic law of the ,church4 ,it is doubtful if there was any measure taken at the ,general ,conference of #ahhh that will be more far-reaching in its results than that which instituted the office of deaconess4 ,the full and complete recognition accorded by the highest authority of the ,church commended it to the people1 who showed a remarkable readiness to accept the provisions4 ,nearly simultaneously1 at important points distinct from each other1 steps were taken to establish deaconess homes1 and to provide lectures and practical training to educate deaconesses for their work4 ,the terms of the law in which the ,conference action was expressed were not closely defined4 ,it was felt that in establishing a new office for a great ,church there must be room for a wide interpretation1 to meet the various exigencies that will arise4 ,it is true1 also1 that there can be no final interpretation until there shall be a basis of experience wide enough and varied enough to furnish facts that will justify us in forming conclusions from them4 ,still it was thought by those who were practically engaged in the work that there should be a common agreement on certain practical points3 ,what was to be the training that the deaconesses were to receive during the two years of continuous service8 ,what was to be their distinctive garb8 ,what was to be the relation of the deaconess homes1 that were arising1 to the ,conference board appointed by the ,annual ,conference8 ,to discuss these and other questions a ,conference was held in ,chicago1 ,december #bj and #ba1 #ahhh1 of those who were actively engaged in the work4 ,the outcome of the deliberations was the ,plan for ,securing ,uniformity in the ,deaconess ,movement4 ,regulations were suggested concerning homes and their connection with the ,conference boards1 conditions of admission were agreed upon1 and a ,course of ,study and ,plan for ,training recommended4#hi ,of course the recommendations set forth in the ,plan are not obligatory1 but there has been remarkable unanimity so far in accepting them4 ,in addition to the ,chicago ,deaconess ,home1 and the branch in ,new ,orleans1 there is the ,elizabeth ,gamble ,house in ,cincinnati1 of which ,miss ,thoburn is superintendent2 the ,home in ,new ,york city1 instituted by the ,board of the ,church ,extension and ,missionary ,society1 under the superintendence of ,miss ,layton2 the home in ,detroit1 under the auspices of the ,home ,missionary ,society2 and homes under way or projected in ,philadelphia1 ,st4 ,louis1 and ,minneapolis2 while individually deaconesses are employed in ,kansas ,city1 ,jersey ,city1 ,troy1 and ,albany4 ,it is also well to add that since his return to ,india1 ,bishop ,thoburn has opened a deaconess house in ,calcutta1 with four ,american ladies as deaconesses1 while at ,muttra a second home has been opened1 of which ,miss ,sparkes1 so long connected with our mission work in ,india1 is superintendent4 ,pastor ,fliedner thought it strange that in the ,new ,world where there is such ceaseless activity in good works1 the deaconess cause should make such slow progress2 but the season of sowing had to precede that of reaping1 and it seems now as though the fullness of time had arrived for the incorporation into the agencies of the churches of ,america of the priceless activities of ,christian deaconesses4 #gh ,phbe die ,diakonissen1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,spaeth1 p4 #ca4 #gi ,for facts concerning the ,philadelphia ,mother-house of ,deaconesses1 and other important assistance rendered me1 ,i desire to express acknowledgements to ,dr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,mann1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,spaeth1 and ,rev4 ,a4 ,cordes1 the rector of the house4 #hj ,mc,clintock and ,strong's ,cyclopedia1 vol4 ii1 art4 ,deaconesses4 #ha ,sisterhoods and ,deaconesses1 ,rev4 ,h4 ,c4 ,potter1 ,d4,d44 #ahgc1 p4 #aah4 #hb ,sisterhoods and ,deaconesses1 p4 #aje4 #hc ,ibid41 p4 #aha4 #hd ,constitution and ,rules for the ,order of ,deaconesses of ,alabama1 ,art4 vi4 #he ,church ,work1 ,may1 #ahhh4 #hf ,for this and other suggestions regarding the deaconess question in the ,presbyterian ,church1 ,i am greatly indebted to the kindness of ,dr4 ,hastings1 ,president of the ,union ,theological ,seminary4 #hg ,presbyterian ,review1 ,april1 #ahhi1 art4 ,presbyterian ,deaconesses4 #hh ,mrs4 ,meyer's book on ,deaconesses1 containing also the story of the ,chicago ,training-school and ,deaconess ,home1 gives the best description to be obtained of the rise of the work in ,chicago4 #hi ,a more extended and elaborate course of study has been prepared by the ,rev4 ,alfred ,a4 ,wright1 ,d4,d41 ,cambridge1 ,mass4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,training ,,and ,,the ,,field ,,of ,,work ,,for ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,america4 ,the deaconesses of the early ,church differed from those of modern times1 as we have seen1 in being directly responsible to a church society1 and in belonging to a church congregation in numbers of two or more4 ,modern life shows a strong tendency to organization4 ,wherever there are workers in a common cause they are banded together in societies and associations4 ,it was in accordance with the spirit of the age in which he lived that ,fliedner united his workers in the ,rhenish-,westphalian ,deaconess ,society1 in #ahcf4 ,it was a happy inspiration--shall we not say a providential one8--that furnished a convenient organization for the office under present conditions4 ,the mother-houses in ,germany offered good working-models1 and their practical advantages were so obvious that in whatever ,protestant denomination the diaconate of women has revived1 it has been in connection with these homes4 ,there is no place where the training of a deaconess in all its aspects can be so well obtained as in the deaconess home and training-school1 which is our synonym for the ,german mother-house4 ,besides the advantages of a permanent home1 under careful supervision1 to which the probationers and deaconesses have access1 in such a home care is taken to train the deaconesses in the doctrines of the ,church1 and there is an atmosphere favorable to the virtues of faith and devotion that the work demands4 ,the deaconesses are never allowed to forget that they serve in a threefold capacity3 ,servants of the ,lord ,jesus2 servants of the sick and poor1 'for ,jesus' sake2' servants one to another4 ,the motto of the indomitable little republic of ,switzerland1 ,all for each and each for all1 might well be accepted as that characteristically belonging to them4 ,then1 too1 there is a tradition of service in such a home4 ,one deaconess learns from another4 ,the physician is at hand to give his suggestions and medical instruction1 and the lectures on ,church history1 on the history of missions1 and on methods of evangelization make the home a center of information on all questions that affect the usefulness of the office4 ,there is no other one place in which to obtain the practical and theoretical instruction that is needed for the education of a deaconess well equipped for her work4 ,furthermore1 the deaconess home offers a wide and varied field for those possessing different gifts4 ,none can be so highly educated and cultivated that places cannot be found to utilize their talents to good advantage2 while those who are sadly lacking in the education of the schools can1 by talent1 untiring industry1 and energy make up for defects in early training4 ,the field of work of the deaconess in modern times is a large one4 ,it would be easier to define what it is not than what it is4 ,in orphanages1 in asylums for fallen women1 in women's prisons1 in reform schools1 in ,sunday-schools1 infant schools1 and higher schools1 in classes among working-girls and servants1 in industrial homes1 in asylums for the blind and deaf and dumb1 in hospitals of various kinds1 and in churches1 working under the direction of the pastor--in all of these relations and many others we find deaconesses in ,germany1 ,france1 ,england1 and other ,european countries4 ,the service in hospitals seems especially incumbent upon ,christian women1 and in the early history of these institutions we find deaconesses mentioned in connection with them4 ,before the birth of ,christ hospitals were unknown4 ,it is true that in ,rome and ,athens a certain provision was made for the poor1 and largesses were given them from time to time4 ,but this was done from motives of political expediency1 and not from sympathy or commiseration with their ills4 ,but as soon as the early ,christians were free to practice their religion openly1 hospitals arose in all the great cities4 ,in the latter half of the fourth century the distinguished ,christian teacher1 ,ephrem the ,syrian1 in ,edessa1 placed rows of beds for the sick and starving4 ,his contemporary1 ,basil1 the great bishop of ,csarea1 founded a number of institutions for strangers1 the poor1 and the sick1 caring especially for the lepers4#ij ,little houses were built closely together1 but so that the patients could be separated one from another1 and cared for separately4 ,even at that early date the hospitals were arranged into divisions for either sex1 as they are at the present time4 ,to use a modern phrase1 the wards of the men patients were placed under the charge of a deacon while the deaconesses ministered to the sick of their own sex1 according as their services were required4 ,it was a rule for the deacons and deaconesses to seek for the unfortunate day by day1 and to inform the bishops1 who in turn1 accompanied by a priest1 visited the sick and needy of all classes4#ia ,in the ,middle ,ages there were orders of ,hospitallers1 consisting of laymen1 monks1 and knights1 who devoted themselves entirely to the care of the sick4 ,under their influence great and splendid hospitals were built1 of which the old ,htel ,dieu in ,paris was a conspicuous example4 ,the ,hospital of the ,holy ,ghost in ,rome1 and the service of the same order1 originated like hospitals all over ,europe4 ,in late years1 with the development of medical and surgical art1 hospital arrangements have arrived at a degree of perfection never before known2 and the care of the sick1 as it has been studied and practiced by ,protestant deaconesses and ,catholic ,sisters of ,mercy1 has also greatly improved4 ,the state to which the hospitals had degenerated in ,fliedner's time1 and the need of experienced nurses who should be actuated by the highest ,christian motives1 were among the strong reasons he advanced for providing the ,church with deaconesses as helpers4 ,here are his words3#ib ,the poor sick people lay heavily on my mind4 ,how often had ,i seen them neglected1 their bodily wants miserably provided for1 their spiritual needs quite forgotten1 withering away in their often unhealthy rooms like leaves in autumn2 for how many cities1 even those having large populations1 were without hospitals6 ,and ,i have seen many on my travels in ,holland1 ,brabant1 ,england1 and ,scotland1 as in our own ,germany2 ,i often found the portals of glittering marble1 but the nursing and care were wretched4 ,physicians complained bitterly of the drunkenness and immorality of the attendants1 and what shall ,i say of the spiritual care8 ,in many hospitals preachers we're no longer found2 hospital chaplains yet more seldom4 ,in the pious olden time these men were always in such institutions1 especially in the ,netherlands1 where evangelical hospitals bore the beautiful name of ,god's house1 because it was recognized that ,god especially visits the inmates of such houses1 to draw them to himself4 ,do not such wrongs cry to heaven8 ,is not our ,lord's reproachful word addressed to us1 ',i was sick and in prison and ye visited me not8' ,and shall not our ,christian women be capable and willing to undertake the care of the sick for ,christ's sake8 ,it was by such words1 and similar ones1 as in his famous appeal ,freiwillige vor 7,volunteers to the front67 which he sent out from ,wurtemberg to ,basel in #ahdb1 that he aroused the ,christian women of ,germany to give themselves to this service4 ,by their aid he instituted a system of nursing that has changed the aspect of every hospital ward in ,germany2 and1 through the training that ,florence ,nightingale enjoyed at ,kaiserswerth1 the reform that was there instituted passed to ,england1 and has effected a transformation in the entire hospital system of ,england4 ,in ,germany deaconesses are often trained to special duties that are required in hospitals for certain diseases or certain classes of patients1 and they are becoming so skillful in their duties that the present system of