The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-29

| H01plcSS Ills our hearts today, ana as we
look into your loving and intelligent faces,
we wlH forget the perplexities of the year
ana hope that many more may enlist as
helpers. The browning event OF
the year was the organization OF
the Humane society," for the
Prevention of cruelty to animals and
children and the enforcement Of law"
everyone who pays 81 per year becomes a
member of that society," and will help
| strengthen and lengthen the arm that is
thrown around these friendles little ones.
AS we look upon these children we ask:
what are they good for? As one inquired
OF boy who answered eve are the stuff
they make men Of This is the raw ma
terlal, and this work of rescue and reform
Is the saving of that which is of infinite
| Value from dangers that are simply ter
rlble, We are so often asked: Where do
| you get so many children" Ali my
friends, many a wee babe opens its eyes
upon loveless world, many a wretched
| woman, many hard hearted man, desert
| these helpless, irresponsible bits of human
| 1ty. Then again poverty and misfortune
sweep over worthy, honest ones. Death
| enters the door and the mother is snatched
away, leaving a family, so one after an
! other. ofttimes four, five, even six at once,
! ind refuge in our home 1t is not q prison,
| not an asylum, not hospital, but we en-
! deavor to make it home in every sense of
| tIlo WOTu. We all KNOW, WHO are parents,
! that the safety OF our own children de-
| ponds upon the influence of the Christian
home, the foundation of strong manhood,
pure Womanhood and upright citizenship.
In the lives of these uncared for ones we
| want to cast just such an influence as
shall tell upon this life and the life
that is to come Some of them
are children of mothers left either by death
or desertion of her husband alone in the
care Of her child and brought into reduced
circumstances. We care for them and the
mother pays somewhat of her earnings;
her child is thus spared to her and she
feels responsibility in its support. Many
are rescued from houses of i'll fame and
places where drunkenness has caused cruel
neglect and abuse. We keep them until
we can find good homes for them. In the
two years of existence we have sheltered
us children. Our family at the home at
present numbers twenty-seven. OF these
Uwenty-three are children. The efficient
and ever cheerful and faithful service of
our matron, Mrs. Craig, has been
continued, and the highest tribute
that could be proffered her is
given by the children themselves, as
they clamor for her to be their mother"
and their partings from her are full of
fearful regret, when their new parents
come to bear them away. 1t isa continual
source of thankfulness that from this and
mothers and fathers, robbed by death, or
denied the joy of their own. 1t has not
been my pleasure to visit many of these in
their new homes the past year, but we
have heard from all. One writes: eve
cannot thank you enough for letting us
have such a treasure as little Tommie; he
just fills the vacant place in our hearts,
and is a sunshine everywhere" Another:
81 do not understand how such a lovely
child should have drifted to your
home. We love her and will always
care for her as our OWE" Time
forbids longer recital. Many go into
court and legally adopt them. Special
thanks are due to the committees who
have labored faithfully and shared the
great responsibilities. We have given a
monthly acknowledgement of the friends
donations, but today we desire to render
every person and every organization who
have been contributors in any way, our
heartfelt gratitude To Drs. McClees and
Stoner for valuable services. To the city
press for papers and favors, especially the
EAGLE for its faithful voice in behalf of
our work. The prosperity of the home is
due to many generous hearts, open purses
and ready hands My friends,
hear the Masters voice saying,
What We do unto the least of
these We do unto me-" In these latter
days we hear much about the mission of
NOlIdl. IL SttIllS W Ill6 b10 HlSHGSU anu
hottest work that can be given to human
soul is the care of little child, and that
we women must not forget that the nation
must look took to the children for its
future and that the children look to us.
The redemption of the race lies in the
children. In one of our largest prisons 70
per cent of the cOnvlctS are young men and
boys. There are in the reformatories of
these United States 10000 boys from to
seventeen years of age committed for the
same crimes as adults. A railroad presi-
dent, upon being told by the superintend-
ent of the company that there was a sink
ing fund on hand and asked if it had not
better be spent in Strengthening the
bridges and employing more competent
men replied: mo, it will never do; we
must keep something ahead for accidents"
That is exactly what the American nation
has been doing in leaving its little children
upon the streets by hundreds, especially
during summer months, and multiplying
prisons and reform schools to shut them
in when they have learned enough evil to
go there. When they grow up if not res
cued and saved they will out vote and out
govern your children. The whisky ring
will give birth to other whisky rings, and
the grog shop will kill public sObriety,
unless strong arms are reached out to
them before the chains of habit have
been forged. Public schools cannot do it. |
Prisons, alms-houses, art galleries, jails, re-
fOrmatOrieS cannot do it. Men and women !
awake to your magnificent mission! You |
can do it, We have OutgrOwn our rented /
house at 119 Pennsylvania avenue and the |
new home pictured one year ago is still |
a vision. We are fully conscious that you /
kind Wichita people would be glad to |
build it for us had you the means, but !
while we sincerely trust somebody with |
tenderness towards the children will |
donate two acres of ground on East Doug |
las avenue or College Hill we want to |
tell you. today, that we are going to ask |
the children, the dear boys and girls of |
Wichita and any other place, to build a
home for destitute and friendlesS child
rem" How many evidences we have had
the past yearthat all through our city they
are anxious to do more for the homeless
ones. Perchance some happy homes have
been desolate because the light of the little
one has been removed. If So cannot the
father and mother take the child's place
and bring gifts for the sake of these darl-
ng?n We have prepared these brick books,
to sell at 10 cents a brick, twenty-eight
in book. and we shall ask Sunday school /
classes. mission bands, sewing societies.
ETC.. to take these books write the donors
name on each brick, and return with
money to US. | am reminded of an Incl
lent that may be familiar to you, but you
Will allow me to repeat II. Across the
water, a company of Christians were wOr-
shipping in a hired hall and felt that they
ought to own building. So a meeting
was appointed for the brethren TO
,ome together and make pledges. But
Is they looked over the amounts, they
we're so small that it seemed as if the
of a chapel must be abandoned.
The next morning as the pastor sat in his
study there came a faint tap, tap at the
ioor On opening it he saw tiny boy
With a tiny wheelbarrOw, and in 1t six red
bricks. Said the boy: Please minister, l
near that YOU are talking of building a
Meeting house; and here are some bricks