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[?], shelter and for education.

It was in the spring of 1865 when the
honored Right Reverend Wilmer, bishop
of the diocese of Alabama, announced
to the diocesan convention, assembled in
Greensboro, the beginning of this home.
It was opened in Tuscaloosa, where suit-
able property had been bought; and funds
for investiment for the home were in
the hands of the bishop. These funds con-
sisted mainly of bonds and certificates
which, in a short time after the opening
of the home, were rendered worthless
by the fall of the Confederate govern-
ment. The only certain support left was
a few bales of cotton which had been
bought for $4000 of Confederate currency.
The proceeds from this cotton, sold later
for a very much smaller sum in United
States money, and the offerings from
smokehouse and pantries in Tuscaloosa
county were the only means of support
for nearly three years. That was immed-
iately after the war, and people learned
to meet emergencies that would have
seemed overwhelming at any other time.
Those who have kept in touch with the
home and knew its history give credit
for its being maintained through those
times to Bishop Wilmer, and to one of
the sisters, Harriet Erwin, who was one
of those wonderful women fitted in every
way to assume the responsibilities of
managing the home and able to adapt
herself to the trying circumstances.

In 1876 the church home was moved
from Tuscaloosa to Mobile, where the
bishop might give it to his personal su-
pervision. The property in Tuscaloosa,
which has been bought for $30,000 in Con-
federate currency, was sold for $2000 in
gold; and the home was established in
a modest way on the South Warren street,
Mobile, the house and lot being given
by the Mobile St. John's parish.

The children were from all parishes
of the diocese, being taken on the sim-
ple condition of being in need of a ome.
Some had neither parent, some had one
parent who was unable to support them,
and, as in the case of every orphanage,
some had indifferent parents. The ob-
ject of the home was and is to give
them, first of all, the teaching and dis-
cipline of the Episcopal church and to
educate them in mind and hand.

The children spent half the working
day in a well-conducted grammar school
in the home, and the remainder in lean-
ing housekeeping, sewing and mending,
while the older girls helped, also, with
the care of the younger children.

The whole story of the work of these
sisters would be a very, very long one.
The details of their work with the chil-
dren sent them, all kindness with every
sort and [?]

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