hospital nursing could not be continued without their aid4 ,the nursing care of deaconesses in insane asylums is especially valuable4 ,the large and well-ordered ,insane ,asylum for ,female ,patients in ,kaiserswerth1 with its long lists of cases soundly cured1 shows how healthful and important is the quiet1 constant influence of intelligent ,christian attendance upon those who are mentally unsound4 ,the usefulness of deaconesses as care-takers in all kinds of hospitals and homes for the aged1 and asylums of every description1 is so apparent that it does not need to be dwelt upon4 ,the crche1 or day home1 where infants and young children can be sheltered and watched during the day while their mothers are at work1 is an institution that started in ,paris in #ahcd1 through the efforts of ,m4 ,marbeau1 one of the mayors of a district of the city4 ,this is now incorporated into the government system of ,paris1 and the idea has spread to neighboring lands1 so that such homes are found in many of the cities in ,south ,germany and ,switzerland4 ,it is true that there are no nurses that can care for children as the true mother1 but where mothers have to be absent from morning until night engaged at hard work1 and the little ones are left neglected at home1 or in the care of other children who are themselves young enough to need very nearly the same attention that is bestowed on the infants2 or where the mothers are such in name1 but in reality are failing in every quality which we attach to that sacred office2 or where the foundling hospital is the only alternative to which the real mother1 confronted by the necessity of earning bread for herself and child1 can turn--in such cases the crche is a real benefaction whose existence has enabled families to keep together1 and children to be given a chance in life who otherwise would have had small prospect of keeping soul and body together4 ,there is another institution1 called the waiting-school1 where children from two to four years of age are received1 whose parents both go daily to work1 and who would be left to wander about the streets unless this place of refuge were opened to them4 ,the crche1 or day home1 seeks only to watch over the infants who are put in its care1 or to amuse them and keep them contented2 the waiting-school goes further1 and tries to give the little ones some ideas of discipline and the elementary beginnings of instruction4 ,fliedner1 who was a lover of children1 took great interest in both these institutions1 and in his school for infant-school teachers prepared deaconesses especially for the duties that are required in teachers of this class4 ,the motherly heart1 the gift of story-telling and singing1 a pleasant and unruffled demeanor1 the quiet but firm inculcation of order and obedience--these and other qualities ,fliedner sought to develop in instructors for these schools4 ,the day homes have already been introduced into many places in the ,united ,states1 and often cover the field of both the crche and waiting-school1 but there is a wide opportunity for the extension of their usefulness2 and whether in the future1 when the demands upon ,christian deaconesses shall be much more multiplex than they are now1 it may be necessary to provide special training for ,christian teachers in ,america for such special work1 time alone can decide4 ,the question of ,christian education is one that has not yet been determined in its full extent4 ,in the year #ahjj ,mother ,barat1 of the ,catholic ,church1 founded the order of ,sisters of the ,sacred ,heart1 which is especially devoted to the education of daughters belonging to the higher social ranks4 ,at her death it numbered three thousand five hundred members1 and had over seventy establishments1 which are located in every civilized land4 ,it cannot be maintained that the education given in these schools is either extensive or profound1 but the influence of the order upon the women whom it has reached has been both4 ,fliedner1 at ,kaiserswerth1 went as far as his age and environments would permit him to go4 ,he provided schools where teachers were prepared as instructors for all grades of schools1 from the most elementary up to the girls' high-schools2 and no other institution in ,germany1 with one or two exceptions1 such as the ,victoria ,institute at ,berlin1 yet offers positions to women teachers of a higher grade than is afforded by these schools4 ,but in other lands1 where the educational facilities for women are far beyond those that ,germany can offer at the present time1 positions of higher importance and wider influence are held by women2 and it is an important question for the future what class of women shall fill these places4 ,if ,fliedner had had to meet the problem we can imagine he would have done so with the boldness and energy that he showed in solving those that his times and circumstances afforded him4 ,he would1 doubtless1 have enlisted among his deaconesses those whose talents gave him reason to provide them with the widest training the schools can offer2 and then he would have endeavored to place them where they could do the most effective service for ,christ and his ,church4 ,it may be that in the future which opens before the women of the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church of ,america there will be just such questions seeking and finding solution4 ,doubtless at the present time the deaconess who will answer to the greatest number of immediate wants is the parish-deaconess1 or the home mission deaconess1 as we may call her4 ,her usefulness has been well tested in the great cities of ,germany1 ,france1 and ,england1 as we have seen4 ,perhaps nowhere is her work better appreciated than in ,london1 the greatest city of modern times4 ,the tendency of this age of manufactures and commerce is to attract laborers and workers from country homes1 where work has become less open to them through the increased use of agricultural machines of all kinds1 into cities1 where factories1 shops1 counting-rooms1 and offices constantly afford openings4 ,london has felt the full force of this movement4 ,in #ahcf her population was about equal to that of ,new ,york1 including ,brooklyn and ,jersey ,city4 ,now the great city contains #e1ejj1jjj inhabitants4 ,it is growing at the rate of over #ajj1jjj a year1 nor is there any influence at work to stop