For they are just needing a hand, it may be to help with their education, or it may be to give them a suitable start in life.

If the mother happens to be a widow, you cannot do wrong.
If one half of the money that is spent trying to help unhelpable people was spent in helping the kind of families I refer to in the manner I describe, the results would be surprising.
If there is any difficulty in finding such families, I would say apply to the head mistress or master of a big school in a poor neighbourhood, they can find them for you.

If they cannot, why then I will from among my self-supporting widow friends.
But do not, I beseech you, apply to the clergyman of the parish, for he will naturally select some poor family to whom he has charitably acted the part of relieving officer.

Remember it is brains and grit that you are in search of, and not poor people only.
If in every neighbourhood a few people would band themselves together for this purpose and spend money for this one charitable purpose, it would of itself, and in reasonable time, effect mighty results.

Believe me, there is plenty of brain power and grit in the underworld that never gets a chance of developing in a useful direction.