THE "Ladies' Home Society of the Baptist churches of the City of New York" was duly organized, and incorporated, March 19, 1869, with the design of providing aged, infirm, and destitute members of their denomination with a comfortable home in which to spend the last years of life. The payment of three dollars or more constitutes a person an annual member of the society; fifty dollars constitutes a life member, and one thousand, a life patron. The constitution provides that eighty female managers, members of Baptist churches or congregations in the city of New York, shall control the Institution, and shall hold their offices three years respectively, one-third retiring each year. Applicants as beneficiaries must be recommended by their pastor, and the deacons of the church to which they belong, as in good standing, and without the means of support. An entrance fee of $100 is required.

The first anniversary of the society was held in the Madison Avenue Baptist church, March 31, 1870, when a vigorous and successful effort was made to complete the subscription of $100,000, which had been asked for at the commencement of the enterprise, for the purpose of purchasing grounds and erecting buildings. Noble responses were not only made to this permanent fund, but liberal subscriptions also toward the annual support of the Home. Encouraged by these expressions of interest, the managers leased for two years the building No. 41 Grove street, at an annual rent of $1,800, which they furnished, and on the 30th of June formally opened with thirteen inmates and a temporary matron. As no part of the permanent fund, or its interest, could be applied for current expenses, the ladies planned a fair which was held in the following November, in Apollo Hall, corner of Twenty-eighth street and Broadway, and which netted the society $10,689.

The Legislature, during a late session, passed an act directing the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of the city of New York to lease to the society ten lots of ground, situated on Lexington avenue, between Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth streets, for the nominal rent of one dollar per annum. The title to this ground was promptly accepted by the trustees of the society, though the wisdom of the measure was seriously questioned by many friends of the enterprise. Several public meetings, to discuss the matter, were held by the subscribers, and other members of the denomination, in which strong men were arrayed on either side, but at the final vote of the members of the Home Society a majority sanctioned the action of the trustees. This unfortunate measure has, however, greatly disturbed the harmony of the society and unsettled its plans of building, some of the subscribers refusing to pay their subscriptions. This deliberate and emphatic protest against State and municipal endowments of denominational enterprises, entered into by so many earnest and thoughtful men, is an earnest of the sentiment rapidly developing in all the Protestant denominations, and certain to, sooner or later, control the Legislation of this country. While we can but regret that this false step has been taken in the early history of this society, we still wish it great prosperity, with many and liberal supporters.

There are now in the Home twenty-three inmates, several of whom are very aged, and one is in her ninety-fifth year. In this home of refinement, Christian influence, and comfort, relieved from toil and anxiety, they pleasantly spend the evening twilight of time, and serenely await the coming of their Lord.