its growth4 ,the same causes that produce it are constantly at work4 ,the great massing of the population together1 with the unequaled increase in the wealth of the people1 make the contrast of riches and poverty striking and obvious4 ,the west of ,london1 with its vast wealth1 its homes of refinement and elegance1 and its appliances for the enjoyment of art1 science1 and literature1 is separated from the poverty1 the degradation1 the misery1 and the sorrow of the ,east ,end by a gulf as great as that which separated ,lazarus from ,dives4 ,it is difficult for those who are at ease1 whose lives1 to use ,wordsworth's felicitous phrase1 are made up of cheerful yesterdays and confident to-morrows--it is difficult for such even faintly to apprehend the dullness1 the drudgery1 and the hardships of those who1 even at the best estate1 are obliged to live in such surroundings4 ,the vast metropolis a few years ago was for a short time shaken out of its lethargy by a voice that would be heard1 when ,the ,bitter ,cry of ,outcast ,london was published4 ,few who will read these pages have any conception of what these pestilential human rookeries are1 where tens of thousands are crowded together amid horrors which call to mind what we have heard of the middle passage of the slave-ship4 ,to go into them you have to penetrate courts reeking with poisonous malodorous gases arising from accumulations of sewerage1 refuse scattered in all directions1 and often flowing beneath your feet2 courts1 many of them1 which the sun never penetrates1 which are never visited by a breath of fresh air4 ,you have to ascend rotten stair-cases1 grope your way along dark and filthy passages swarming with vermin4 ,then1 if you are not driven back by the intolerable stench1 you may gain admittance into the dens in which these thousands of beings herd together4 ,eight feet square6 ,that is about the average size of many of these rooms4444 ,where there are beds they are simply heaps of dirty rags1 shavings1 or straw1 but for the most part the miserable beings find rest only upon the filthy boards4444 ,there are men and women who lie and die day by day in their wretched single room1 sharing all the family trouble1 enduring the hunger and the cold1 without hope1 without a single ray of comfort1 until ,god curtains their staring eyes with the merciful film of death4#ic ,such are the places where the deaconesses of ,east ,london go in and out from morn to eve1 like angels of mercy1 succoring the miserable and unhappy1 often rebuking vice1 and encouraging with friendly words those who are worn and discouraged in the battle of life4 ,here they nurse the sick1 hold mothers' meetings1 start evening classes for working young men1 and gather the children of all ages in every kind of class that can interest and instruct them4 ,they are always ready to provide for individual cases that they meet4 ,if they find a friendless young servant-girl who is out of work1 they send her to the servants' home1 where1 for very little payment1 sometimes nothing at all1 she can be taken care of long enough to give her fresh courage and strength4 ,then she is aided in seeking a situation1 and so she is saved from the innumerable temptations to vice and misery that are sure to assail her if she stands alone4 ,many of these deaconesses are educated women1 gladly devoting their whole life and energies to the work1 and who with food and raiment are quite content4 ,nothing but a strong indomitable faith in ,god's love and promises can stand the strain of such work4 ,but if there is the faith and love to deny self and dare all for the love of ,christ and in ,his name1 where can such rewards for labor be found8 ,the dull streets become filled with friends1 sodden countenances brighten1 the little children come with loving faces and gladdened hearts1 and the deaconess is recognized as interpreting to the hearts of these weary1 forlorn1 helpless people the love of ,god who1 when ,he came upon earth1 shared the burdens that belonged to ,his humanity4 ,he came as a ,man of ,sorrows and acquainted with grief1 and it was the common people that heard ,him gladly4 ,the deaconess1 in her distinctive dress1 is becoming a well-known figure in the east of ,london1 and not only protected but recommended by her garb1 she visits the lowest parts of the city without danger4 ,just such deaconesses are needed in the cities of ,america4 ,the cities of the ,united ,states are increasing as wonderfully as the great cities of the ,old ,world4 ,with the surplus population of ,europe pouring in upon us by the hundreds of thousands annually our country is doubling in numbers every twenty-five years2 and the growth of the towns absorbs a larger proportion of this multitude than does the country4 ,the cities attract the immigrants because there they find others of their own nationality4 ,in some cities there are whole foreign colonies where the people speak a foreign tongue1 read foreign newspapers1 and have very few interests in common with the people of the land in which they live4 ,they continue the same customs and the same habits of thought that belonged to them in the ,old ,world4 ,examples of such colonies are found in the thirty thousand ,poles in ,buffalo1 and the sixty thousand ,bohemians in ,chicago4 ,then the cities offer attractions that are irresistible to the young men and women from the country4 ,thousands leave quiet country homes every year1 and1 with no certain prospects before them1 cast themselves into the busy life of the nearest great metropolis4 ,in many places1 especially in ,new ,england1 the villages number less1 and farm land is much less valuable than it was fifty years ago4 ,it is this massing of population that is causing us already to experience some of the evils that are old problems in the great cities of ,europe4 ,there is the same gulf between the rich and the poor1 with the added element that the great mass of the poor are composed of foreigners and their children4 ,and the difference in race is a hinderance to a common ground of sympathy4 ,a greater hinderance is the difference in religious faith4 ,the preponderating number of native ,americans are ,protestants1 and their thoughts and beliefs are permeated with the principles that their fathers held so dear1 and which they sacrificed home and country to preserve4 ,they hold a faith that is