Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-05-05
THE SHTT-IN SOCIETY
A UNIQUE AND HELPFUL ORGAN
lzArlon foR lNvALIps.

A H~m.rlab,e wsrt That u Being Dsns
By Unfsrsu1A.es. Nest Of whesa Ass
women. ~ Ala one Another srieas
nraseh.s ct tse Coed work.
Fifteen years ago Miss Jennie N. Drink
water. now Mrs. Conkiin. OF Madison
N. j., was shut in her room by long ana
serious Illness Time hung heavily ON her
hands. and she conceived an idea 80 SIM
pie, aud yet 10 obviously full Of common
sense. that the wonder Is that some one
had not thought Of Il long before. She en-
tered into correspondence with another
invalid personally unknown 10 her, In order
thai they might be- mutually cheered and
entertained This was the origin OF that
remarkable organization OF inyalids known
as the Shut-In society. which has
membership Of many thousands In every
country OF the civilized world
The correspondence 80 modestly begun
proved 40 pleasant that II was extended TO
other invalids. until Ia 1854 the correspond
ents organized themselves into the shut
In society, and the next year the society
was Incorporated uHder the laws OF the
state OF New York, with Mrs. Conklin A.
president OF course the primary qualifi-
cation for admission II illness. To he u
sufferer shut in from the outside world
constitutes one a proper candidate for
membership In this society" says the con-
stitution. But there l. character quail
fication also. and all applicants for mem
bership must sand with their application,
II possible. the name Of their pastor OF
their physician. or OF some associate mem
Der of the society. as an introduction"
The associate members are not invalids,
but .sbeing In tender sympathy with the
suffering, volunteer In this ministry Of
love" Each associate member volunteers
to correspond with members IN a certain
assigned district and is expected TO sub
scribe at least one dollar year.
The society Is managed by an advisory
board composed Of associate members. Al
might naturally be expected, the society 4
largely composed Of women. There Ii d
mans department. however, under the
direction Of Mr.. VIII s. Mather, OF Chi
cago There is 6ourishing children's de
partment, the members Of which are pop
ularly known as the Sunshine makers
IL il under the direction Of Miss q. l.
Lewis, of BostoR. and Miss Josie A. Jone,
and Miss Abbie A. Miller, ~ Dorchester
Mass
There IL also department of children
associate members, which have formed
themselves into n band called the Littl,
Cup Bearers 10 the King. II IL composed
of boys and girls from six to nineteen year
Of age, who pledge themselves to carr,
sympathy and comfort 10 some little sui
ferer. II is found that children enter int,
this work with great enthusiasm. and tn
little cup bearers have helped many poo
and weary sufferer TO become sunshin
maker.
Another department Of the society il tn
wheelchair committee, OF which Miss G
o. Ross, Of Newark. y. j.. l. the activ,
manager Its object Is toalleviate the con
dition of the shut in members by furnish
ing them, when possible, with a wheel
chair. When a wheelchair invalid dies
little silver plate Is fastened on the bacl
OF the chair inscribed, TO the memory o
- ---," and 1t Is sent back 10 tn
committee. to he used by some other mem
Der The Kings Daughters are intereste,
in the wheelchair work. and ia fact mum
Der OF circles 81 Kings Daughters hav
been formed among members of the Shut
In society. Many Of the members them
selves work for the wheeichair COMMITTEES
The library OF the society Is one OF IL
important features. Books, magazine
and papers nre freely sent TO invalids Il
every state In the Mon. as we'll as to man,
foreign countries. In Philadelphia Pass
ft-Along club has b,-en formed, whicl
circulares periodicals among invalids
The Open Window Is The name Of tn
excellent monthly publication issued b,
the society.
II Ii AN interesting fact that a mission
AIRY spirit has been developed In this &c
ciety, although It's members might well b
excused II they thought only OF them
selves. There is an .Invalid's auxiliary,
which Ia now supporting a native nurse Il
the Margaret Williamson hospital a
Shanghai, China, and is also raising "A fun
TO endow n bcsl in the same hospital, 70 b
known as the ''Shut-In sociefy's he'd.
Another branch Of missionary work don
by the society Is the writing Of letters /
prisoners. About LOO letters have bee
sent to Sing Sing alone. They are sent nj
addressed TO the chaplain, who addresse
them persona ~ tothe convicts. The nam
and address OF the writer are not, howeye,
given to the convict. IL Is the testimon
Of the chaplain that these letters hsy
done much good
4 The letters written by invalids 70 othe
invalids have resulted in many war;
friendships, and the term letter friend
has become recognized phrase In I'll
society. The organization OF the societ
has brought out the fact that aurpri,
ingly large number OF invalids have hee
'shut in for long term Of years, man
for twenty-five or thirty years. One men
her Of the society. who died last year. ha
been confine'l TO her bed for SIXTY years.
The conditioned such long term patient
10 apt To become very desolate, as thci
early friends die or drop away and the
! are made 10 feel that they are burden d
those who are charged with their ear
To sach inyalids the society comes a.
blessed boon. for Ii not only puts them /
direct communication with many fello,
sufferers and sympathetic friends, hut th
various interests 81 the society give then
something 10 think Of. aud thus break tn
freary monatony Of their lives.
One Of the best known members of TN
society II Miss Jennie Casseday, Of Louis
vile, who has been confined 10 her room
Tor twenty-five years. She has acquired ,
widespread reputation rs the founder am
national president Of the Flower mission
New York Tribune.