"STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL."
After my return my health gave way, as did also that of our worthy
agent, Catherine Taylor. She endured great suffering from inflammation
of the sciatic nerve, and was entirely disabled from labor for months.
Late in the Autumn our supplies ran very low, and our self-sacrificing
president was also in poor health. She, with a few other members of the
board, visited the asylum, and found nothing on hand but corn-meal and
turnips, which, with a little milk that was made into a gravy, was all
there was to keep the children from starving. Our president ran in debt
twenty-six dollars at the mill and grocery; but on Thanksgiving-day a
collection of sixty-six dollars was taken for the asylum. This
liquidated the debt, and furnished the necessary food for the time
being. But Winter was approaching, and the failing health of the
workers seemed to forebode the necessity of closing our asylum work.
Mrs. Catherine Rice corresponded with friends of the work in Grand
Rapids, asking them to unite with us in a petition to the State
Legislature to establish a State manual labor school in Grand Rapids,
as the friends in that city were arranging for a local orphan asylum.
The subject was discussed in the board, but a small majority voted
against uniting their local interests with the State work. During this
time, all new material sent in for clothing was exchanged for food, and
Jane A. Smith and our faithful teacher applied to a few friends and
received temporary aid. On December 15, 1870, we found the provisions
too short to last for two weeks. The question came up, What shall be
done for the twenty children for whom no homes are provided? Under the
circumstances, there seemed no alternative but to return the children
to their respective county infirmaries. When this decision was reached
by the board of managers, and made known to the matron and teacher, on
the evening of their week-day prayer-meeting, the matron informed the
children of it. Eleven of them had made a profession of religion, and
had given evidence of having found Him who said, "Suffer little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not" Each of these offered
earnest prayer for God to help them live so faithfully that he would
make friends for them, to bring them something to eat, "so we won't
have to go back to the county poor-house."
All this time my children and friends had not allowed me to know the
condition of the asylum. Our firm friend, Rebecca Bennett, and our
president called on my physician to ask permission to see me for advice
as to whom they could write for aid. He replied, "With your calm and
judicious manner, I can risk you." But they came far short of making a
full revelation of the true state of things. I advised them to write
the superintendent of the Congregationalist Sabbath-school at, Franklin
Center, and to the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Tecumseh. They proposed that I should dictate to my daughter what to
write. This was done, and my appeal was read in their respective
congregations. Within a week two sleigh-loads, containing grain, flour,
meal, and beef, and a whole dressed sheep, came from those places. The
drivers rolled in barrel after barrel from each of the sleighs, and
said they would bring more before this was gone. One little boy of
eleven years said:
"Mrs. Smith, don't you think God sent all this 'cause we prayed so hard
the other night?"
"My child," she answered, "the Lord has heard our prayers, and has
answered; and, although it is snowing hard, yet you must hurry, and
hitch Jack to the buggy as quick as possible, so that we can let Mrs.
Haviland know this; for I have been afraid she has been worse since she
learned we were so nearly out."
Soon she came into my room with the glad tidings: "Do not take another
anxious thought over our asylum. We had more supplies come to us to-day
than we have had for two months--two heavy sleigh-loads." We clasped
each others' hands and wept for joy, and praised God, from whom all
blessings flow.
This news revived the spirits of those whose hands were hanging down,
and gave them courage to reappoint officers. Rev. Dr. Asa Mahan's wife
served as president, with other officers, duly elected. A petition to
the Legislature was drafted and industriously circulated, and printed
copies were sent to a number of the superintendents of counties who had
favored our project. Though the Legislature was in session, and there
was not time to circulate it as extensively as desirable, yet Dr. Mahan
and others thought it might succeed, although there were heavy drafts
upon our Legislature of 1870-71. The State Prison was to be enlarged,
the Insane Asylum to be improved, and additions to Ann Arbor University
made, while there were still other calls for appropriations. All these
made the success of our scheme look doubtful to many. All I could do
was to continue in prayer that senators and representatives might feel
the importance of looking after the pressing wants of our future men
and women, soon to fill our vacated places. I found many children in
the county poor-house through the debauchery of their fathers, and
occasionally mothers.
The improvement, both in conduct and in morals, of the neglected little
waifs whom we had gathered into our asylum, urged us on in our work;
for we realized that our experiment was a success. Our friends were
thus encouraged to press forward with the petition.
Dr. Mahan and his wife, our president, went before the Legislature with
the view of pressing our claims. Members of the Senate and House
proposed to grant Dr. Mahan one evening in representing the project,
and left it in the hands of the Committee on Petitions. Senator
Randall, of Coldwater, put it in the form of a bill that covered the
spirit and requests of the petition. Being chairman of the Committee on
Bills, he presented it in the Senate. It was passed in that body, to
our great joy, and soon after was passed in the House, and received the
governor's signature, making it a law.
Though only thirty thousand dollars were appropriated by the
Legislature with which to commence operations, yet I knew the State
would carry on the work hereafter. The site for the new asylum was to
be selected at whatever desirable locality offered the most liberal
donations. As Coldwater offered thirty thousand dollars toward the new
enterprise, it was located in that city. While the buildings for the
State school were being erected, our asylum was moved into the city of
Adrian, as at that point it was more convenient for the sisters
composing the board of managers to care for it. When the "State Public
School" should be opened, all in our asylum not provided with homes
were to be transferred to it.
My health improved sufficiently to enable me to make a few appeals to
bring up arrears in our work. The matron and myself had received but
very little, as all went to the support of the children. I cared but
little for myself; but for sister Smith, who had been such a faithful,
mother to these poor children, I was more anxious. At length I secured
permission of my tender care-takers--my two daughters--to go among my
friends in Detroit. To most of them I appealed by letter, and made but
one personal call. That was more particularly in the interest of a
prisoner for whom I solicited a pardon. This was at length granted.
Governor Baldwin had known of my asylum work, and inquired after its
interests. He gave me twenty dollars towards it. Mr. Crapo's son gave
me twenty-five dollars, and Captain E. B. Ward fifty dollars. Others
responded to my letters, and I obtained over two hundred dollars.
The great fires in Chicago and Northern Michigan stopped farther work
of this character; but we did what we could toward canceling
arrearages, being confident that were it not for the continued and
faithful toiling of Jane A. Smith the asylum would have died during my
long and serious illness. It must have died, even after its removal to
Adrian, had it not been for a faithful few.
A few months after the State Public School was opened at Coldwater, in
charge of Professor Truesdell, superintendent, and Miss Emma A. Hall,
matron. I went into the school as seamstress and nurse, and remained
there nearly two years. Instead of overhauling, cutting, and making
over second-hand clothes for the three hundred little homeless waifs we
had cared for in our orphans' home, we were now well supplied with
bolts of substantial new material, out of which we made comfortable
bedding and clothing. Here we had no care about furnishing, and no
anxious fear for their support. With pleasure we saw the vast contrast
in conveniences and supplies compared with our little rill in which we
so long paddled our own canoe, and in which faithful laborers were
still at work. It matters not by whom this great work was accomplished;
it matters not by what agencies our prayer of more than four years
long, previous to the adopting of this work by the State, was answered.
Through an overruling power clouds and icebergs vanished, and in lieu
thereof the massive brick buildings of the State Public School in
Coldwater were raised, instead of the old Raisin Institute, where it
drew its first breath.