Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-04-10
The Work of the w. G. r. U.
Paper read at public meeting of South Deer
Isle Union, March s, 1901

SO often set forth that perhaps nothing
quite new can be advanced on he subject,
yet the work is so many-sided and there
are so many different departments that
per haps something of interest may be
brought out in regard to them.
| No one union is expected to take up all
the departments of work, for as the organ
izstion extends to nearly all parts of the
| world, the greatest needs of one section
may be quite unfelt in another. One
broad, underlying principle is the foun-
dation OF the whoie-that of temperance
and purity, in the home and out OF 1t.
Our motto, "For God and home and every
| land" indicates first of all trust in that
everything Power that never fails, whose
mills, Though they grind but slowly, yet
they grind exceeding small, and while We
work in faith we can also wait in patience.
Our departments are under six general
heads--organizstion, preventive, educa-
tionai, evangelistic, social, and legislative
and petition each OF these having a
number of subdivisions.
| Under the educat ional comes the scien-
tific temperance instruction in schools,
| which has been introduced in nearly all
OF the states and has received considerable
attention in our town. The school savings
bank system is also branch OF this de-
partment which 1t is hoped will be intro
| duced during the coming yea-. This sys-
| tenn is designed to teach children economy
| by showing them how much can be
| accumulated by saving little at time.
| The plan is for each child to take the
| savings of the week to the teacher on
Monday morning at roll-call, and when a
certain amount is collected, it is pat in q
savings bank to the pupils credit. In
| some places hundreds and even thousands
of dollars have been saved. by the pupils
in this way.
But the present meeting is under the
department of evapgelistic work, there
fore particular attention viii be called to
this division of work. Our superinten-
dent Of this department, Mrs. Lucy A.
Snow, is most devoted Christian worker,
a member of the society OF Friends and
one of their preachers. She has presided
| at many gospel meetings, visited prisons
and slmshouses and done much good
work IN various ways. Under this de-
partment comes undertaking; prison,
jail and almshouse work; systematic Civ
ing; securing homes for homeless child
rem; Sabbath observance; purity in homes,
in schools, in literature and art; mercy.
and several other minor divisions.
Mrs. Snow reported 100000 pages of
literature distributed, hundreds of
mothers meetings, almshouse and jail
| meetings. Other social religious services
have been held, prisoners, sick and poor
people visited and helped. Twenty-six
children were cared for during the last
year, many OF them having to be clothed
and boarded till homes could be found for
them. These children generally find
homes by adoption, but at the time OF the
report four children were being wholly
provided for and four more clothed en-
tirely by this department. Later on
number OF others were taken in charge
and have been cared for during the pres
ent winter.
The use OF unfermented wine at the sac
vision of this department. This work is
needed in many places, though here in
Maine very few churches except the
Catholics use fermented wine.
In the work of this department many
visits have been made to lumber camps
and other places where no religious privi-
leges we're enjoyed, and meetings have
been held, literature distributed, comfort
bags given, etc. Also the same helps
r.sx, fHl-
comfort bags are made to contain needles,
thread, buttons, salves and bandages,
with any other useful articles at hand,
and testament is generally added, with
sometimes letter or scraps of good read
ing. Answers have been received in
many instances, expressing the pleasure
of the recipients and their gratitude to
the givers.
Then there are the lecturers and organ
izers visiting places where temperance
work is needed, but which are not reached
in any other way, and vast amount OF
temperance work is done by them. In
many cities homes are established for
working girls where they can have many
home privileges, music, reading, ETC., at
very low prices contrasted with the
single room in cheap boarding house
with no privileges except eating and
sleeping, and those OF the poorest.
When our beloved leader, Frances Will
lard, left the ranks in all the fullness of
her noble womanhood, literally dying in
the harness, the world OF temperance
workers mourned her loss, but white rib
boners felt that each had an added re-
sponsibility in the work, and when our
own beloved and honored Mrs. Stevens
took the helm, the women of Maine felt |
that they must give redoubled effort to
sustain her work.
When the great ones of earth pass |
away, it is customary to raise lofty mon
uments to commemorate their greatness,
OF whatever sort it may be, but Frances |
Willard wanted no monument to her |
memory except the spreading of the great |