inseparably connected with free institutions1 personal liberty1 and personal responsibility4 ,but the mass of foreigners that are in the great cities largely belong to the working-class1 and1 with the large proportion of the poor who are the wards of the city1 are ,roman ,catholic in faith1 a faith that has little in sympathy with republican institutions1 and which least prepares its followers to exercise the duties of citizens of a republic4 ,keeping these facts in mind1 the statistics contained in the following extracts are of telling force3 ,if the laboring class should contribute its due proportion to the congregations1 the churches1 many of which are now half empty1 would not begin to hold the people4 ,in #ahhj there was in the ,united ,states one evangelical organization to every #eaf of the population2 in ,boston1 counting churches of all kinds1 there was but one to every #a1fjj of the population2 in ,chicago1 one to every #b1jha2 in ,new ,york1 one to every #b1dfh2 in ,st4 ,louis1 one to every #b1hjj4 ,the worst of it is that1 instead of improving1 the condition of things has been growing worse every year4 ,while the prosperous classes are moving away to the suburbs1 and the laborers are being more densely massed together in the heart of the city1 the church accommodations1 even if fully used1 are becoming more inadequate to the needs of the community4 ,including religious organizations of all sorts1 ,new ,york had in #ahcj one place of worship for every #a1hec of its inhabitants2 in #ahdj1 one for every #a1hdj2 in #ahej1 one for every #b1jie2 in #ahfj1 one for every #b1cdd2 in #ahgj1 one for every #b1jjd2 in #ahhj1 one for every #b1dfh2 and the religious history of ,chicago is even more noteworthy in this respect3 ,chicago had in #ahdj one church for every #gdg of its population2 in #ahea there was one for every #a1jji2 in #ahfb1 one for every #a1cja2 in #ahgj1 one for #a1eic2 in #ahhj1 one for #b1jha2 in #ahhe1 one for #b1bed4 ,all the large cities have districts which are destitute of church accommodations1 and have not seats in ,sunday-school for more than one tenth of their children4#id ,have we not as great need of deaconesses as any of the cities of the ,old ,world8 ,most of our pastors stand alone4 ,they do not have the assistant curates and pastors that are connected with large city churches in ,berlin and ,london4 ,when the minister makes pastoral calls1 and1 entering working-men's homes1 finds sickness and scanty resources1 he has no deaconess to call to his aid with her cheerful words of encouragement and her loving sympathy1 that are better than money and medicine4 ,it is not charity alone that is wanted in such cases2 it is the knowledge of how to use proper means to make the sick one comfortable1 how to lessen the burden on the family that a small additional call for work and care has so sadly taxed2 how to enlighten the ignorance that is so common without wounding the susceptibilities that are so human4 ,for1 to quote the words of the ,christ in the ,vision of ,sir ,launfal3 ,not what we give1 but what we share1 ,for the gift without the giver is bare2 ,who gives himself with his alms feeds three3-- ,himself1 his hungry neighbor1 and ,me4 ,it is for such ministrations that we need deaconesses in every evangelical church of the ,united ,states2 may the women that are ready to publish the tidings be a great host4 #ij ,der ,diakonissenberuf nach seiner ,vergangenheit und ,gegenwart4 ,emil ,wacker1 ,gtersloh1 #ahhh1 p4 #aif4 #ia ,mc,clintock and ,strong's ,cyclopedia1 vol4 iv1 art4 ,hospitals4 ,the editors give as authority for this statement1 ,augustine1 ,de ,civit4 ,dei1 i1 xxii1 c4 #h4 #ib ,theodor ,fliedner1 ,kurzer ,abriss seines ,lebens4 ,kaiserswerth1 #ahhf1 p4 #fj4 #ic ,the ,bitter ,cry of ,outcast ,london1 pp4 #c-aj4 #id ,modern ,cities1 by ,s4 ,l4 ,loomis1 ,new ,york1 #ahhg1 pp4 #hh1 #hi4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,objections ,,met ,,and ,,suggestions ,,offered4 ,success and glory are the children of hard work and ,god's favor1 is the inscription upon the tablet erected in ,christ's ,hospital1 ,london1 to the memory of ,sir ,henry ,maine4 ,upon these two elements depends the future of the deaconess cause in ,america4 ,we are assured of the one2 will the other be forthcoming8 ,will the individual members of the ,church give this cause their hearty support8 ,surely the facts that have been stated must have convinced the judgment1 but perhaps there are certain prejudices to be overcome4 ,i fear that deaconesses too closely resemble ,catholic nuns for ,protestants to accept them1 says one4 ,no2 these helpful ,christian women are thoroughly ,protestant4 ,deaconesses are no ,catholic institution4 ,wherever they have appeared they have been met by open antagonism from the ,catholic ,church4 ,witness the calumnies with which the papers of that capital have constantly assailed the deaconess home of ,paris4 ,there is good in the ,catholic sisterhoods1 but mingled with much that we disapprove4 ,the deaconess institutions have the good features1 but have avoided the ill4 ,much of the success of the ,catholic ,church in winning the poor and in retaining its influence over the lowly is due to the power exerted by the sisters who go about from house to house among the poor1 and are received as friends4 ,there is a great army of ,catholic sisters4 ,it is calculated that there are about #bh1jjj ,sisters of ,vincent de ,paul1 #bb1jjj ,franciscan ,sisters caring for the sick1 #f1jjj ,sisters of the ,holy ,cross1 #e1jjj ,sisters of ,charles1 making a total of about #fj1jjj sisters of various orders belonging to the ,catholic ,church#ie who are occupied with works of mercy4 ,the sisters engaged in education are often well-trained and accomplished4 ,the order of ,charles will not accept widows1 orphans without property1 girls from asylums1 or those that have served as maids4 ,as a rule1 those that join it must make some contribution of money to the order when they are received4 ,this order is small1 but one of the most active and aggressive of any4 ,the great number of the sisters1 however1 are women of few advantages1 taken from poor homes and lives of toil4 ,there is wisdom in this course1 for a great deal of the work to be done depends upon qualities that can be developed by training1 while the exceptional education and talents are employed in