Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-11
WHAT WOMAN CAN DO.

Her Noble work Among the Unfortu-
nate During the Past Three Months
A Touching Appeal FOR Christian
sympathy and Substantial Aid.
The following report of the Bible-woman
for the Home Mission was read al the re-
cent meeting of the Society:
BIBIE-woMAN's REPORT.
The quarter Just ending has been so en-
tirely filled with greater interests that al
least one part Of the work hes suffered loss
note=taking has been nearly crowded out.
For whole days, sometimes, your Bible
woman has been kept on her feet and knees
together, scarcely sitting down at all, eX-
cept TO eat and read TO the sick; fastening
so rapidly from one scene to another, that
it was entirely improbable to take notes
of many things that would edify and en-
courage our Mission.
And have still other regrets connected
with this quarter. / could not answer all
the calls made upon me-calls from the
sick, the dying and the s0rrowing. SO
rapidly have dulles crowded upon each
other, that often in the midst of the con-
fusing whirl have had to stop short and
fly to God for immediate light and help.
Your bible-women can meet the demands
Of their position, only by direct cODnec-
tion with Him who is both Advise and Al
mighty. One Of them, at least, feels her
self utterly insufficient. lset theit names
trenble or your lips whenever you look to-
ward heaven.
The Sunday-schoOl interest improves as
health and weather favor. Some fifteen
new pupils have promised to attend Sum
day school at different points Of the city
Five bibles have been distributed. Our
conversions for the quarter number
eleven. The work at the peni-
Tertiary is prospering gloriously,
don't think a single week has passed
without some new development for good
being seen. There is an agenty al work
there To which l would fam believe our
Mission holds spiritually about the rela-
tionship of grandmother, that, could you
see their quiet, patient zeal, gliding about
from cell to cell, and from class to class
scattering the word OF life and kindling
the hope OF Immortality; could you see how
conquest after conquest marks their meek
footprints, YOU too would have TO hold your
breath to press back the leaping hallelu-
jahs. Many very interesting scenes have
been witnessed in the hospital of that in
stitution. Here you would be impressed
with the AbHiglttneSS of our great saliva
ton. The felon's bunk in all the gloom Of
its outlines and lOathsOmeness, furnishes
a capital background in which to set the
bow of the new covenent. Said one, as he
circled his finger round the room with a
look of triumph that nothing earthly could
kindle, '.Heaven is all the Tn0re heavenly
for these Surroundings, Madam. all the more
heavenly" Another, while death held car
nival at his heart, catching sound of Gods
sweet promises, replied, "Yes, yes, that is
So" Then, after pause, he added, "My
life is a success at last. I've missed every
thing else, but I've gained heaven" An
other begged rue to warn young nien,
wherever met them, to avoid all forms Of
dissipation. He said the designations Of
fashionable life, the popular games of the
parlOT. with the wine and the song, rem
dered all the more enjoyable by the sane
tiOn and participation of wOman-dculgeI-
Gus. beautiful wOman-had been his own
undOing. | asked him if | might pray for
him. He replied, II don't care. do as Won
please, II won't affect my destiny. | am
lost" He spoke in cold, steady, sepulchral
voice, in the awful calmness of utter despair.
| approached another just rs he seemed to
him for a Christian. and wiping the damp
from his cold, placid forehead, / said, mus
ingly, 30 death, thy freezing kiss emaciates;
the rest is bliss" He looked up smiling
and said, edo | indeed look so badly? |
ought to look beautiful now, for / am brim-
full of God"
Our poor are, for the most part, doing
well, vet there are many very deplorable
A N-ihnrr with fosr- obi Hrar, l,o
oldest of whom is deaf and dumb and the
next cripple, left the city few days ago,
to try to get farm work in the country, hav-
ing for some time earned their bread, by
picking up rags round the depOts of the
city. She said the authorities at those
places drove her away.
The aged and invalid poor are mostly to
be pitied. These cannot help themselves.
1t would be well, perhaps, to make speci-
ality in this direction. Pauperism, | find,
in most other instances, is the result of
some radical fault or deficiency in the mo-
raj character. The inactiOn, filth and self
abandonment visible all about them, indi-
cate a moral poverty far more deplorable
than all the horrors of starvation. They
need to be elevated by contact with bet
ter type of their own species. They need
10 be visited Oftener and by more than your
bible-wOman. She may offer them Spiri-
tuaI solace and instruction, and succeed in
unlocking all the deep fountains of the re-
ligious nature, but the vents must be kept
free by constant usage. A sort of social
element must combine with the devotional
10 keep before them the possibility
and vital necessity of raising them
selves highaI, aud still higher in the
scale of being, and perhaps there is no bet
ter way Of doing this than by special Wis
iting committee Of discreet Christian wo-
men for each ward, so that each poor family
may have simple social visit at least once
a week. Your Bible-woman could not
make the circuit of the city regularly often
er than once a month, devOting her entire
time and strength to the work. Said poor
miserable wife and mother a few DAYS
since, madam, you are the onlyrespectab e
looking white woman that has been in my
house for five years; and there's nothing
diSgraceful the matter with me either, only