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 LI B R.AR.Y 
 
 OF THE 
 
 U N IVERSITY 
 
 Of ILLI NOIS
 
 "Faith which worketh by Love."— Gal. v, 6. 
 
 A LETTER 
 
 TO 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN COLERIDGE, 
 
 ymi(xx{ of the l$m$z of ^er^cij, Bitchingham, 
 
 BY 
 
 THE VEN. HUGH W. JERMYN, M.A., 
 
 Rector of Nettlecombe, Somerset, and Rural Dean; late Archdeacon 
 of St. Christopher's, West Indies. 
 
 Having" during* the absence of the Warden 
 for the last five weeks been occupied in the spiritual 
 superintendence of the House of Mercy at Ditchingham, 
 of which you are the Visitor, I desire, with your per- 
 mission, to lay before you an account of the impressions 
 which have been made upon my mind, as to the condi- 
 tion and working of the institution. 
 
 It will be as well to mention at starting that I have 
 never before had any actual experience of the working 
 of a Sisterhood, and that I went to Ditchingham bent 
 upon examining into the operation of the system as 
 closely and carefully as I could. I was, therefore, glad 
 to avail myself of every opportunity of looking into the
 
 arrangements of the House, beyond the sphere of my 
 spiritual duties. And I have to thank the Superior 
 and Sisters for the very kind manner in which they 
 made me acquainted with all the rules of the House, 
 and allowed me to examine into their operation. 
 
 The building has been designed for the accommoda- 
 tion of thirty penitents, and seems thoroughly well 
 adapted to its purposes, with the exception of the 
 laundries and some of the out-offices, which are much 
 too small. The chapel, though not yet completed in 
 all its embellishments, is extremely convenient and 
 well-ordered j and the services, short and frequent, 
 are thoroughly reverent and devotional. 
 
 Everything in the House is conducted with the 
 utmost punctuality and precision, strict but gentle 
 discipline being maintained in every department, and 
 cleanliness, industry, and quiet behaviour steadily en- 
 forced. Outbreaks of temper, disobedience of orders, 
 impertinence, and such offences are of course not 
 unfrequent — especially among those penitents recently 
 admitted. But the dread of dismissal seldom fails to 
 bring the most hardened, at any rate, to outward con- 
 formity. Any penitent may leave the institution after 
 giving a week's warning', but during that week she is 
 kept separate from the «*est, and I believe that the 
 week scarcely ever passes without a change of mind, 
 and earnest entreaties to be allowed to remain. I 
 witnessed this once or twice, and was very much 
 struck with the power which the dread of dismissal 
 seems to exercise. Even those who have made least
 
 exertion to improve, whose tempers are the most un- 
 tractable and their tone of mind the least chastened, 
 seem to chng to the House as their one hope of safety 
 — and this in spite of a system of strict, though neces- 
 sary restraint, of constant supervision, and steady 
 employment. 
 
 But it is not only this dread of dismissal which 
 restrains and subdues them. I do not believe there is 
 a penitent in the House who does not feel the real 
 force of that " faith working by love " which is 
 brought before them in the lives of the Sisters. They 
 see these ladies of gentle birth and nurture, whom 
 they know to be in every possible way so superior to 
 themselves, living among them apart from their friends, 
 apart from all the ordinary pleasures and enjoyments 
 of life, for the sole purpose of guiding them into the 
 way of peace. This it is which makes the grand 
 difference between a House of Mercy, managed by a 
 Sisterhood, and one of the old Magdalen Hospitals. 
 And there is not a day in which the effects of this 
 may not be seen. The feeling is continually expressing 
 itself in sorrow at having vexed a Sister, shame at 
 having been ungrateful to them, tears of real grief 
 over a temper which breaks out again and again, after 
 so much love, and forbearance, and help from the 
 Sisters. There was no one subject of self-reproach 
 more often referred to by the penitents than this ; and 
 I could not but think how great was the contrast 
 between such a system and one dependent for its suc- 
 cess upon a paid matron and paid attendants. Yet no
 
 offence is ever concealed by a Sister. The penitents 
 are never allowed to be together without a Sister being 
 present — in their work or their recreation a Sister 
 must always be with them^ kind but not familiar, 
 allowing no reference to their past lives, restraining 
 faults and follies, checking frivolity and passion, yet 
 winning all this affectionate respect through *^ faith 
 working by love." 
 
 An evidence of the general feeling of affection and 
 respect prevalent among the penitents was afforded me, 
 by their begging of me one evening, after a Scripture 
 lesson, that I would ask the Lady Superior to allow 
 them to give up their allowance of sugar and their 
 suppers, in order to reduce the expenses of the House. 
 They had heard that the institution was in debt, that 
 much anxiety was felt lest the number of penitents 
 should have to be reduced, and they wished to follow 
 the example set them by the Sisters, in denying them- 
 selves something every day of their lives. 
 