the exceptional places4 ,a contemplation of these facts just recorded causes us better to understand the importance that the co-operation of women has for the ,catholic ,church4 ,it causes us1 too1 to appreciate better the opening before the ,protestant women of all evangelical churches1 so wide1 so all-embracing that every variety of talent can find a place4 ,gifts of clothes or food or fuel are not so well appreciated as the respectful hearing which clothes the teller with self-respect1 the kind word and loving sympathy that feed the heart1 the inspiring consolations of religious faith that animate and warm the soul1 and such gifts women of sympathetic ,christian hearts can ever render4 ,as has been well said1 ,shall the advantages of such a system be monopolized by those who have so little else to offer8#if ,you may say1 ,i do not object to the deaconess and her work1 but ,i do object to her distinctive dress4 ,i do not believe in a uniform of charity4 ,but let us consider the arguments that can be brought forward in favor of it4 ,it is a distinctive garb because its wearer is a distinctive officer of the ,church4 ,unless she were set apart by some uniform immediately and widely recognized how could she have the protection that is accorded her8 ,alike in every land where she is known1 as we have seen1 the deaconess can venture into any part of the great cities at any hour1 and is invariably treated with respect4 ,there is in the heart of the rudest and most lawless some trace of chivalry which recognizes the self-denying lives of these women4 ,then1 in making her visits1 the deaconess finds her dress an introduction that opens doors that would otherwise remain closed to her4 ,it certainly is a convenient and economical garb1 that saves a great deal of time and money to the wearer4 ,are not these advantages more than an offset to an ill-defined objection to the dress because it has been associated with women who are alien to our ,protestant faith8 ,this is a minor matter1 however1 and one that can be adjusted at liking4 ,you may say1 ,i do not like to think of a woman who is dear to me cut off from the pleasures of home life1 and devoted to a life-time of work among those who1 in many respects1 must be repugnant to her tastes4 ,it does not seem so high and beautiful a life as that which makes home a center1 and carries on its activities from there4 ,but there are many women debarred from the pleasures of home life by ,god's direct providence to whom other duties and responsibilities have been allotted4 ,and then this work may not necessarily be for life4 ,it is true that when a ,christian woman occupies the position of a deaconess she must relinquish wholly all other pursuits so long as she holds this office4 ,neither without grave and weighty reasons should she seek to leave it4 ,it is her calling4 ,the period of probation has its uses1 not only in making the probationer familiar with the duties and tasks demanded of her1 but in giving her time to test the strength of her call to service1 that she may not1 through enthusiasm1 lightly assume the duties of the office1 nor as lightly throw them aside4 ,but if a deaconess is called away to perform her duties as a sister or daughter1 or if she desires to marry1 she is free to do so1 after giving due information to those with whom she is connected in work4 ,freedom and liberty are in every phase of this office4 ,as to the highest life for a woman1 an archbishop of ,england well said some years ago1 that whatever life ,god gives to any woman is the highest life for that woman1 and that in becoming a deaconess a woman devoting herself to this life must believe that it is the highest life for her1 and that in it she gives herself wholly to the ,lord4#ig ,there should be no country like ,america for the favorable development of the deaconess cause1 because in no other have women such large freedom of action1 and1 if we may believe our friends1 they have improved it well4 ,a distinguished ,english historian has just given us what we are fain to accept as words of just and discriminating praise4 ,in no other country have women borne so conspicuous a part in the promotion of moral and philanthropic causes4444 ,their services in dealing with charities and reformatory institutions have been inestimable4444 ,the nation1 as a whole1 owes to the active benevolence of its women1 and their zeal in promoting social reforms1 benefits which the customs of continental ,europe would scarcely have permitted women to confer4444 ,those who know the work they have done and are doing in many a noble cause will admire still more their energy1 their courage1 their devotion4 ,no country seems to owe more to its women than ,america does1 nor to owe to them so much of what is best in social institutions1 and in the beliefs that govern conduct4#ih ,nor in any denomination should we expect women to be more ready to adopt this work than in the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 because women members have been accustomed to exercise nearly all the obligations and duties1 and many of the privileges1 that are accorded the laity of the great connection1 and they are prepared to accept new duties in new relations4 ,this ,church has over a million women enrolled as members1 able to serve it in every capacity1 from the lady in her home dispensing gracious ,christian hospitality1 to the one standing quite alone1 who will welcome1 as a brevet of rank1 this new call to service4 ,there are many such women ready to respond4 ,many1 too1 whose hearts have been left desolate by bereavement1 who will be glad to fill the empty hands and vacant life by work for ,god and humanity4 ,to such a woman the wide world is her home2 the dear ones of her family are the poor and sick and needy who crave her aid4 ,the beautiful ,mildmay motto is3 ,they dwell with the ,king for his work4 ,there are thousands of women all over the land who are ready to become ,king's ,daughters in this additional sense of the word4 ,the possibility of what such women can accomplish in the furtherance of ,god's kingdom upon earth has not begun to be fathomed4 ,think of a great city church1 with the manifold interests clustering around it1 left to the care of a single pastor6 ,he has not only the preparation of his weekly sermons1 the care of the social meetings of the church1 but a long line