Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-21
ANNUAL REPORTS
Of the Mercy Home for the Year Ending De-
 cember 31, 1895.
Report of the President.


 The work of the Mercy Home during the last year has been more satisfactory than of any preceding year, for we have been enabled to help a greater number and bear a little larger part in the worlds work of uplifting and bettering those who need assistance.
 More little children have been cared for and cherished and "mothered.'
 More unfortunate ones, who have found the struggles of life almost overwhelm- ing and its burdens grievous to bear, have been encouraged and helped to bet ter effort and fairer prospects.
 More sick ones have been nursed and restored to health.
 More of that great and curious portion of humanity who are forever moving on" have been helped in their endless journeying, and kind word added or a mention of the home" in our Fathers place of many mansions.
 More of the forgotten" ones, concern ing whom our responsibility seems even greater, have found the Mercy Home the door to new life, and have turned their faces toward it with hopefulness and earnest purpose.
 This has largely been due to the beau- tiful Christian care and oversight of our matron. Her unfailing kindness to old and young, her skillful direction of the daily devotional service, her delicate treatment of individual cases, and the sweet spirit manifested in her daily hfe have created and maintained a purer moral atmosphere and set a higher standard of living in the home.
 For these things we come to the annual meeting with gratitude to our heavenly Father, who has so richly blessed the work, with a deep sense of our own un- worthiness and a great longing to re- claim and help and save very many souls for the kingdom of God here and in the great hereafter.
 A friend has recently spoken of the home as that most modest institution, with the sweetest name in the world.' Perhaps we may have been too modest, and you may not know that we have only an eight-room house, with few modern conveniences; that we are taxed constant ly, sometimes beyond our utmost capacl- ty, to provide for the family, and neces- sarily refuse some whom we should be glad to help. This has been overcome as far as possible by careful management, but believe the time has come when we should build a home of our own-a building with modern improvements and good hygienic conditions, with separate apartments for the various classes with whom owing to the nature of the situa- tion. we will doubtless have to deal for some years to come. This should not be a great undertaking nor one that would involve undue labor for any one. A build
 
 daily augmented by contributions rom the citizens of Birming ham, who have shown deep interest in the home and who are excelled by none In their gener- osity and enterprise. Until we have 1t, the work is hindered, results are unsatls- factory, discipline difficult, and all plans for improvements will fall short of full fllment Every year of our work should mark at least one step in advance. I do not hesitate to say that this has been our history during the four years, but we are only on the threshold of our hearts de" sire concerning it. and comfortable, commodious house should be the goal to- ward which we strive this year. I there fore recommend, first of all. that build ing fund be started at once and the plan brought before the citizens of Birming- ham in the most practicable way. I urge gain, as last year. that the admission committee shall require from three to six months residence in the home, ex- cept in the case of necessary transients. This is essential, and moral and religious training, as well as such training in do- mestic work as will eventually enable girls and women to find employment, sp- cure good homes and to be self-support- ing. which means self-respecting. As 1t has never been the design of the management to raise money for the support of the home by entertainments, I recommend special donation days dur ing the first week in October the same to be regular custom and arranged for as may seem best by standing committee. I also recommend and urge that a housekeeper be engaged as soon as poss!- ble We are in danger of sacrificing the health of our matron by the endless de- tails and tperplexities incident to the physical needs of our complex family This ought not to be. Her time should be free to devote to their social. intel