The leader., 1904-11-16

Shut your eyes for a minute and
then imagine that you never could
open them to see again. A second
of such agony is enough. When
you do open your eyes and realize
the gratitude that fills your heart
for being able to see, then, refuse
to help the blind babies if you
can. Everybody who reads this
can give something, if only a two
cent stamp. Don't let a day go
by. Don't let an hour 60 by I'M
It'll you have done your share in
making life little brighter for
Jour thirty four EIind babies pick
ed up here and there and every
where, some of them actually de-
lserted because of their great help
lessness.
/ Give your mite as a thank offer
ling that you have eyes. Give
your mite as an offering of graft
tude fer having had your sight
saved you some time. Send your
mite because all your little ones
have beautiful eyes. Or send
your donation because of some
dear one suffering from the same
misfortune as our babies, and
lsend it because you know the
great need of special care for such
cases. Shut your eyes again and
in the darkness that comes over
you realize in small degree, if you
can, how much you ought to be
thankful for the blessing of good
leyesight, and give what you can.
/ It would be so different if we
we're asking for moneyto devote
to salaries, or buildings, or
clothes, ETC., but even the nurse,
Mrs. Tregear, not only gives her
time, but works for her board.
As trained nurse she dresses the
limbs of the little crippIes in ex-
change for her meal tickets, and
then she devotes day and night to
serving the sightless babies left
| in her charge. All we pay for
these little folks is $500 week.
No one could refuse her mite if
she looked upon little Annie,
standing helplessly, waiting so.
sweetly to be told something to
do with her hands so her little fin
gers might do something besides
dig into her sightless ewes.
Some members have asked why
we don't send them to the State
institution. We're there such an
institution that would take blind
babies under eight years old, Sun
shine would not be doing this.
Sunshine never aims to compete,
but merely to make brighter the
days that are dark and will always
stay dark if Sunshine does not
creep into them. Maybe some
day the city will take care of
babies under eight. Now there
is no place but che aims house for
them, and there they stay, grow
ing into idiots, or dying off like
w1lted plants.
| Mrs. Tregear makes a plea for
the boy, Thomas Donnahue, who
is now on the Island. She wants
him brought to the Kindergarten
this month to be taught basketry.
All he does now is to stand near
the heater and listen to it, or sit
hours and hours in the blackness
that surrounds him waiting and
hoping that somebody, before the
day closes, will speak to him.
Thomas is sixteen years old, con-
Isequentfy does not come under the
kindergarten age, but Mrs. Ire
gear is anxious to teach him to do
something with his hands SO the
days won't be so dreary for him
on the Island. She asks is there
any branch that would give an en-
tertainment for Thomas in his les
sons in basket making. Thomas
has no relatives and no friends,
except as he makes friends among
the miserable creatures around
him on the Island.
Send your mite to SO, Fifth
Avenue, New York City, for the
Blind Babies Kindergarten, Sun
shine Headquarters. Pictures Of
1.-THE blind babies on the lawn and
| in their cribs can be had at ten
cents each.
Brookhaven Branches, both
Senior and Junior have sent
neat sum to the Baptist Orphan
age at Jackson, Miss. Mrs. j. r.
Carter, the superintendent wife,
gratefully acknowledges receipt
of same and extends best wishes
to all Broozhaven Sunshiners.
The work Of scattering Sun
shine is carried on ardently by |
The supporting members. The
next meeting will be held with |
Mrs. John 3. Seavey, Thursday,
November 18th. at four b. IN.
The Public School lunch room
question will be fully taken up
and finally passed upon. A full
attendance is urged
Members desiring to send theirE
autographs to our Honorary State I
President will report atnext meets
ing. /
Mrs. A.. G. McNair requests
that the members OF the Junior
Branch will report in 4 body at I
her house next Saturday. One OIL
the main features Of this meeting