Helen Campbell's "The Problem of the Poor: A Record of Quiet Work in Unquiet Places"
A book by 19th century social reformer and writer Helen Campbell about her mission work and the colorful characters she encountered in New York City's notoriously poor "five points" neighborhood. These writings originally appeared in the magazines Sunday Afternoon and Lippincott's Magazine.
Our poor are fast becoming our criminal class, and more and more it is apparent that something beyond preaching is required to bring order out of the chaos which threatens us. Industrial Education seems the only solution of the problem, and earnest workers everywhere are convinced that only in this way can real regeneration be accomplished. Those who have been in closest contact with the problem have long desired such a practical demonstration, and in the final chapter of this volume some hints are given of the possible methods, though the scope of the book forbids any elaborate statement, even if the author believed herself capable of formulating principles and plans definitely enough for immediate application.