 The Laundry Matron is the only person in the 
 House who receives wages. From the nature of her 
 employment she necessarily suffers very directly and 
 frequently from the irritability, indolence, or ignorance 
 of the penitents; and yet this person, when she be- 
 came aware of the pressure on the funds of the insti- 
 tution, made an offering of £2 out of her wages 
 towards its relief. These facts appear to me to be 
 substantial and undeniable evidences of the deep true 
 spirit of love, and faith, and self-denial, which the 
 system generates.
 
 Now, sir, allow me to g-o more into spiritual matters. 
 Of course the g-reat aim and object of the House of 
 Mercy is to convert these fallen women — to turn their 
 first feelings of remorse into true penitence — to lead 
 them from darkness to light — to bring them, if unbap- 
 tised to baptism, if unconfirmed to confirmation — to 
 fit them, if possible, to receive the Holy Sacrament of 
 the Body and Blood of Christ — in short, by every 
 means within the reach of the Church on earth, to 
 train them for heaven. How far this is actually 
 accompHshed God alone doth know, and the Last 
 Day will alone reveal. We can but exercise that 
 '* faith which worketh by love," and leave the issue in 
 the hands of Him who came to seek and to save that 
 which was lost. But though the ultimate issue is in 
 higher hands than ours, we are graciously permitted 
 to see enough to encourage us abundantly in our 
 labours. As to what becomes of the penitents, and 
 how they conduct themselves after they leave the 
 Sisters' hands, I can only judge b}^ the reports of 
 others. I gather that a very small number, probably 
 not more than one in ten, fall back in a greater or less 
 degree into evil courses ; that a larger number, probably 
 about one-half, settle down into steady and respectable 
 habits of life ; and that the remainder, or about two- 
 fifths, become thoroughly and truly penitent and 
 religious. This, however, I cannot answer for of my 
 own knowledge. But what I can answer for, and 
 what I especially wish, sir, to press upon your notice, 
 is the very marked, and to me surprising, difference
 
 between those penitents who have only recently entered 
 the House, and those who have been there for any 
 length of time. I have been in Holy Orders for about 
 twenty-three years, and during that time my expe- 
 rience has been extensive and varied ; so that I do not 
 judge of this matter as a novice in spiritual work. 
 Yet I have no hesitation in saying, after patient and 
 careful examination under circumstances which enabled 
 me to judge very thoroughly of the soundness of my 
 conclusion, that the system pursued in this House of 
 Mercy is blessed with more than usually abundant 
 fruit. Some even of the more advanced penitents 
 came before me for rebuke and warning, and I had 
 every opportunity afforded me of appreciating their 
 faults and shortcomings. Yet upon guaging their 
 minds and characters, and comparing the more ad- 
 vanced with the less advanced, seeing- each one of 
 them separately and all repeatedly in class together, 
 I could not possibly have helped noticing the marvel- 
 lous change produced in manner and mind, and (as far 
 as man can judge) in heart and spirit, by the social, 
 moral, and spiritual training and teaching which they 
 receive. I do not judge merely by words and pro- 
 fessions, but by those numberless signs and marks and 
 evidences which a man of any real experience notes, 
 when endeavouring carefully to guage and appreciate 
 character. I noted one who had been some time in 
 the House as thoroughly unsatisfactory; yet I had 
 every reason to believe that even upon her the labours 
 of love had not been thrown away. But in the great
 
 majority of those who had been a year and upwards 
 in the House, the difference between them and those 
 of recent admission was that of a radically altered 
 habit of mind and character. 
 
 Such facts as these, coupled with the demeanour of 
 one or two of those whom I saw who have some time 
 left the House, and with the information which I 
 gathered as to the life and character of many others, 
 have impressed me with the belief that this institution 
 is thoroughly excellent in its principle and mode of 
 working, and that the self-denying, devoted labours of 
 those concerned in it are eminently blessed by God. 
 
 But, besides the House of Mercy, the Sisters have 
 under their care at Ditchingham an Orphanage, and a 
 Cottage Hospital. The former institution, unlike 
 Orphanages in general, is intended for the reception of 
 destitute female children of the upper-middle class. 
 But in addition to these a certain number are received 
 in another part of the same house, as ^' Industrials," 
 to be trained as domestic servants. The house is built 
 to receive thirty orphans and ten industrials.* I 
 noticed much the same effect produced among the 
 orphans by the self-devotion and unbought services of 
 the Sisters, as I mentioned when speaking of the 
 penitents ; unruly, headstrong children being led, by 
 a sense of gratitude and respect which they were 
 
 * The terras of the orphanage are : — 
 
 Under ten years of age £12 per annum. 
 
 Above ten £15 ,, 
 
 £5 a year extra for instrumental music and modem languages. 
 An outfit of clothing is required on admission. 
 
 For Industrials there is a \iniform charge of £14 per annum.
 
