The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-08

sEcRETARY's REPORT.
The Secretary, Miss Isabelle T. Clark, pre-
sented her report.
To look backward is not always as pleasant
as to look for ward, but when a glance over
years work shows more of success than failure,
more of profit than loss, what can be better
than for us to turn for few moments from
our plans for the future, and see how those
made year ago have succeeded. In the first
place for statistics we have had the names of
81 different persons ON our books, who have
been assisted for longer or shorter time as
the case required, twenty-one more than were
reported during the previous year. The ward
visitors have made 731 visits, and distributed
2441 tickets. Thirteen of our benefciaries
have died during the year, but the majority of
those assisted have left us strengthened in
every way, for the work which was before
them.
-Four years ago, when our little organization
took an independent stand before the world,
plan of work was suggested, the success of
which many doubted, as no precedent existed,
and the exact method of work had never be-
fore been tried Need we say what the public
already know and recognize, that our plan of
working through the aid of the churches was
rightly conceived, and that each year az it has
drawn to close. has proved to us that our
work so far has been success? 1t is we'll
known that we try to help only those who can
not help themselves, and that we strive in
many ways to prove to the world and ourselves
that our patients are not paupers feigning ILL
ness to gain the bread that shall enable them
to live In idleness, but are those who are
worthy and in need OF aid. A visit to our
rooms any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday
morning, between the hours of eleven and one,
would be lesson in philanthropy, as we'll as
chance to study character. Waiting in the
hall outside our door are people of all ages.
Mothers who have come with baskets for in
valid sons or daughters, and children, solicit
ing aid for parents no longer able to work for
the bread SO much needed. Wives who have
come for their husbands, and husbands for
wives. Many you will see whose faces show,
even through the lines made by care and hard
work, unmstakable signs of refinement, and
the fact that they have known better days.
Many cases could be mentioned that would
| be of interest, but time forbids more than two
| One little boy came patiently day after day,
| and week after week, through storm and cold
though wretchedly clad, "Because, if you
| please, ma'am, Johnnie would be SO disappoint-
ed not to have his basket The doctor says it's
| only what you ladies send him that keeps him
| anyhew; he can't eat what father and / have"
| Follow the basket to o dark room in the
rear OF wretched tenement house in the east
ern part OF the city, where pale little boy of
nine lies dying By inches from an incurahle
| disease, and see the pale face brighten as the
outside door swings, and in bounds our little
| friend from this room, with his basket, and a
Hey, Johnny, but the ladies have sent you
lots of nice things to-day" Then, as the bas-
K6G is opened, ana tn6 nice Things taken out a
few grapes quickly find their way to Johnnie's
feverish lips, and as he lies back on his pillow,
with the bright look still on his face, can any
| one say that in that motheress home the visits
of the ladies Of the Diet Mission are not well
| come?
Again, in dark room, in an alley opening
| from the lower end of Green street. poor old
man, whose life-work had been very hard and
| biTter lay, at the end of the long summer
| months, dying with consumption. When the
Diet Mission resumed its work in the fall, a
basket of fruit was carried to him, and as his
wife took it she said to the one who brought it,
80, am SO glad, for Mr.. - has asked me
SO many times why the fruit didn't grow this
summer" forgetting in his weakness that
there was fruit but that he had no money.
More, much more, is done in these homes to
| alleviate want and suffering than merely to
| give the ticket which is to be exch angel at
the rooms for supplies. Clothing, bedding,
fuel and often personal care are given by the
ladies whose only reward in this world can be-
the assurance that "Inasnuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these My brethren,
| ye have done it unto Me-"
Full of thankfulness then, to all the many
friends Of the Diet Mission, we enter with re-
newed zeal upon the next year of our work,
hoping that it may be in the future, as it has
| been in the past, crowned with success.