of other duties that are equally important to maintain4 ,he must perform pastoral duties1 push forward aggressive movements in behalf of the masses not touched by the church services1 and fulfill public duties in connection with great charities1 philanthropies1 and moral reforms that he cannot neglect without injury4 ,if the efforts of such a pastor could be furthered by one1 two1 or more deaconesses1 as are many of the pastors of the ,london churches1 how greatly would the working force of such a ,church be increased6 ,it is true that we must develop the work in accordance with our ,american ideas and institutions4 ,through the study of the methods that have been adopted in ,european institutions1 and the experience that has been there won through long years of patient toil1 we are prepared in a measure to start where their work leaves off4 ,but we shall find that our circumstances require new adjustments1 and that we shall have our own problems to solve1 so that eventually our work will assume a distinctively ,american form4 ,we have only to plant the seed and to give it favorable conditions for growth4 ,the outcome is not ours3 ,in the morning sow thy seed1 and in the evening withhold not thy hand4 ,the results are with ,him who giveth the increase4 ,the practical question may occur to some one who reads these pages1 ,what shall ,i do to become a deaconess8 ,write to the superintendent of the nearest deaconess home1 and ask for directions4 ,it is best not to multiply homes until we have a larger number of trained deaconesses that are ready to take charge of them1 and until the number of applicants desiring to enter them is much greater than at present4 ,many churches that need the services of a deaconess will doubtless select one of their number whose heart ,god has inclined to this service1 and will provide the means by which she can secure the necessary training at a home and training-school4 ,there are many devout ,christian women in every community who have for years been deaconesses in labors1 if not in title and prerogatives4 ,it is very important for such women to give their sympathies and fostering care to this new institution4 ,if not deaconesses by office1 they can ally themselves as associates4 ,the associate is a real officer in many of the deaconess establishments in ,london4 ,ladies who have great sympathy with the cause1 and an earnest desire to do what they can to advance it1 give some portion of their time1 their labor1 or their means to promote its interests4 ,they will go to the home and reside there for some weeks or months1 being under the direction of the superintendent and filling all the duties of a sister4 ,or1 if such duties are not practicable1 they will work in behalf of the home1 often securing the aid of those whose assistance is most valuable4 ,in some places it is arranged that a woman who earns her bread by daily toil shall be assigned to labor at her regular vocation1 consecrating a certain portion of her wages 7perhaps one twenty-fourth7 to the cause with which she is allied4 ,the ,church has been accused of being too abstract1 too ideal1 too far removed from the life of the people in its every-day aspects4 ,it is well for ,church members to examine themselves1 and the ,church communities to which they belong1 to judge how much ground there is for such criticism4 ,none are so sharp-sighted as hostile critics1 and from none can such good lessons be learned4 ,but this accusation is not a new one1 and the only effectual way to meet it is to point to what the ,church has accomplished4 ,over eighteen hundred years ago1 when ,john the ,baptist was in danger of mistaking our ,lord1 he sent to him1 saying3 ,art thou he that should come8 or look we for another8 and the answer was3 ,go your way1 and tell ,john what things ye have seen and heard2 how that the blind see1 the lame walk1 the lepers are cleansed1 the deaf hear1 the dead are raised1 to the poor the gospel is preached4 ,let us be prepared to make a similar answer to-day1 and the ,church need fear no accusation of holding aloof from the needs of the daily life of the people4 ,christianity1 as it stands in the ,bible and in our creeds1 will neither be read nor understood by millions2 ,christianity as it is revealed in the loving service of deaconesses will be recognized by the dullest eyes4#ii ,we have reached a new departure in ,methodism4 ,the ,church has added another to its aggressive forces4 ,how is it to be received8 ,what welcome will be given it8 ,may pastors and people1 one and all1 be in that attitude of spirit where we shall respond readily to the command3 ,whatsoever he saith unto you1 do it4 #ie ,die ,diakonissenberuf nach seine ,vergangenheit und gegenwart4 ,emil ,wacker4 ,gtersloh1 #ahhh1 chap4 vi4 #if ,modern ,cities4 ,s4 ,l4 ,loomis1 ,the ,baker ,taylor ,co41 ,new ,york1 #ahhg1 p4 #aib4 #ig ,deaconesses in the ,church of ,england1 ,griffith ,farran1 #ahhj1 p4 #ca4 #ih ,the ,american ,commonwealth1 ,james ,bryce4 ,mac,millan ,co41 #ahhi1 vol4 ii1 pp4 #ehf1 #ehi4 #ii ,phbe die ,diakonissen1 p4 #h4 ,,note4 ,,yearly ,,expenditures ,,at ,,kaiserswerth4 ,while the book is in press the following interesting statistics are received1 which are deemed of sufficient importance to insert here4 ,receipts and expenditures of ,kaiserswerth for the three years from #ahhe to #ahhh3 ,year4 ,receipts4 ,expenses4 #ahhe-ahhf #ccc1dgf m4 #gd pf4 #cca1hab m4 #ab pf4 #ahhf-ahhg #cga1ebc m4 #df pf4 #cgj1fbf m4 #de pf4 #ahhg-ahhh #ccg1ejh m4 #ad pf4 #dib1chd m4 #ba pf4 ,in the year #ahhg-ahhh1 the excess of expenses over receipts was caused by the construction of a new building1 and special funds were contributed which more than met the deficit4 ,rev4 ,f4 ,fliedner1 the son of ,pastor ,fliedner further writes3 ,this does not include the expenses in the ,east and other foreign stations4 ,in truth1 about six hundred thousand marks pass yearly through our treasury4 ,what an amount of good accomplished by the yearly expenditure of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars6 ,,index4 ,acts vi1 #c1 #ac1 #gi4 ,addlestone1 #afa4 ,africa1 ,northern1 #ajh4 ,age requirements1 #bi1 #ahg4 ,alabama1 #bac4 ,america1 #gc1 #ajg1 #beb4 ,,america1 ,,the ,,deaconess ,,cause ,,in1 #bjd3 ,german ,lutherans1 #bjd2 ,w4 ,a4 ,passavant1 ,pittsburg1 #bje2 ,mary ,j4 ,drexel ,home and ,philadelphia ,mother-house of ,deaconesses1 #bjh2 ,swedish ,lutherans1 ,omaha1 #baa2 ,norwegian ,lutherans1 ,brooklyn1 #baa2 ,german ,reformed1 ,hagerstown1 #baa2 ,protestant ,episcopal ,church1 ,baltimore1 #bab2 ,alabama1 #bac2 ,long ,island1 #bae2 ,western ,new ,york1 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institutions1 #i1 #ed1 #eg4 ,charit1 ,la1 #ajj4 ,charlotte1 ,sister1 #ge4 ,charteris1 ,a4 ,h41 #aij1 #aib1 #bja4 ,chicago1 ,ill41 #gc1 #bdc-bde4 ,chicago ,training-school1 #bbj1 #bba4 ,children1 #aj1 #fd1 #abc4 ,cholera1 #dh1 #agj4 ,christ1 #bdf4 ,christianity1 #beg4 ,christmas1 #agh1 #ahj1 #aha4 ,chrysostom1 #be1 #bf4 ,church of ,england1 #adi1 #aej1 #aeg1 #aia4 ,church of ,england ,woman's ,missionary ,association1 #afc4 ,church of ,england ,zenana ,society1 #ahe4 ,church of ,scotland1 #aij1 #aic1 #aie1 #bja1 #bjc4 ,church of the ,deaconesses1 #ca4 ,churchman1 ,the1 #aje1 #aee4 ,cincinnati1 ,o41 #bbf4 ,cities1 #bdb1 #bdc1 #bde4 ,clapton ,house ,school1 #ahb4 ,classes of deaconesses1 #ahf1 #aid4 ,collecting money1 #ec1 #ed1 #aad4 ,commune1 #aca4 ,commune deaconess4 ,see ,parish deaconesses4 ,compassion1 ,christian1 #aa1 #ac4 ,conference1 ,chicago1 #bbf4 ,kaiserswerth1 #hf1 #ajf1 #aeb4 ,mildmay1 #afg4 ,conference ,hall1 #aga1 #agh4 ,consecration1 #bc1 #bi1 #he1 #adj1 #aii1 #baj1 #baa1 #bag4 ,contagious diseases1 #hd1 #hh1 #agj4 ,,continent1 ,,other ,,establishments ,,on ,,the1 #ic3 ,strasburg1 ,pastor ,hrter1 #ic2 ,mlhausen1 parish deaconesses1 #ie2 ,berlin servants1 #ii2 ,bethany ,house1 #ajb2 ,dettelsau1 ,berne1 ,sophie ,wurdemberger1 #ajc2 ,saint ,loup1 ,pastor ,germond1 #ajd2 ,riehen1 ,zrich1 ,gallneukirchen1 #ajd2 joint management1 #ajf2 environment1 #ajg2 many deaconesses1 more needed1 #ajh4 ,convalescent homes1 #aha4 ,convalescents' home1 #abf4 ,cordes1 ,a41 #baa4 ,constantinople1 #be1 #bh1 #ca4 ,cottage ,hospital1 #agi4 ,coventry1 ,miss1 #ahc4 ,crche1 #abe1 #bcd1 #bcf4 ,dalston1 #adf4 ,damsels of ,charity1 #dc4 ,darmstadt1 #adf4 ,daughter-houses1 #ga1 #ach4 ,davidson1 ,miss1 #bjj1 #bja4 ,day homes1 #bce1 #bcf4 ,deaconess1 #adi4 how become8 #bee4 ,deaconess ,institution and ,training-home1 #aie1 #aih4 ,deaconesses1 numerous1 #ajg4 world-wide demand1 #ajh4 ,see ,associates1 ,america1 ,consecration1 ,continent1 ,diaconate1 ,early1 ,england1 ,fliedner1 ,german1 ,kaiserswerth1 ,literature1 ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 ,mildmay1 ,objections1 ,paris1 ,scotland1 ,twelfth1 etc4 ,deacons appointed1 #ac4 ,de la ,mark1 ,henry ,robert1 #dd4 ,denmark1 #ajh4 ,detroit1 ,mich41 #bbf4 ,devonshire ,square1 #adf4 ,devotions1 #hc1 #aah4 ,,diaconate1 ,,the1 #i3 brotherhood of all in ,christ1 #aj2 foreign missions1 #aa2 home missions1 #ab2 diaconate1 #ac2 female diaconate1 #ad2 meaning1 #af2 qualities1 field1 #ag4 ,diaconate1 female1 #ac1 #ag1 #bj1 #bd1 #cj1 #cd1 #de1 #df1 #ahi4 organic1 #bjc4 ,discipline1 #abg1 #abi4 ,dispensary1 #fi1 #ge1 #ajc1 #ahj4 ,disselhoff1 ,j41 #ca1 #da1 #dh1 #gf1 #ia1 #ajh1 #aji4 ,dllinger1 #aj4 ,doncaster ,general ,infirmary1 #ahb4 ,dorcas room1 #agd4 ,dove1 symbol1 #ia4 ,dress1 distinctive1 #cf1 #hb1 #aaf1 #aee1 #aef1 #baj1 #bdb1 #bdi4 ,du ,camp1 ,maxime1 #acd4 ,dumas1 ,mademoiselle1 #ace1 #ach4 ,dsseldorf1 #ef4 ,dsselthal1 #ef4 ,early ,church1 #bca4 ,,early ,,church1 ,,deaconesses ,,in ,,the1 #ah3 ,pliny's letter1 #ai2 apostolic constitutions1 #ai2 deaconesses1 widows1 virgins1 #bj2 deaconess' duties1 #ba2 prayer of ordination1 #bc2 greatest growth in ,eastern ,church1 #bd2 ,chrysostom1 #be2 ,olympias1 #bg2 age1 property1 #bi2 in ,western ,church1 #cj2 decay1 extinction1 #cb4 ,east ,london ,deaconess ,home1 #aeb1 #aef4 ,easter cards1 #agh4 ,eastern ,church1 #bd4 ,eccl4 xi1 #f1 #bee4 ,edinburgh1 ,scotland1 #ahi4 ,eilers1 ,frederick1 #aaj1 #aae4 ,elberfeld1 #eh1 #ga4 ,elizabeth of ,prussia1 #aja4 ,endowment1 #fg4 ,england4 ,see ,london4 ,,england1 ,,deaconesses ,,in1 #adb3 ,puritans1 #adb2 ,amsterdam1 #adc2 ,plymouth colony1 widows1 #add2 ,southey1 ,protestants1 #ade2 ,mrs4 ,fry1 ,fliedner1 ,florence ,nightingale1 #adf2 ,agnes ,jones1 #adg2 ,ludlow1 ,stevenson1 ,howson1 #adh2 sister1 deaconess1 #adi2 ,church of ,england1 #aej2 outside institutions1 #aeh2 ,tottenham1 #aei2 ,prison ,gate ,mission1 #afa2 ,london ,west ,central ,mission1 #afc4 ,see ,mildmay4 ,environment1 #ajg4 ,eppstein1 #ej4 ,epidemic1 #hg4 ,ephrem the ,syrian1 #bca4 ,europe4 ,see ,continent4 ,expenses1 #hb1 #ahg1 #ahh1 #beh4 ,faith and works1 #bjb1 #bcj4 ,fallen women1 #aab4 ,farming1 #fi4 ,faubourg ,saint ,antoine1 #aba1 #acb4 ,feierabend ,haus1 #ga4 ,ferard1 ,elizabeth ,c41 #aeb4 ,flag at ,kaiserswerth1 #ia4 ,,fliedner1 ,,the ,,restorer ,,of ,,the ,,office ,,of ,,deaconess1 #df3 ,klnne1 #df2 ,amalie ,sieveking1 #dg2 ,count von der ,recke1 #di2 ,theodor ,fliedner1 #ej2 ,idstein1 ,giessen1 ,gttingen1 #ea2 ,herborn1 ,cologne1 ,kaiserswerth1 #eb2 collecting money1 #ec2 ,elizabeth ,fry1 #ee2 ,prison ,society1 ,frederika ,mnster1 #ef2 convict ,minna1 refuge1 #eg2 ,frulein ,gbel1 deaconesses1 #ei2 ,rhenish ,westphalian ,deaconess ,society1 #fj4 ,fliedner1 ,theodor1 #dd1 #ej1 #ee1 #ef1 #fj1 #fa1 #ff1 #fh1 #gc1 #gd1 #ij1 #ajj1 #ajb1 #adf1 #aee1 #ahi1 #bje1 #bac1 #bcb1 #bcg1 #bch4 wife of1 #ef1 #eh1 #fb1 #fc1 #fe-fg4 wife1 second1 #gb4 ,fliedner1 ,fritz1 #bah1 #beh4 ,florence1 ,italy1 #gg4 ,florentius1 #ch4 ,flower mission1 #agc4 ,foreign missions1 #agj4 ,france1 #fg4 ,see ,paris4 ,frankfort1 #gb1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #aac4 ,frederick ,william ,,iv41 #di1 #fi1 #gb1 #ajb4 ,free ,church of ,scotland1 #aij4 ,friends1 ,the1 #bbj4 ,fry1 ,elizabeth1 #ee1 #eg1 #fj1 #ajc1 #ace1 #adf1 #bji4 ,fry1 ,herbert1 #adf4 ,gal4 vi1 #f1 #ahc4 vi1 #aj1 #ac4 ,gallneukirchen1 #ajd1 #aje4 ,gamble1 ,elizabeth1 #bbf4 ,garden #eg1 #abe1 #agf4 ,general ,conference1 #bba4 action1 #d1 #bbb4 ,german hospital1 #abg1 #adf4 ,german ,lutherans1 #bjd1 #bje1 #bjf1 #bjg4 ,,german ,,methodism1 ,,deaconesses ,,in1 #aaj3 ,bethany ,society1 #aaj2 reports1 #aaa2 fallen women1 nurses1 #aab2 ,frankfort1 ,hamburg1 ,berlin1 #aac2 collection1 #aad2 ,saint ,gall1 ,zrich1 #aae2 ,sister ,myrtha1 #aaf2 ,god's ,fidelity1 #aag2 regulations1 ,bethany ,society1 #aah2 home training1 #aai4 ,german ,reformed ,church1 #baa4 ,germany1 #df1 #aah1 #bjb1 #bce4 ,see ,berlin4 ,germond1 ,pastor1 #ajd4 ,giessen1 ,university1 #ea4 ,gobat1 ,dr41 #gd4 ,gbel1 #ei4 ,gottestreue1 or 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