 8 
 
 unable to resist, to yield to the power of faith working* 
 by love. I had not so ^reat opportunities of judging 
 of the Orphanag-e as I had of the House of Mercy — ■ 
 not having time to enter into the working of both 
 fully ; but I saw enough to impress me with a strong 
 sense of admiration for the work. I only wish that it 
 were more widely known and more liberally supported. 
 
 The Cottage Hospital was established for the pur- 
 pose of providing a place of quiet and systematic 
 nursing for the poor. Those who can obtain no 
 sufficient care or quiet in their own poor homes 
 are received — not gratis necessarily, but — for such 
 small sums as they or their friends or their parish are 
 able to pay. Six or eight beds can be made up, 
 and three or four on an average are always occupied. 
 The Sisters take the general management, the Rector 
 of Ditchingham is the visitor, and at his request, the 
 Rector of a neighbouring parish gives his gratuitous 
 services as chaplain. All seems excellently done. 
 
 The Sisters also conduct a large evening school, for 
 the female workers of a silk factory in the parish, and 
 a Sunday-school in a district of Ditchingham, besides 
 taking care of the Churches of Ditchingham, and 
 visiting the sick, under the direction of the Rector. 
 They also work at Church embroidery ; and by their 
 receipts on this account add to the funds of the 
 community. 
 
 Here, then, is all the requisite machinery provided 
 for carrying on, with more than ordinary efficiency, a 
 work — or rather a series of works — of mercy, such
 
 9 
 
 as every kind and loving" heart would long- to 
 promote.* 
 
 There are many in England who anxiously desire 
 to know where they may safely bestow their alms. 
 They are deluged with circulars and begging letters, 
 which they scruple to throw aside, and yet which they 
 hesitate to comply with. Most fervently do I hope 
 and pray that some of these may be led to lend their 
 aid liberally to these blessed works at Ditchingham. 
 
 I, for my part, shall not slack my endeavours until 
 T see the present debt paid off, and the laundries 
 enlarged so as to be more serviceable to the support 
 of the inmates — objects of almost equal importance, 
 and requiring together some four or five hundred 
 pounds — and besides an income provided sufficient 
 to support the full number of penitents that the House 
 is calculated to contain. There is room, as I have 
 said, for thirty, but an income insufficient for the 
 maintenance of that number. Cases of most urgent 
 need are constantly occurring, yet for want of the 
 necessary funds (about £20 annually for each peni- 
 tent) these poor creatures have to be refused ;t the 
 
 * More Sisters and Associates are wanted to assist in all these 
 holy works, for the labour at present is overtaxing the strength 
 of the society. I would strongly urge upon any ladies of 
 independent means, who feel their hearts moved to a life of holy 
 labour, to offer themselves at Ditchingham. They could find, I 
 believe, nowhere in the world a better school to learn in, or a more 
 blessed field of labour. 
 
 t I have heard to-day (July 21st) of two girls, aged 17 and 19, 
 applying at the gate vnih. urgent entreaties for admission, but 
 having to be refused. The Sisters, however, will not lose sight 
 of them.
 
 10 
 
 one opportunity for their rescue from a hateful life of 
 deadly sin is lost ; and they fall back outcast, forsaken, 
 hopeless, "into the dark waters where the floods 
 run over them," I know no line of thought that 
 one's mind can dwell upon regarding the loss of souls 
 here in England more fearful than this — the tens of 
 thousands of immortal souls that are perishing 
 through sins of unchastity in every part of the 
 country; the abounding wealth of those who ought 
 to help to rescue them; the hundreds of thousands 
 of men who have helped to pollute these poor 
 abandoned wretches, who might do something for 
 their rescue if they would, but who are living at ease 
 in the midst of their families, self-satisfied while 
 fatally deceived as to their own unrepented sins, 
 heedless of the fate of the unhappy victims and 
 companions of their guilt — all these motives and 
 claims for aid, contrasted with the inadequate income 
 provided for the furtherance of this Christ-like work — 
 for the maintenance of the institution which these 
 pure, refined, and self-devoted ladies have raised up 
 after twelve long years of incessant anxiety and toil. 
 
 May God in His loving mercy grant that hearts 
 may be warmed, and hands be opened, to help for 
 the glory of His Name this blessed manifestation of 
 that " Faith which worketh by Love !" 
 
 I remain, Sir, 
 Your faithful servant in Christ, 
 
 HUGH W. JERMYN.
 
 11 
 
 P.S. — I think that the most useful way in which 
 help could be given would be by annual subscriptions 
 to the Maintenance Fund, and by donations to the 
 Building Fund. The latter is especially necessary for 
 the purpose of enlarging the laundries; because if 
 this were done the labour of the penitents themselves 
 could be made sufficiently remunerative to support 
 the additional number that the House is able to 
 accommodate. Contributions may be sent to me 
 for transmission. 
 
 Nettlecombe Rectory, Taunton, 
 July 23rd, 1866. 
 
 S. cox, PRINTER, "free PRESS" OFFICE, WILLITON.
 
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