The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-05-31

men Of Ardmore, the ladies of the Be
nevolent society wish again TO call
the attention Of the different church
societies, clubs and the public gener
ally TO it's urgent needs and necessl-
ties. It is a fact pretty well known
that each club and society is to a
great extent self supporting. They
are bodies belonging, as II were, to
a great extent. to themselves, while
the Benevolent society is weak in
numbers and money and belongs to
the whole town. We represent all
the churches and are not denomina-
tional OF sectarian. No pride of sect.
church or club enters into our work.
It is done unselfishly among the
poor, the degraded. the destitute,
with no hope, expectation or desire
for worldly gain or praise If II
were not for the fact that the public
has to be informed of this work and
what we are doing sometimes. we
should prefer to follow the advice OF
the Master-not to let the right hand
know what the left hand does. We
believe in the good work the different
societies and clubs are doing and do
not wish to assume a 'holier than
thou" aspect, but It is a fact well
known that this benevolent work
takes us down into the very Lowest
grades OF society-into the hovel, the
dugout and the den-where poverty
and vice stalk hand in hand and mis-
cry and degradation hovers over all.
We carry them food to eat and clothes
to wear and sometimes we have spo-
ken to them OF heaven and the dear
Saviors love, remembering that the
Bible says, This ought ye to have
done and not to leave the other un.
done" Is it making too broad an
assertion when we say that even they
may be redeemed and "snatched as a
brand from the burning" The liter
airy clubs OF Ardmore can not benefit
them, and we respectfully ask you
to look around and see If they are to
be found among the well fed. well
dressed congregations who sit under
the sound of the preachers voice at
any time to hear the word of God.
Nay verify. they must be looked for
in the slums. in the poverty stricken
oil "a n
doned. Let me give just few Of tho
pitiful cases that have come under our
observation since we entered this
work in earnest Not long since, in
the early spring, while the nights
were still damp and cold. an aged
man found himself in Ardmore sick.
destitute and inhrm, with neither
friends nor money to pay for lodging
for night. Realizing his unfortu'
nate condition, as 1t was already dark,
he begged, but the unknown person
of whom he asked an aims instead
OF helping him himself, sent him to
one of the workers of the Benevolent
society. When he arrived at the
house It was nearly bed time. dark
and cold. He was invited in and his
condition inquired into. 1t was plain
ly a case of charity, and as there was
no money in the treasury of the So
ciety. this lady gave him money out
of her own purse to make him COM
Portable for the night. She does not
complain or regret having done this.
No. indeed, for he was an object Of
pity. His hair was thin and strag-
Cling, his voice weak and quivering,
and his long beard was white with the
frost of many winters and as he left
tho house. his aged form bent and
tottering under the cruel weight of
three score years and ten. She felt
thankful indeed that God in His mercy
had made 1t possible for her to help
him.
But the question II raises Is this:
Is It right for the public to feel at lib.
erty TO send objects of charity to the
members of the Benevolent society
unless they are kept supplied with the
necessary means to help them. We
cheerfully and willingly undertake to
do the work, arduous as it is, at
times, always giving our part. but we
can not help all who are sent to us
unless we have money in our treas
ury to do so. Get me say just here,
our treasurer has the bills to show
for all the money we have raised and
spent.) Then we have orphan chill
dren from time to time whose keep
ers are not fit morally or mentally
to care for them. We have a very
pitiful case In view nova little boy
of six. whose mother is a vagrant and
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