The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-11
Temperance Department
EDITED BY THE W. C. 7. Z.
Flower Mission.

Among the many interesting reports of
| work done by the unions of other states,
| a Wisconsin union sends US very pleasant
| account of one of their prison flower mission
days. They have the assistance of both the
| chaplain and warden of the prison, also of
clergymen of the different churches of the
city. so they do not lack for interesting ma
terial for their mission service. She writes
that the prisoners were, as least at the close
OF the exercisesd eager for the flowers all
see. The chaplain who is obliged to ex-
anime the letters of the convicts, says no
one could fail to see that the work mad been
well received and had done much good.
One boy writes to his mother very thank
fully of this remembrance hy the W. c. T.
u, and says liquor has been the cause of
most of his trouble. A number of personal
friends doubted the wisdom of having a
flower mission for such low and vicions
GLASS; and we came near giving 1t up, but
we are glad now that we did not. Tears
were a tribute from many, and one whom
nothing has moved since her incarceration
and who sis in for life,' broke down COM
pletely with the flowers in her hand.
Blessed mission! We had many good wishes
and we hope they were realized in giving
men hopes and better resolves to at least
some. The following paper was written by
a prisoner and published in our local paper:
''Last Sunday was indeed a pleasant day
for the four hundred and odd prisoners at
the prison, and one which will probably
serve as day to reckon from in the future.
The ladies of the W. C. r. U. through their
representative, Mrs. T. Hillyer, Held what
they term flower service. The exercises
consisted of a brief address by Warden Car
ter; singing by Mrs. D. P. Doty and the
prison choir and a choir of little girls; an
address by Mrs. Hillyer, setting forth the
object of this service in a manner that en-
listed the most earnest attention from her
audience, and comparison of prison wor-
ship now and century ago by Chaplain
Kutchin. The singing of Rock of Ages as
a solo by Mrs Doty was rendered in %her ex-
ceedingly pleasant .nInner, and her beautl-
full voice seeming to carry the ''boys' as in
trance, and when she sang "Scatter Seeds
of Kindness every convict was willing and
anxious to pronounce her the loveliest little
lady IN the land.
At the close of the service each prisoner
was presented with boquet of flowers at
tached to which was card tearing scrip
tural motto, and altogether it was fowery
day at the prison. Chaplain Hutchin's
happy manner in comparing the first prison
religious service-when the prisoners were
drawn up facing a cannon-and the present,
when the cannon had been banished for
dowers, met the loudest approval of any
feature of the entertainment.
There were many remarks among the !
''boys" upon the service, and one and all
were thankful to the ladies for their trouble
and very grateful to the ladies of the w. c. |
L. u"
Such is the testimony of oneconvict from
Wisconsin. This is one, and We are con-
,inually having such pleasing messages sent |
rs. Not only are the prison cells made
brighter, and the convicts led to purer, |
cleaner thoughts, but we have many cases
where these little messengers have turned |
some sin sick soul to Christ.
Our flower mission department aims to |
larry to the sick and suffering everywhere,
n hospital and poor house, and to the bed
side of the sick in private homes. Often
hey accompanied with a choice delica-
", something tempting to the sick-a cup
of broth, glass of jelly, ETC. Many a sick !
room is cheered and frightened by a short
visit from some lady from the flower mission
department. of the Y. W. G. t. U.