Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-10
SHUT IN BY DISEASE.
A Great Society Of Invalids tt
Tighten Each Others Sorrows
EXTENDS TO BOTH CONTINENTS.
Systematic Effort to Provide Comforts for
the Unfortunatea
DETAILS OF THE ORGANIZATION
WRITTEN FOE THE prsPArcH.1


corporated in 1885; members in every State
in the Union, in Canada, Newfoundland,
England, Scotland, Germany, France,
Switzerland, Italy and China This Is the
name and record of most unique organize
| tion.
Fifteen years ago Miss Jennie M. Drink
water, now Mrs Conklin, of Madison, N.
j., was shut in her room by disease. She
had, however, heart full of sympathy for
| others and began a correspondence with an
other invalid, personally unknown to her,
for the purpose of cheering and comforting
her. This was the germ of an organization
of invalids which now embraces two hemi-
spheres and has . membership reaching into
the thousands
The pleasure and profit experienced from
this correspondence by these two persons,
bound together by the sympathy born Of
similar Affections, led to an interchange of
letters with third and fourth, and so on
until the Shut-in Sociery was fully organ
lied in 1884 The next year the society was
incorporated under the laws Of New York,
and Mrs Conklin was made its President.
The constitution provides that ''To be q
sufferer, shut in from thu outside world,
constitutes one a proper candidate for MEM
bership in this society,""
Only Desirable Membership,
In order that unworthy persons may be
prevented from becoming members of the
organization the constitution further pro-
vides that applicants shall "send with their
application, if possible, the name of their
pastor. or their physician, or of some asso-
ciate member of the society, as an intro
duction." The associate members, the con-
stitution explains, ''are not themselves in
valids, but, being in tender sympathy with
the suffering, volunteer in this ministry of
love" Each associate member assumes the
duty of corresponding with the members of
the society living in certain states or Ger
tain district assigned to him or her. and is
expected to subscribe at least 81 a year.
The management of the affairs of the So
ciety is in the hands of an Advisory Board
composed of associate members The pres
ent officers of this board are the following:
Honorary President, Mrs j. NJ D. Conk-
lin, Madison, N j.; President, Mrs Helen
E. Brown, New York City; Secretary and
Treasurer, Mrs H. K. Monroe, Millers-
Vile, Pa; Vice Presidents, Miss A. E
Lippincott, New York City; Miss Mary
Hitchcock, Hanover, N. H.; Miss H. j.
Wright, Philadelphia, Pa; Mrs. George
Reid, Summerville, 8. c.; Mrs. j. F.
Church, Pasadena, CAL Mrs. Fanny H.
Ferris, Wheaton, ILL.,; Miss A. Hopkins,
St. Louis, NO.; Miss L. Howard, Toronto,
Canada. besides these officers there are an
editor and librarian; the former is Mrs Il.
Miss A. E Fuller, of Hanover, Conn.
Various Departments Of Effort.
The work of the Advisory Board is dis
tributed among Committees on Finance,
Correspondence, Advertising, Helping
Hand Department, Wheel Chair Depart
ment, Children's Department, Missionary
The society is composed largely, though
not exclusively, of women. The Mems
Department is under the direction of MI. |
Will s. Mather, of the Chicago Y. NJ. c. A. |
Miss G. L. Lewis, of Boston, and Miss |
Josie A. Jones and Miss Abbie A. Miller, |
of Dorchester, Mass, have charge OF the
Children's Department., the members Of
which are called sunshine makers"
The associate members of this department |
have formed a band called the "Little Cup
Bearers to The King" This band is COM
who, in the flush Of health, are carrying |
cups of love and sympathy to some little !
sufferer. Each little Cup Bearer corresponds |
with little Sunshine maker" and has o |
badge of purple ribbon and printed letter
of welcome. Experience shows that chill |
dren, when once introduced to this kind of !
work, take to it with enthusiasm A novel
diversion adopted by some of the invalid
children is the practice OF dressing up their
medicine bottles as dolls and atterward
'ending the dresses around rom one to
mother.
Furnishing Chairs for Invalids.
The Wheel Chair Committee, represented
n the person of MISS C. O. Ross. of New
lrk, N. j., has for its object the alleviation
If the sufferings of the shut-in members by
furnishing them, as far as possible, with
Wheel chairs When an invalid is removed
title silver plate to the back of the chair
With the inscription: 'sTo the memory of
-" and give it to the committee to be
lsed by shut-in who cannot afford to buy
uch q chair. When this member is through
With it, it is passed ON to another who
reeds it.
This wheel chair work is materially aided
" circles of King Daughters and bands of
hildren, who buy chairs and send them to
nvalids designated by Miss Ross 1t is an
fact that a number of circles of
Kings Daughters have been formed among
he invalid members of the society and that
considerable amount Of benevolent work
as been accomplished as result OF their
forts. Miss Hortense Patterson, of North
Anson, Somerset county, Me-, who is a
reat sufferer and has had to do work while
wing on her back, has recently made
andsome promise quilt" composed of 81
luares, each containing q Bible promise.
his quilt she proposes to sell and to put
he money received for it into wheel
hair. Another chair will be contributed
, the society by the friends of Miss Susie !
levitt, lately deceased, to be known and
larked as 1.-THE Susie Hewitt Memorial"
Literature for the Sufferers.
Books, magazines and newspapers are an
mailing source of relief for those who have !
lem and are able to read them. But many
Iembers of the society are so located as to
. unable to avail themselves of any public
brary and cannot afford to pay for the lit
-ature they would like to read, and thus
lis means Of diversion is denied them. To
eet such cases the Shut-in Society has
'tablished library and furnishes books
i'd papers to those desiring them. Liter
;ure Is contributed freely and is sent to
[iss Fuller, the librarian. She sends it
here it seems to be most needed. Much
aiding matter which has helped to load the
gman's sack because the despairing house
life knew of no other way to bring order
1t of chaos in hef over-crowded garrett
light have served to while away many
cary hours if the owner had sent it to Miss
uller. i
However. she sends out over 1000 papers
i'd about 800 books during the year, and, . .
vt only every State in the Union but Can = =,
q, England and China share in the dis o
sI,.ks nj - -