The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-25
Margaret Boffome
And Her Work
By fESTHE z. CULLEN

| At the meeting of the nine ladies at
Mrs. Bottome's that January day the
sisterhood was formed. They called it.
/ after some elaboration. the Order of
the Kings Daughters because the
| Kings Daughter is all glorious within. -
! The following motto was borrowed from
that of DR.. Hale's favorite organization.
Lend Hand:
/ Look up, not down:
Look forward, not back;
| Look out, not in,
| And lend a hand
The infant organization of the Kings
| Daughters chose Mrs. Bottome for pres
! ident that January day seventeen years
ago. She has been its president ever
| since Women young and old were at
tracted to il at once. A badge was pres
emily chosen for the members. a plain
| silver cross. with the initials l. h N
In His Name-engraved thereon. This
was fastened by ribbon of purple, the
royal color. BETTING the daughter of a
king. The object of the order was,
| through good deeds and prayer and pa
thence. the development of a truly reli
gious character without regard to creed
A woman OF no theological creed at all
could enter into the spirit of the Kings
Daughters and with them work for the
development of a pure. sweet, strong
character within herself and the out
flow of this character in deeds of help
fulness toward others. That is the
| keynote of the song of the Kings
Daughters.
Circles were organized here and there
in various places as women and girls
heard of the new society formed by the
white haired woman and her aids in
New York. The noble zeal for lending a
hand kindled so widely and rapidly
that soon men, too, wished to Join the
order. Accordingly. an organization OF
Kings Sons was formed. with the same
badge and pledge. Then the fire spread
TO other lands, far and near, to every
country OF Europe, TO South America,
to Asia. A consignment of the purple
ribboned silver crosses went by and by
to Korea. An International organiza-
ton was formed, and Mrs. Margaret
Bottome, the eloquent woman. was
made president of that too. Its name
is the International Order of the Kings
Daughters and Sons
What is their special work? Begin
ming with infinitesimal things in ones
own family, it extends to educating a
young woman for a medical missionary
to foreign lands. The Kings Daugh-
tiers and Sons lend a friend IS, pay a
church debt or take care of motherless
children, as occasion demands. What
ever may be done in the name of hui
man brotherhood, that they are there
to do. The society is warming and
melting to the heart in this hard. me-
tallic age.
The International Order of the Kings
Daughters and Sons numbers nearly or
quite half a million members. It's
founder, Mrs. Bottome, is seventy-five
years old now, but no frailties of age or
weakness have touched her. She is tall.
queenly and magnetic as ever. Her
voice is still strong as when. thirty
years ago. she, like Susanna Wesley
gathered the women of her acouaint-
ance together for prayer meetings and
Bible talks. The meetings of Susanna
Wesley resulted in the founding of the
Methodist church. The Bible talks of
Mrs. Bottome resulted in the founding
of the Order of the Kings Daughters
and Sons.
Summering at Tarrytown, N. Y. a
few years ago, Mrs. Bottome held at
her home series of informal religious
meetings for all women who cared to
attend. Like Anne Hutchinson in the
days of the Puritans, she called her
own sex together and sought to kindIe
in them the fire of spirituality that
glowed in her own SOUL Her leading
characteristics are these: First, a deem
ly religious nature; next, a love for wo-
men. She is a leader of women. Some
fashionable society women summoned
also at Tarrytown that year. sThev
were drawn to Mrs. Bottome's meetings.
in common with the plain domestic wo-
man and the working girl The same
soul needs are In US all. The fashion
able ladies became interested I'm tho
Bible talks. When they returned 10 tho
city in the winter, the most splendid
homes there were opened to Mrs Bot |
tome, and she was invited to come 70 |
continue the story. Thus the unor-
dained woman evangelist entered the
homes of the rich and preached her
gospel OF faith and love. absolute good
will to all. absolute trust that II we do /
the best we know how 10 with the /
means at hand we shall be taken care 1
OF. 1t is doctrine as old as religion /
itself. yet it cannot be preached too Of /
ten 10 an unbelieving world
The silver cross with the purple rib /
bon has Travelled everywhere. In ev-
cry city of the Union it procIaims the I
mission Of those who wear ito live
to tighten the burdens of the heavy
laden" Wherever IL goes Margaret
Bottome goes after 1t. busted with the
affairs Of the Kings Daughters ana
Sons. The Daughters come first in
this instance, for they constituted the
order ahead of the Sons. Mrs. Roftona
goes frequently TO Europe. and once
she went as far as Palestine and wrote
her journey a book called
A Sunshine Trip 10 the Orient" She