In His Steps

Continuing to work at the Settlement, Bishop Hampton and Dr. Bruce discuss the adjacent buildings and the saloon renting out the property next door. They find that the owner of the property is an old parishioner of Dr. Bruce’s named Clayton Price, and after a conversation, Clayton decides not only to refuse a renewal of the lease to the saloon proprietors but to also give the property to Dr. Bruce and the Bishop to expand their work. With new property and new plans, the pair of men bring Felicia Sterling into the fold. Felicia proposes a department in the Settlement devoted to food and the education of young women to become cooks, maids, and housekeepers to support themselves financially.

With the changing of the seasons, the contrast between rich and poor becomes especially apparent in the harsher conditions brought on by a harsh Chicago winter. In experiencing the reality of many of the poor firsthand, the Bishop is appalled that so many of his wealthy friends are unwilling to do anything to help in a serious way. Over breakfast at the Settlement one day, a conversation revolves around a sad piece of news found in the paper: the story of a man who was killed in an attempt to steal some coal to keep his family from freezing.