Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-16
GOLDEN GOSSIP.

Each month for a number of years
there has appeared in the columns OF
the Times Republican an article under
the heading of Charity Organization
Report telling of donations, of work
done for the society, of articles given
to the needy, of special services to the /
sick and aged. and of visits of investi- |
CATION and helpfulness by the society's |
agent. Mrs. NJ. E, Whitehead. These
monthly reports are probably glaneed !
over by hundreds of readers without
much thought of the labor implied IN
such a resume of a few weeks work |
The reader does not think that one
woman gives all of her time to seeking
out the worthy poor and unfortunate,
and in the gathering up and distribut-
ing of the needed articles of food and
clothing; that she must hear from
morning until night stories of woe and
suffering-and can YOU in your happy
homes imagine what it must be to live
lin an atmosphere of misfortune and
thriftlessness? ones own troubles are
hard enough to bear, and 20 carry on
your heart the burdens of scores OF men
and women is a position never to be
envied This agent must endeavor 10
iuplift morally and spiritually 5 we'll as
supply the physical wants. She must
/ ever be ready to answer the cry Of sick
lness, must be able to make much out OF
la little. must be patient with the weak
land e,ring, and live UP to that most
diffcult command find good in every
lone of Gods creatures" In the month
|of October Mrs Whitehead made forty
lone visits in the interests OF the society
Think what that means. F'orty-one
homes visited-homes of the worthy
and unworthy applicants for help. Not
|forty-one CHEEKY calls upon friends. but
/ forty-one calls where suffering, un-
5Icleanliness, idleness, drunkenness, lack
Iof knowing how, and misfortune mus
be looked into and Yemedied. Would
you like to do this work my reader
Yet the faithful agent of the charity
Organization does this work for a mere
pittance in money that the society can
4 give her when il has anything To give
lat best 1t is a tritle, never more than
enough to pay u servant girl $ wages,
With the beginning of the November
work the report says balance ON hand
$2.0l," and the society at its monthly
meeting looked into its empty treasury
with despairing cry of what shall we
ldo?" 1t cannot be that Marshalltown
people fully realize the good work done
by the charity organization, or else III
the rush of life this society is forgotten
by the charitabiy disposed. There are
constant demands upon ones purst
nowadays, and the ladies do not want
TO beg but hope that all who appreciate
, the efforts of this society to lift ths
burdens of life from the unfortunate il
: our midst Will give of their abundance
: and not let that sol suffer very Ions
. for company
Speaking of charity. brings tn,
: thought of how little we think what tn,
gift of a few kind words and few mo
: ments of attention may mean to a lone
ly and Impoverished heart Such les
son was ours To learn while enjoying
d an outing at Excelsior Springs Mo. On
!. day we were going down flight .
stairs leading 10 one of the minera
springs, and met an old gentlema
: slowly coming up. As we stepped upo
II the same star ne stopped and said. I
the child-like curiosity of old age, VIII
II are you?n Then he stood hesitatingl
e beside us moment and finally sale
: Il am so lonesome; no one cares to tai
to me, never was so lonesome in m
,f life" Here was chance to be cheer
= up-o-dist.' ard we invited him to &
y back and visit awhile. Bless his heart
he did not want to be talked to. h
IN wanted to talk. In few moments "
n knew the life of this dear old man;
lie his boyhood days, of marriage and
lie happy home: of successful life on II
err farm: of the coming of six children.
g such good, good chidren-of his desi1
x to educate the children, and of no
e. they all appreciated this effort. The
In We heard all about the sons-in-law. az