| ^   ♦       TO THE
,*

     MEMBERg

*
*•
\   /        OF the

Fgilow- Citizens,
       IT ^s now about eigJiteSJJJ  ^fr^r^^lironpdi
                                     ejyg^JJirougb 1M
your liberality, a MagGapTSociety^KfcTmcd in the  '
 city of Philadelphia. * TheflpEfcje^ of this chari^ . «^
 you know, has been to provide afdac^of refuge for
 miserable and unfoitunateTe^Br who^having wan-
 dered from the flaths of rectitudJand virtue, are desi- ±
 rous of returning,  but who, from the odium .which is  4
 attached't^jjieir character, are unable  to  oblain em-
 ployment,^? veven shelter in the families  of virtuous *
 persons.  • V »'  #  a                       ^*
   The records of  the fctftciety show, that* of ttoae un^ti
 happy beings, tj^eie haveween admitted under its^Jare,
 a very large nwnter,, ofwhom  it is believqj that one
 half, or perhaps. twQthjrds, ^ia\e been restored to vir-
 tuous habits, and several  are now living witnesses of
 the  benefit which, unden* the favour of  divine Provi-
 dence, they have received at your Asylum.  A number
 of Them have gone to u the house  appointed for  all
 living.;" ȣud among these were  several  who, on their
 rinBn^ beds .gave c*omfortabl§ .evidence that a blissful
Jpnortajity ajiaited ther-
 
vr
        «      -•  ■■
  The AHHigers consider it important that the Society
at large should be informed, that, although the utmost
economy #as been constantly exercised in every depart-
ment of the Institution, the funds have generally fallen
considerably short of the expenditures ; and it is a sub-
ject of regret that the patrons of this useful  establish-
ment are not more numerous, or that its funds should
be inadequate to the important and highly  interesting
purposes |sr which it wa»instituted.
     "* tligbenevolenlfcid reflecting mind, the sum of
        ars armttftfl^given to promote the objects of this
#Society, Must be considered as a mite well bestowed;
     and  we^i-»Ajfcaf^ues^ur fellow-members of the
^.^.'Assfciation,  to^cej^^ir^fluence in endeavours to
^*' procure additioftalflpS^tas.
       The subst^ice oB^laspmnual Report of the Ma-
     nagers to the*SocieTCia annexed hereto, being as fol-
  •   lows, viz.
       The number of Magdalens in the Asylum 7    _  4
          at the last annual Report, was     An
       Admitted during the year,    -  -  -  *-^-   -   15
   '                             fk   •  «  * *       —
 •"  3Jotal,                 «#'            -   -.   19
t
• *.
  Of thes^ the Managers trifft$ eight fiave been hope-
fully reformed,  and are n»w ekker living in a state of
reconciliation with their friends, or are employed in
habits of honest industry.
  Five, it is true, left the house under less promising
circumstances; but of the  six that still remain under
our care, there is, we think, good reason to hope well.
Their deportment,  thougl jiot fully exprefugtve of thai
radical change of j%Pjy&^)$itf alone  enburu a corres*^

      1           ' 
3
pondent change of life, and a steadfast perseverance in
the ways of well doing,  is nevertheless promising, and
will not, we trust, disappoint the just expectations- of
this body.   So that, upon the whole, there is no ground
for discouragement, but the reverse.
   But though there should be discouragements many,
and disappointments many (and we confess  there are
some,) yet when we consider the worth of  an immortal
spirit, and what it is to be plucked from the high road
to inevitable  ruin, shall we not rejoice, and be encoura-
ged to go on in our labours of charity and  beneficence,
so long as there is the least ground of hope,  that even
one such  being shall; through our agency, be  made a
happy being ?
   He who made the human, soul, and best knew its
value, has set its estimate far above all material worth;
and thereby taught us, that no expense of wealth, time,
or labour, to secure  its safety,  can be  too great.  And
he has also enjoined it upon  us, not to be weary in well
doing.  But, to.smatch the forlorn votary of sin from the
paths of ruin—to shelter and console the degraded out-
cast—to uphold to her view the sacred pages of truth—
to direct the eye of penitence to the Cross  of Calvary,
where, alone,  is pardon  for the guilty—to inculcate the
virtues  of chastity,  self-government, temperance, hu-
mility and benevolence, and to  train  to habits of useful
industry, is not only to benefit the soul and the body of
an individual, but to render an important service to so-
ciety also.   It  is to return  into  its  bosom a prodigal
child—one no longer disposed to  injure and offend, but
to serve and oblige,  and, as far as possible, to recom-
pense and atone for past  misconduct, by future rectitude
and good behaviour.  This has,  we trust,  in many in- 
4
stances, beeu accomplished, through the agency of the
Magdalen Sooiety of Philadelphia, and tliese are the
grounds upon which the Institution rests its claim to
public approbation and support.
  At their last annual meeting, the following Officers
were duly elected, viz.

      Right Rev. William White, D.D. President.
      Robert Ralston, Vice President.
      William Ashbridge, Treasurer.
      Thomas Mitchell, Secretary.

                MANAGERS.

            Thomas Latimer,
            Thomas Savery,
            Alexander Henry,
            Peter Van Pelt,
            Daniel Jaudon,
            Jonathan Roberts,  •
            James Moore,
            George Williams,
            Samuel Haydock.

    By order of the Board of Managers,

               THOMAS LATIMER, Chairman.

ALEXANDER HENRY, Secretary.