Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-20
THE sHUTLIN SOCIETY.
About an Interesting Organi-
zatfon Numbering q 1000 Invalfds


Louis Republican, from West Riehfeld,
Ohio, the following sketch of the 'Shut-
in Society,"" 1t is addressed to 'sthose
who didn't know there was so many
people in the world confined to their
beds:
This society was formed in 1877, and to
Mrs. Jennie NJ. ID. Conklin, then Miss
I Drinkwater, Of New Vernon, n. j., be-
4 longs the honor of originating and giving
/ it a name. She had been shut in three
4 years when she began to pray that she
I might find some one else shut-in, sssome
/ Que to write to, to do good to. and receive
4 good FROM She already had one such
! Correspondent, Miss Susie ). HI. Hewett,
/ of Belleville, n. j., of whom she spoke as
ga dear little maiden, who is seldom taken
/ out into the sunshine and never stands
/ upon her feet" But she wanted another,
and "the resolve was made to find some
( body new to broaden her life as well as
mine.o
4 At this juncture Miss d. was attracted
/ by an article entitled My Invalid
\ Friends" signed s.Cousin Alice" in the
I Advocate aud Guardian. She at once
wrote the editor for the full name and
/ address Of 'COusin Alice" and CON-
meneed a pleasing and mutually profit
/ able correspondence with Miss Alice NJ.
I Ball, of Pittsfield, Mass. 4 second arti-
I Gle, called out by the above, and entitled
'ETo Invalids," added Mrs. L. j. Geer to
| the little circle. From that time the num-
/ Der has steadily increased, until now
there are nearly 1000 members.
In the fall of 1879 a manual containing
all the names and addresses were issued,
and every three months afterward, up to
/ January, 1888, a circular letter, which
! contained names and addresses of new
members, messages from the members.
removals, Withdrawals and deaths.
A monthly, called the Shut-In Visitor,
has taken the place of the circular letter,
and fills the demand of the society for a
more frequent method of communication.
1t is edited by Mrs. Kate Sumner Burr,
Walworth, n. Y, one of the associate
members.
To be a sufferer, shut in from the outside
world, constitutes one a proper candidate
! for membership to this society, which has
no constitution, officers, bylaws, or mi
! tiation fee. The only expense incurred
in becoming a member is the price of the
/ Visitor.
1t is a simple agency to give and re-
ceiye diversion of thought, comfort and
cheer, by sending and receiving letters
and other tokens of remembrance. Each
is at liberty to write to any one on the
list or to all.
Some Of the members are unable to
write, and some would find the expense of
an extensive correspondence embarrass-
ing. Writing, therefore, is not compul-
sorry. Those who are not able to write
may feel content to be recipients only of
the sympathy and love of the more fav-
Ored. But to those who can, it is recon-
mended that they select as many cores
pondents as they can attend to without
making a task of what is designed only
to be a pleasure. Nothing gives such
cheer and comfort as letters. They not
only aid us with their sympathy and
brightness, but help us to go out into other
lives instead of staying shut in with our
own sufferings, and surely there mast be
suffering for the sin of omission for those
who are able to write, if some of the
comfort and sympathy is not ''passed
on"
No one but ''shut-in" can appreciate
the longing we have for mail time, nor
how bitter the disappointment if there is
not even a pOstal-card for us, for even
pOstal-card is often enough to make the
whole day happy. ] appeal in the name
of suffering humanity to every one who
reads the following extracts from the
messages in the circular letters during
1882, and the Shut-IR Visitor during 1888.
to try to imagine themselves in each
writer's place, though no one who has not
experienced what the term ''shut-in" fully
implies can but very dimly comprehend
the story of suffering and woe they tell.
One writes:
'.My heart fingers long and tenderly by
each dear 'shut-in,' for % years on a sick
bed VIII teach one to sympathize with
Others
Another writes:
For % years have been Fshut-in," my
whole life bounded by the narrow confines
of my room, unable to leave my bed eX-
cept at rare intervals, unable to use either
head or hands in reading or in light work,
which would help fill up the weary hours
of suffering. / have much to be grateful
for, and not the least of my blessings are
the precious words of love and sympathy
which have reached me from other suf-
feriRg ones. | would gladly respond to
the kind messages if it was in my power,
but can only send my grateful thanks by
the hand Of friend, in this way"
A little over one year after the above
appeared in the circular letter, the weary
hours of this sufferer were over.
Another writes:
"IhaYe have been a sufferer for % years;
for the last 10 have not walked a step, and
the last have not been able even to lie
down, have to sit in my chair both day
and night.
Another writes:
eOnly think! 1 have been an Invalid
fifty-one years and half! Forty-nine
weary years nave D6Su COuhASu W tAllo
bed of pain and weakness.
sit is astonishing how much the human
system can endure. / was only Is years
old when this disease settled internally,
so that / could not walk. But / could sit
up a short time during the two years and
a half, but all these 40 years l could not
take a step or sit in chair to have my
bed made, but am taken up by kind of
machinery. 1t is a sad trial; but then L
N m hlpGGInDG mnpn IN thank
God for. Oh, how thankful l feel tor my
eyes and the use of my hands. l can do
so much for myself l have done a good
deal of light work while lying on the bed.
This has been great comfort. l can do
but very little now, am so weak. / am
now 70 years old. No one thinks | am 10
till tell them; my hair is but little gray.
/ have many letters from the 'Shut-In
Band,' but cannot answer them all, am
glad l know of it and belong to it. God
bless all the poor suffering Ones"
Another writes:
"Among the many blessings and favors
extended to me during shut-in life of D
years with spinal disease, 1t has been my
Heavenly Fathers pleasure, through the
kindness of my friends and correspond
ents. John G. Whittier and James Will
lard, to introduce me to your suffering
band"
Another writes:
81 have been shut-ln more than Oyears,
and entirely unable to walk for 36 years;
and at present wholly dependent upon
friends for every comfort of my life; can
not turn myself in bed, or move my feet
in the slightest degree, and my arms are
almost useless, only having strength in
my hands to sew, knit or write with
great effort. These sufferings and priva-
lions are the result of spinal disease"
Another writes:
SHOW l wish could see you all, and
learn from each the story of your shut-in
life, not from curiosity, but from true
sympathy, having myself been confined
to my bed IL years."
Another writes:
at is nearly 10 years since was laid
aside, and my sufferings at times are
tense. l have not to bear my w
long illness at once, but minute by min
ute.I'
One hundred and seven millions two
hundred and twenty-five thousand four
hundred minutes in the 206 years the
writers of the above extracts have had to
bear their mental as we'll as their physi-
cal suffering.