St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-12-13
$4,000 KINGS DAUGHTERS.
An Increase of 10000 I'm Membership
I'm Seven Months.


upon the organization called, "The
Kings Daughters" founded by Mrs.
Margaret Bottome of New York city,
who is well known in this place. The
Sun has published another article up
on the subject from which we have
taken copious extracts
Between May l and May 10, IL ,035
letters, with many orders for the bad
ges of the order, were received by the
treasurer, a delicate woman, whose
labor of love thus attained herculean
proportions. Now the order numbers
10000 enrolled members, together with
a probable contingent of 10000 more
which have not reported to central
officers, and comprises all associate
order of Kings Sons. The light of the
silver cross in America catches an an
swering CLEAN from Australia, from
Mexico and India, from sober, cOnscr-
vative Scotland, from the Unconditional
Lutheran Church in Germany, from
the Catholic comnuniOns, and from all
classes in England, the highest and the
lowest. France holds out her eager
hands, claiming to have originated the
first SisterhoOd of the Cross, an ancient
society whose badge was the Maltese
cross, and the brave-hearted Sisters of
the Red Cross in Germany long to
fasten the silver cross of peace beneath
the crimson sign of carnage. The
Kings Sons are banded together under
the same motto, the promotion of
whatsoever things are true and what
sOever things are pure" wear the same
badge and royal color, and are govern
ed by the same central council.
The phenomenal growth of the order,
it's widespread influence, it's mighty
power, its uncontrolled, undisciplined
force, its capacity for work, and its
undirected energies well might make
the little council of earnest women at
the head pause in silence. How gladly
would some of them have stayed the
rushing tide. How quickly would they
have lain down their responsibilities
if they had dared. Miss Libbey's lit
tie room was packed i'll every availa-
BILE space-On the bureau, over the
mantle, under the bed-with hundreds
of unanswered appeals for crosses and
mOttos, and the brave, earnest secre-
tary, Mrs. Dickinson, was half buried
under a mountain of letters asking,
"What shall we do as Kings Daugh
tiers 2" written by ministers and lay
men, by bedridden invalids, little
children, centenarians, young men,
factory girls, who had hardly enough
work to keep body and soul together,
and yet lOnged for some sweet, small
service to the King, and the fair flow
ers of the avenue who had never set
foot in the city streets unattended and
knew no wish ungratified. There
1vaSuif In nr ~ ion or
a pledge in the order save the silent
soul pledge of every Daughter to be
loyal to her King in life and service.
The little band of ten sat down and
considered the problem, and deter
mined, though the fundamental spirit
of the society was "nOt to cumber the
service with needless organization, but
To unite women already engaged in
the Masters work in way To secure
the cooperation of all" that the time
had come when nothing but Organiza-
ton could dam the mighty tide which
seemed to Overwhelm them, and turn
it's power to usefulness. Accordingly,
Il constitution has been written and
adopted by which every state contain
ing ten circles of the Kings Daughters
shall have Il secretary, appointed by
them, working under and reporting to
the central council, and every county
having ten circles shall have county
secretary under the state secretary.
Whenever fifty members of IL state so
ciety shall become interested in a
special work they shall be organized
into a chapter, and communicate with
the chairman of the committee elected
by the central council, under whose
department their work is classified.
There are ten of these committees, in :
teresting themselves in foreign and
home mission education, temperance,
city evangelization, charity Organiza
ton, work among working women and
working girls, and among men and
boys, among Indians, and among in
valids. A monthly journal devoted to
the interests of the society, and con-
tanning the information requested in
the thousands of inquiring letters, is
published by the central council. 1t
is bound in purple covers, stamped
with Il silver cross, and bears the in
scription 1.-The Silver Cross, the au-
thOIized organ of the Kings Daughters
and Kings Sons"
OF the new Tens formed, the most
tender in sentiment are the Memorial
Tens of little children, formed of the
surviving companions of a dead child,
and a "Wilhelm Ten" of ladies has
been formed by the bereaved mother
of a dead son, who are to work for the
little sick children of the poor or in
hospitals, sending them flowers, books,
&c. An Anti Gossip Ten of young
ladies has been formed who fine them
selves one cent every time they find
themselves concerned in their neigh
boris business. The result of one
months existence of this little band
was fifty-five cents, to which gentle
man Interested added 81. all of which
WAS devoted to charity. One of the
eight Duncan groups of ten in Brook
Ign have RAISED by their personal efforts
$3.50 toward an endowment fund for
$1,000 for free bed in a hospital the
"Fidela Ten" send $50 to the Fresh
Air fund: the "NOn Ego Ten" in
Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania,
simply consider the wants of others in
preference To their own: three Tens in
South Carolina liquidated debt of
1925 on a blouse of Rest" ''The
Kings Guard" of Kings Sons abstain
from alcohol and tobacco: one Ten
aids Miss Barton of the Red Cross {:
"Comfortimg'' and "Pure i'm Heart
Tens among colored girls claim sister
ship with an abiding" Ten of wealthy
society giIls who sew for poor women
and pay rent and buy fuel for INDECENT
old men and women; Ten in New
Orleans have adopted an Indian boy to
educate him rs a missionary To his own
people. The adoption of children is a
favorite work of the Tens A Ten OF
factory girls, with scarcely sufficient
4. Il