The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-06

Children from the oxford Asy-
lum to go Oat this Week on their
Annual Tour-why They
should be Pa tronixed EVERYWHERE.

= chapter OF orphans from the OK
o orphan aslum starts upon a con-
cert o May 9Th. The children will
oil appointments first II the eastern sec
ton OF the state and. after a short rest
at Oxford. will enter upon their west
ern trip. These concerts always secure
the hearty support OF the. people OF
North Carolina and the secret OF their
success is not nard TO find. The enter
tainments are always meritorious. They
ere bright, pure and interesting. Those
h hear the boys and girls for the
first time marvel at their attachments.
e too. u people are in sympathy
with the great cause the children re-
present. They know that there is no
more important work than the care and
training of destitute, homeless boys and
girls.
Over two hundred and fifty orphan
children are being we'll provided for and
carefully trained in the Oxford orphan
asylum today. They have been gather
ed together from every part of North
Carolina. The only conditions for ad-
mission to the institution are that the
children are destitute orphans and that
Neither UNCONVENTIONAL %afiiation or
preference of parents nor the fact that
the father was not q Jason is conSid-
cred in passing upon an application for
the admission of a child. The state Of
North Carolina and the good people in
general are assisting the Masons in the
maintenance of a work of such magni-
tude. The institution deserves the as
SiStance of our whole Ieople.
On the eve OF the concert tour this
year, it gives us pleasure to copy the
following from the Orphans Friend
and Masonic Journal"
w have a three-fold purpose in
sending these children TO visit different
towns:
list. To give an evening of pleasure
to those who come to hear them. 1t has
been and shall be our desire to give a
concert free from all impurities, yet
filled with humOr, simple, yet enter
tanning. No one can attend one of these
concerts and see a crowd OF bright-eyed
children whose lives might have been
eft in darkness, without feeling, I'm
glad 1 camel But apart from all
charity, we try to give a concert which,
OF itself, will delight any audience.
end. To bring the PEOPLE into closer
touch with their institution. One who
never sees and seldom hears of the in
stitution which he is helping to support
cannot feel as deep interest in it as if
he knew more and heard more about
it. We believe the next best thing to
seeing the asylum IS seeing its repre-
sentatives. We do not select the bright
est or best children for the class but
the children who will represent the
inmates of the asylum, and. when you
see the sixteen intelligent boys and
girls of the class, remember that we
nave 240 more just like Them. Can
anyone look upon these and remember
that the Oxford orphan asylum has
made them what they are, without
feeling hat they are glad they have
invested a part of their earnings in
the lives of homeless children?
Bird. To aid in the support of the
institution. During the past year we
received, clear of the expense, over
81 500 from these our An equal
amount could not possibly have been
| raised with as little expense and trouble
to friends and brethren. 1t came from
all sections of the state. No one had
to sacrifice, no one missed the small
amount charged for admission, and
yet the asylum received enough to sup
| port forty children for a year. More
people are reached and more people are
interested in this manner than could be
cached by correspondence or agents.
And often have boys and girls secured
good homes by having met with good,
Christian people while out with the
| o1oCS'