Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-02-22

cauldrons are steaming over hot fires,
and the grateful aroma Of tea and
coffee fills the air. Huge piles of
loaves, fresh and sweet, are built up
on either side Of the kitchen in appe-
tizing pyramids, There is a clatter
as the mugs are ranged in rows. ready
to be filled, each mug holding little
short of a quart, At last the doors
of the Mission swing wide and the
waiting crowd surges in. Some are
snow-eoated or adrip with rain; many
are in garments that have long since
seen their best days; a few are warm
ly and even respectfully dressed, but
all alike are penniless, homeless, and
painfully hungry. There is no noise
or clamor as they take their seats in
the warm room, and wait patiently
for the anticipated meal to be served.
Mr.. Merritt himself goes round among
them as they enter, and with q nod
and kind word, makes all welcome.
Most Of them doze in their seats, un-
til the call for morning prayer at
about 4;3O o'clock.
1t is a moving picture, when these
five hundred or more destitute wan
derers, thus strangely assembled in
the middle Of the night by one mans
kindness, are served with the first
food they have probably eaten for
twenty-four hours. Every man in the
crowd--which is only the advance
guard of hers-enjoys his piping
hot breakfast and each sips his quart
of coffee (he can have as many mugs
of 1t as he wishes) and eats till his
hunger is satisfied Or, if he prefers,
he may have a few mugs of strong
English breakfast tea instead OF COT
fee. 1t would surprise most people
to see the quantity Of bread that is
eaten at this morning breakfast. Dur
ing the meal, MIR. Merritt addresses
the gathering, and when all is over,
and the guests are rested and salts
fed, they are asked to make room for
the next relay, who have meanwhile
assembled in front Of the Mission and
are waiting their turn. AT $50 a. m,
they are admitted and the second
serving of food to five hundred men
begins, all present first joining in re-
peating the Lords Prayer, At $3.50
o'clock the third and last, and fire.
quentIy the largest crowd is admitted
and fed, warmed, encouraged, and
comforted. When they depart, the
work Of the Mission as far as they are
concerned, is over for the day.
But Mr.. MerritHs self-imposed task
of loving helpfulness is by no means
ended. although his morning guests
be gone. For months past, his SYM
pathies have gone out to thesuffering
women and children, whose wants
were for the most part, of nature
that could not be supplied in the
early morning charity. In the near
neighborhood of the Eighth Avenue
Mission, there are hundreds Of fami-
lies, whose wan mothers and punched
babies are suffering for the barest ne
cessitles of life. He decided to make
an effort to help them and according
ly, some time ago, he established a
"Woman's Club"--in many respects
the counterpart of THE Travellers
Club" and which has already been
productive Of much good. In the
forenoon the Mission wagons make
the round Of the markets, the larger
restaurants aud hotels, and collect
such unused food as can be available.
A large supply Of meat is laid in
daily, the wholesale butchers furnish
ing it at cost or even below. Every
afternoon at three o'clock a crowd of
women, usually little short OF two
hundred, gathers at the Mission the
young and old, some in faded shawls
and bonnets and others without any
headdress, and among them sprink-
ling OF wan-faced, slckly children.
Some bring pals, jugs, decanters and
even baskets, to receive the food. A
number eat at the Mission table, but
the majority have those at home who
are bungrily awaiting their return.
Mr.. Merritts chef not only repeats
his culinary trumphs of the early
morning in the ample supplies Of tea,
coffee and bread, but he specially pre-
pares for the "Woman's Club" great |
metal pot Of "salmagundi" soup,