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very nice gentlemen indeed ;" and I was much relieved by hearing that there were only Mr. Baines and Lord Courtenay (the Secretary) present. They were seated at a long table in a large room. The President had a very agreeable appearance and manner, and quite encouraged conversation. Lord C. said less, and had very much of the official and discouraging air about him, as if he thought me―as, no doubt, he did—a troublesome person to meddle with their affairs. I believe, however, I fully explained my cause. I even ventured to ask if they could not give at least a recommendation to Boards of Guardians that ladies should be allowed to visit; but that was declined. Lord C. said, however, that if I could get the sanction of one Board of Guardians they would not refuse permission, and that would be a great step gained. I think Mr. Baines quite admitted that good might be done by what I proposed. When I mentioned something about the chaplain, they said a new one had just received their sanction, and Mr. R-- was appointed. I suppose such a result as this is as much as is ever gained by an "official" interview, and I was obliged to be satisfied. It was clear that this was not the real cause of the guardians' refusal, for on representing to them what I had done, and renewing my application, the offer was still declined. I saw the new chaplain at the union and at his own house, and he said he would gladly assist me, owning he could do little or nothing with many of the inmates, but feared to say anything to the guardians, as he was so lately appointed. I felt greatly cast down and discouraged. The porter was frequently changed, and a new one was so rude and insolent that I quite dreaded to go. Altogether I paid fewer visits this year-only

nine-though I hardly ever went without feeling it was a comfort to some, and meeting with old acquaintances who knew something about me, and must have been cheered by seeing a visitor.

1855.-Paid four visits to the workhouse, and I again saw the chairman about more regular visiting, but without effect. The good master and matron died, and I felt more discouraged still. The new ones did not seem as if they would do anything. The master had been formerly porter at the gate, and was a most unfit person; the matron was passionate, and much disliked, and the complaints were universal; yet the guardians were well satisfied, and said they kept order, and were economicalthe best they could have.

During this autumn at Surbiton I went to visit the Kingston Union, with the chaplain. It contained 150 inmates, and appeared to be kept in very good order, as such a small number was quite under the control of two people, who were kind and fitted for their work. Even here the visits of ladies who would read to the old people would have been a comfort. The infirmary is a separate building, and is superintended by a separate matron. During this time I decided on writing something on the subject, and prepared a pamphlet, which was published at the end of the year by Longmans, “A Few Words about the Inmates of our Union Workhouses." I saw Mrs. Jameson one day, and asked her about it, and she quite advised my doing so; she had brought the subject forward in her lecture on "Sisters of Charity," and she said to me, "Strike whilst the iron is hot." I sent the manuscript also to Mr. Maurice and Miss Williams Wynn, and both approved of it. The subject of visiting workhouses was

mentioned by the former in a circular he had printed about forming classes for women at the Working Men's College, and in the summer a lecture was given there by Mr. Brewer on "Workhouse Visiting."

1856.-My visit to a third workhouse was to see J. T-, in the St. G. He was in a ward partly underground, with a stone floor; the beds, sheets, and shirts were quite dirty and grey. He said he had not seen the matron more than once during four months, only the chaplain and the guardians occasionally; the nurse was an old Roman Catholic, with a bloated face, above seventy. To get in I had to wait with a crowd at the office door to obtain a ticket. Visits to the sick are only allowed once a week, for one hour.

March 8th.-I took Mrs. Jameson to see the Strand Union, as she was preparing her second lecture, "The Communion of Labour," and workhouses were especially to be brought forward. We agreed it was a most depressing sight, more so than any prison, for there seemed no effort working for good, or to combat the evil. There was then a civil porter, to whom I spoke, and said I hoped kindness would be shown to the poor, who often complained of their treatment.

March 17th. I went with Mrs. Jameson to see the Roman Catholic establishment of the "Little Sisters of the Poor," at Hammersmith, where about sixty old and sick women are taken care of, exactly of the same class as in our workhouses; but the law or spirit of "love" reigned there. One sister said, “So disagreeable and arduous are our duties, that we have to think every morning of the motive of doing them—for the love of God." They get up constantly in the night to attend to the

patients, and sit and live with them, eating of the scraps that they daily beg and collect in the neighbourhood; yet they said their health was excellent. In the garden was a separate house for miserable, sick, and idiotic children. Why cannot Protestants do the same works with the same motives? Many were in bed, but some were sitting up. They make up old clothes, and seldom buy anything new. One of the two sisters, founders of this order, came over from France to institute this house, but is now dead, at the age of thirty-six. Many of the inmates were Irish Roman Catholics, whom the sisters said they wished to save from the workhouse.

June 26th.--I went with Mrs. Jameson to see the St. Pancras Workhouse with Mrs. T——, who had been mentioned to me as being one of the committee forming for visiting the workhouse. We heard much of the new arrangements, and of the miserable old state of things. One poor woman said their sheets had not been changed formerly for months. The matron of the infirmary seemed a good woman, and paid nurses were just being tried; the schools were not then moved.

This year I paid seven visits to the Strand Union, besides others to St. Giles's.

Once I was kept waiting with a crowd for some time after the hour appointed, and of this I complained. It was snowing, and miserably wet. I saw the master, and was taken by him to the medical man, who seemed to be the authority. Of course, at first he denied that it could be otherwise; but when I convinced him how long we had been kept, and the injustice of depriving the poor people of half the short time allowed for visiting their friends, he said it should be looked to and remedied.

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After I had left, he ran after me to say that he had ascertained it was all correct, and was much obliged to me for mentioning it.

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December 15th.-I went to the Islington Workhouse to visit old F. a blind man, who wished to see me. He had often told me accounts of his life there, and of his misery from the bad language, from which he had no refuge but by going to bed at six o'clock; but then he was woke up when the others came to bed, and was often disturbed all night. He was a very respectable man, and had seen better days. One of his expressions in speaking of the language was, "It makes my blood creep." The boys were taught to be as bad as the older men, by all being together. I could not hear much from him, as the nurse always took care to be close by on these occasions. One poor man in the ward was evidently quite half-witted, and they said he was a dreadful trouble, wanting to undress and go to bed in the daytime, etc. The nurse, with all her talking and threatening, could not manage him, and a man was called in to assist. I talked to him, and begged him to read and be quiet. The poor creature said, "Well, I really will try," and he seemed softened and more reasonable. How little are the arts of persuasion known or tried by those who have this difficult work! Signs were not wanting that the subject was gaining ground as to interest and importance. There was even another pamphlet published upon it, "The Duty of Workhouse Visitation, and how to do it," with a reference to Captain Trotter. I wrote to him about it, and sent him mine. I had an anonymous note from a workhouse visitor, rejoicing in my pamphlet, and sending me a little tract called "A Wide Field of Usefulness," urging the same thing.

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