The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

into the slow movement which usually
characterizes large bodies and to point out
with vividness and directness the means
necessary to accomplish the desired end,
concerted action ensues, and great good
may be wrought. This is what the friends
of the home must do.
1t will be well also to keep prominently
before the public affairs at the home. Pre-
suppose an interest and report often what
transpires there, what has been given and
especially what is needed, what the child
rem are doing, what their matron or teach
er thinks of them. Get the editors of
the colored papers to give space for fire.
quent short accounts of the work. OF
course. they will gladly do this Avoid all
cliques and UNCONVENTIONAL entanglements
in the management of the home. Try to
develop among the people sense of COM
mon possession let them all feel that 1t Is
their enterprise
Solicit individual contributions and let
ii be known that no sum is SO small as to
be despised Many people fail to do what
they might for public charities, because
they cannot head a subscription list with
some sum large enough to startle their
neighbors into envy and admiration. Let
it be known also, as you have done to-
day, that other gifts than money will be
acceptable. Some of our men in business
can give meat, groceries, medicine, coal,
calico, shoes, and of course these things
mean the same to the home as money.
Some of the mothers will have wearing
apparel that their little ones have laid
aside, perhaps outgrown, which may be
utilized in the home. Let ask right
here, however, that IL you give such cast
Off garments you see that they are in good
condition, that Is, neatly mended and
darned where necessary. The orphans
will scarcely be able to patch or make over
garments, and 1t would be a doubtful
charity to burden busy matron with gar
ments either past repair or unfit to be
worn without the expenditure of several
hours labor.
The various organizations among us,
church, benevolent, and otherwise, should
render systematic support to the home.
certain sum, small or large, as the or
ganization could afford, might be given
! from the treasury every month, or, with
the consent of the body, special monthly
tax might be levied for this purpose. The
missionary societies, the EpWorth League
the Kings Daughters the Young Peoples
Society of Christian Endeavor, should all
take hold of this work and make month
ly or annual offerings. The purely social
clubs, those clubs which have as their OBJ
Ject simply the individual enjoyment of
their members, might take the orphanage
as another reason for their existence, a
higher one surely than that of mere per-
sonal pleasure or even personal benefit
Even more can be done by orbanized eff
fort. In every church and Sunday school
branches of the Orphans Home association
may be started clubs established for the
sole purpose of supporting the home While
taking the church people as nucleus, the
membership need not be confined to them.
but might embrace all willing to pay the
fee required On special occasions such
as thanksgiving, Christmas, Emancipa-
Day, the birthday of Douglass, and the
Fourth of July, parties might visit the
home and carry good cheer to it's inmates.
These special gifts would not interfere in
any way with the regular donation
We are all interested in this home, and
yet it may be will to utter word of
admonition and of warming. The negro is
like great child. He is tender-hearted.
quick to feel, ready to respond to appeal.
but is he stable? Look at the religious
excitement in some of our churches. ands
observe the moral oblquities in the lives