Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-10

national organization, based on the mother
idea, is said to have been born of the I'M
selfish mother love kindled in her heart by
the trio of children which were so enrich
ing to her life that she was filled with an
intense desire to share her joy and expert
ence with mothers everywhere.
Mrs. Birney is of southern birth. She re-
ceiVed her training in Mount Holyoke Col
lege. Her life history has been marked by
the deep shadows of sorrow. Left widow
in early womanhood with babe born some
months after its fathers untlmley passing,
she was married some years after, only to
sustain a second bereavement in his early
death, to Mr. Theodore Birney, noble man
of kindred tastes and purpose, who gave
much of his time during the last year of his
life to aiding in the organization of the
movement which his eager wife had so
much at heart. At his passing in 1898 Mrs.
Birney was left with her household of three
daughters, aged then about fifteen, six and
five.
With her mother to preside in her home
she turned with cheerful courage and hope
to the work of the congress of mothers. The
intensity of devotion and zeal proved how
ever too great a bodily strain. Ill health
made necessary the REIMBURSEMENT of active
leadership into other hands two years ago.
But as honorary president Mrs. Birney still
exerts active interest and participation In
the constantly widening work.
Mrs. Birney's influence, which has infect
ed and inspired her cO-workers and given
the movement it's atmosphere and tone. Is
getfulness which holds the work higher than
the worker; and of q sweet spirit OF charity
and readiness to condone faults and to lg-
more small differences, that the larger unity
may be preserved.
Mrs. Birney's Successor.
On her retirement leader was at hand to
carry on the work in the person Of Mrs.
Hannah Kent Schofr of Philadelphia, whose
motherhood was first stirred into broad
sympathy with community needs by the
touching problem of a child criminal In
Philadelphia. A little. neglected, mother
less girl had set fire to the house of the
family into whose charge she had been
given, and there was then no place to which
to commit her but to the house of refuge
with older offenders, where lessons of evil
were most likely to be taught.
Mrs. Schoff a realizing sense of the i'm
perative need for different methods of deal
ing with delinquent children. As chairman
of the social service committee of the New
Century Club of Philadelphia she inaugu-
rated and led the successful movement to
obtain the juvenile court and probation sys-
tenn for Pennsylvania, the history OF
which she has recently written.
Mrs. Schom has studied the condition oil
dependent and delinquent children in every
state, and, with q committee. has made q
compilation of the laws OF every state con-
corning dependent and delinquent children
believing that more adequate legislation or
this subject Is one of the greatest needs Of
this country. This compilation Is said te
be immensely valuable as a reference book
and shows that our laws for this unfor-
tunate class are far from being what they
should.
The mothers congress of Pennsylvania
came into existence through the efforts OF
Mrs. Schoff, who was its president until
her accession to the national presidency
| She Is Philadelphia by birth, of New
| England ancestry, a "Mayfiower descen.
| dant'' and Daughter of the Revolution
| She was married at the age of twenty, Il
| the mother of seven children and q grand
mother. Two young women daughters as
sumo direction of the household that theil
mother may be free to conduct philan
| thropic work, In all of which she is said K