Student Charity Work.

The first college conference was held last evening, the subject for discussion being the opportunities for charity work open to students. Professor Peabody made a short introductory address describing the various attempts of the past few year and outlining the plan proposed now. It has been proved that a college movement to be successful must arise from without. College men have neither the time nor the experience to originate a large plan of work. It is proposed now to work through channels already laid out. The many charity organizations of Boston eagerly welcome any aid from Harvard students. In order to make more plain the line of work thus opened, the Hon. Robert Treat Paine, president of the Boston Associated Charities had consented to describe the method of that organization. Mr. Paine said that the great problem which the Associated Charites had tried to solve was how to utilize the spare moments which busy men and women can give to the service of fellow beings less fortunately situated. It is the object of the association to send in to every family in distress some one to exert an influence as a friend. An occasional visit, with a careful investigation and a search for a remedy is in general the plan of work. In Boston there is our central office controlling over seven hundred such visitors. There is plenty of work to be done and an infinite variety of problems to be solved, The experience gained will help men to grapple with the problems of life which every educated man must meet.

Mr. Birtwell of the class of '82, secretary of the Children's Aid Society was then introduced. He said there were two leading points to be considered in discussing student work. First the work must be of itself of real value, and second it must suggest the broader and deeper problem of life. The work suggested does lead directly into all the great social questions of the day, intemperance, divorce, prison reform, everything in fact except the Indian question. At the close of the meeting Professor Peabody requested all who were willing to undertake the work to communicate with him and with the office of the Associated Charities or the Children's Aid Society in Boston.