Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-09-02
THE SHUT I'm SOCIETY.

-
lists Among the Patti emit Sufferers
Their Method of Giving One An
other sympathy Yet NOT Able 10
Leave the Sick RoOHh-Their Mem
bers Now are Many Thousands and
all May Join.
About ten years ago lady who had
been an invalid for years, read with inter-
est communication from another invalid
in one of our Christian weeklies, on being
'shut in" from the world.
Learning the name of the'writer of the
article from the publishers the interested
reader wrote to the writer and on forming
letter friendship, the two ladies agreed
to seek out other invalids who were in
their homes, suffering.
When the number had increased to
about fifteen these corresponding friends
agreed to call themselves the 'sShut In
Society,"" the name originating with the
| article that called forth the beginning of
| the "club."
creased until they had communication
through the columns of the Advocate and
| Guardian about this time eight years ago,
q president and other officers were elected
and the society chartered by the governor
of New York.
| To-day the society numbers many thous-
and members, part of these being invalids
and part ladies called associate mem
I bers," their duty being to introduce sick
members to each other, to greet new
members as they join the club, and if
agreeable to their convenience, visit the
| sick members or correspond with these,
endeavoring thereby to bring as much as
possible of out-of-door life with it's cheer
ing influence to the sick room.
There are between thirty and forty "off-
cers' of the club besides the hundreds OF
associate members"
! This is not a gloomy association. Any
thing like morbidly dwelling on ones suf-
| ferings is discouraged, while sympathy is
| extended in it's fullest sense.
| No one, however sympathetic, can I'M
| derstand an invalid as can another similar
| ly afflicted.
There is an immediate ''freemasonry"
established with the total stranger that
| grows more near and dear, but which the
hearty members of the home circle cannot
extend.
| Anyone who is sufferer and who can
give proper reference is admitted, be he or
She in a mansion or in the humblest cot
tage in the country.
The mems department has its center in
Chicago, the woman's branch in New York
city.
There is an endeavor to bring together
people who are in harmony with each
other, for all kinds of intellects are repre-
sented in this large society.
The farmers wives and daughters, who
show by their little penciled missives that
other circumstances than those of illness
have shut them in from the outer and ele-
waiting influences, to the city lady who has
passed most of her life in travel, study
and flights into the higher space of poetic
fancies.
Amember entering the club cannot tell
by list of names who should be her cor
Observation-Disclosures "Mrs. James Brown,
Hawkinsville, New York." will send her
letters so monotonous that it would tax
every atom of patience to sustain CORE
spondence where all the subjects advanced
must be one side, or whether the unseen
friend will prove to be so learned that the
new conner must brush the dust of mental
philosophy, ancient history and all the
works on science in order to be anything
short of dull in the interchange ofssideas A
magazine called the Open Window is pub
lished monthly and letters from the mem
bers are published therein. Photographs
are exchanged frequently, and at the holi-
days leaflets and booklets are sent.
Frequently mutual friends are discov-
cred by people corresponding-the
friends being both in the society or not in
the club but as rule there is tacit
courtesy about not mentioning names, as
these letter friendships are very delicately
balanced, and any intrusion beyond the
line necessary for sympathy and a pleasant
exchange of thought on topics of the day
e and little home pleasures would be likely
to destroy the object of the acquaintance
the greatest number is in our own coun
try.
Many sufferers have said: "Untl
Joined this society thought providence
had singled me out as the only person to
endure years of suffering. Now see that
thousands of others have as much to en-
dure."
There is nothing Of the selfish ''misery
loves company" in this remark. 1t sim
ply implies resignation to the inevitable
partly brought about by sympathy fol
others.
People long sick find more comfort il
this society than in seeing well friends, ne
matter how much sympathy these may
have to offer. Very few well persons
know how to visit the sick and are apt tt
say the wrong thing.
1t does not take an iNtable person to b
annoyed when in extreme pain 'to b.
? told to be thankful it Is no worse" "Yol
have many blessings that ought to maxi
you forget your palms," and in endeavor
ing to follow this volunteered advice thu
invalid is tempted to appear more Cheerful
than he or she really can afford th'
strength to assume the remark is sure t.
come, 'You are SO well that l guess moth
ing much ails you; with little exertioI
, you could be WE'LL
None of these injurious comments cal
culate to make chronic invalid resolv
to ''never see anyone again" can come il
the never-failing freemasonry of the letter
from other invalids, and this is one of tn
main objects of this noble and ever in
creasing society.