Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-01
KINGS DAUGHTERS.
THE GROWTH OF A sEAuTIYuL ORDER
OF SISTERS.
Banded Together to DO Good In His
Namer-Tiow the Order
Started.

Banded Together to DO Good In His
Name"-Tiow the order
Started.
New York SUM-
A richly-dressed lady leading shabby
little waif OF girl boarded a train ut
Hartford one morning last summer and
led her little charge through the long
train, looking inquiringly into the faces
of the passengers. Evidently she was
seeking some kindly person to whose
care she might consign the child. which
she was sending into the country for 0
season. Seeing no face which inspired
her with confidence to ask so great
favor, she ietraced her steps to put her
charge in care of the conductor, when a
passenger beside her, lady, removed
her wrap and revealed over her heart
tiny silver Maltese cross tied with a pur-
pie ribbon. Instantly the lady APP
preached her, touched the silver cross,
whispered the mysterious words, "ln
His Name" and told her all her need.
"In His Name" answered the traveller
softly, and tenderly lifted the child on
her lap, and cared for and amused her
through the journey as lovingly as though
she were her own.
An impatient rat-a-tat-tat" OF pen
Gil on a counter at Mscy's was not an
swered as quickly as usual, and when the
delinquent cash-girl made her tardy APP
pearance she was greeted with sharp
reproof. The angry words sprang to
her lips in reply, but another "Cssh
quickly touched the little silver cross she
wore on her neck, whispered softly the
mystic watchword. elm Ills Name, and
instantly the angry words were hushed,
while the quick tears sprang to her flash
| ing eyes.
The rector of one of the large churches
in Syracuse related during his sermon
the need and suffering of n poor family
in his parish. At the close OF the ser
vice a strange lady approached him and
said, touching the tiny SILVER cross she
wore 81 am q stranger in the city, but
I am one of the Kings Daughters. Tell
me where those poor people live, and L
will go 10 them In His Name. !"
A lady, whose elegance of attire and
beauty of person attracted the attention
and awakened the admiration of all who
saw her, stepped out of ono of the large
and fashionable stores OF New York to
her carriage, which stood waiting at the
door The wild March wind caught her
futtering silken draperies, and rudely
tore her cloak from about her.
As she struggled against it little
silver cross fell from her dress and
went tinkling down on the pavement. A
mite OF girl with n scrap OF a shawl
over her head darted ont of the shelter
of the doorway, picked mp the silver
trinket, and drew its counterpart from
her own shabby little frock. sit is the
badge OF the Kings Daughters, said the
lady softly, "are you one, too ;" She
held out both her hands with smile so
gentle and tender that it was more pre-
cious to the shivering little girl than the
money the lady left in her half-frozen
hand " In His Name"
One Of the hot, dusty days last sum-
mer a richly-dressed woman entered a
store on Broadway. Beneath the flash
ing diamonds that fastened her collar
cleaned the Maltese cross OF silver,
fastened with the royal color. The same
silver symbol hung at the neck OF the
shop-girl who served her. ooh ! you
wear the silver cross" said the lady !;
"then we are sisters 'In His Name, "
and swiftly the delicately -gloved fingers
sought the shop-girls tired hand and
clasped it closely over the mass OF SHIN
mering silk on the counter, while sympa-
thotic in1uiries elected the following :
go, yes 1t is hot, hard day, but 80
many of the lovely Kings Daughters
have spoken to me 50 kindly that I've
almost forgotten to be tired.
All through the summer large boxes OF
flowers, fruits, and delicacies were sent
10 the city from the wealthy ladies OF
Morristown, bearing this inscription
From the Kings Daughters OF Morris
town to the Kings Daughters of Five
Points. In His Name" And all sum-
mer, too, boxes of flowers were sent to
Castle Garden that every steerage woman
passenger might be welcomed to their
new home with flower, all from these
same mysterious King s Daughters, whose
emblem is ever the tiny cross Of silver
engraved with the initials L. ID. N. and
tied with the purple bow.
Who are these royal daughters OF the
King? What is their mission? What
is the Specification of the silver symbol
they wear, and the potency OF the mys
tic motto, "In His Name ?
In January, 1886, circle OF ten Ia
dies, consisting of Mrs. Margaret Bot
tome. Miss Hamersley, Miss Dickinson,
/, Mrs Theodore Irving, Mrs. Payson
, Mrs. Cortland de Peyster Field, Mrs
Ruggles, Miss Schenck, and Miss Libbey,
met in answer to Mrs. Bottome's invita-
ton to discuss and arrange some plan
which should unite all Christian women
! in one grand sisterhood Of service
Adopting the system OF Edward 4,
: Hale's "Ten Times One" clubs, they
, constituted themselves a "Centra
, Ten" around which should crys
tallize other tens Of workers, not as
suming any authority or responsibility
over them, but simply to form nucleus
, around which they might cluster, anc
/, from which might radiste encourage
! ment advice, and guidance. Of the
|, various names proposed for the ordel
that OF the Kings Daughters, suggested
|, by Mrs. Irving, was most favorably re
! ceived and finally adopted; the badg'
, of the society was selected in the small
! silver cross tied with the royal color
the watchword chosen was the simple
ain His Name" of the Apostles of old
, and the notices of action selected were
"Look forward and not back"
! "Look out and not in"
q "Look up and not down."
"Lend hand"
=, The society as organized had no con
. stitution and no code of laws save tn
! one general regulation that wheneye
/, any reasonable request should be mad
: "in His Name" 1t should be granted
without question or delay. Since tn
q immense growth of the order it has beef
: deemed expedient to constitute the Cen
> trail Ten al executive committee or al
!, visory board, with Mrs. Bottome as presi
: dent. 1t was also decided as the societ
: increased that the formation of bands o
. Tens was irnpracticable, and that O "Ten
\ might comprise as many member
as was deemed advisable by its leader
4 Leaving the essential liberty of the Ten
I IL