The news & observer., 1905-12-17
AT BROWNSVILLE ORPHANAGE.
Visitor VIM 20 Aq1 thanksgiving Day There Writes
His Impressions.
His Impressions.
BY REV. HIGHT C. MOORE.

| Alas, darkness fell when the sun was
high and sorrow came as the Thanks
giving bell was ringing. Yesterday
nine-year old Ethel Ashworth from
away up at Fairview in the mountains
was taken to the Infirmary i'll with in
flammatory rheumatism. Nobody
thought she was seriously sick till as
the forenoon wore on the little heart
became affected and then the rider
of the pale horse came by and took
the wee spirit from the home here to
the Home on high. No more lesson
books or dolls and playmates here:
the lesson is learned and over, the
game is played and won; and there
on the white death-cot she lies, all of
| her that is mortal, while the immor-
tai has gone to spend an endless
Thanksgiving i'm the Fathers bosom.
Chapel Praises.
Gather now with the orphans in
their place of worship. Little seats
for the little; organ and piano and
cOrnet; fern and palm and chrySan-
themum; and above the platform
hang a portrait of Mills the Orphan
age founder and philanthropist, and
a copy of Hofman's boy Christ in
the Temple" But see the little folks
come in, a household at a time, as
quiet and orderly as a company of sol
diers on parade. Hear them sing MY
Country and you are more patriotic
| than ever before At the call TO
prayer see them fail to their knees in
| devoutest attitude and remain in per-
feet silence till the petition closes
| Their vocal offering of Coronation"
must have risen as sweet incense be-
fore the heavenly throne. Then how
| attentive they were to the story of
Christ and the children! And again
as they sang More Love to Thee" you
could but feel that their up-breathing
was being rewarded by the down
coming of the Infinite Lover of little
children. 1t was good to be there.
Mites That Are Mighty.
He who sat over against the Temple
| Treasury and saw the poor widow
| cast in her two mites must hive been
here today. Had you thought of it
the orphans giving to the Orphanage?
You ought to have been here and
with Struggled to have passed down
the aisles taking a collection from the
orphans for the orphans Let the hat
be new and strong; then don't over
| look one single one of all the audience
The very first you come to are the
| Fleming Nursery girls, and you open
your eyes to find that each one of
the entire thirty-three even down to
wee Hattie Rice has been provided
with a penny for the offering. And
| there are the Simmons Nursery boys
doing the same thing almost without
| exception Seventy-five or more pen
nies in your hat, but keep on: the
larger boys and girls interSperSe nick
els and dimes, some they have earned
| in little supplementary jobs ON the
| premises and teacher and matron
and others, supporting as well as sup
ported, give largely of their limited
| means. Count out the cash and yo
have $54 with other givers to hea
Il, II
Think of it! You have given to tn
needy but not such giving as this
these, indeed. are mites that ar
mighty.
Sufferers Wee.
Knock at the door of the Infirmar
| and Miss Mary welcomes you in the
cozy little parlor BY her side is Bes-
| sic Brackins, who two weeks ago, fell
from the BiggS piazza and suffered a
fracture just above the ankle; but she
is now hobbling about on her crutches
and expects soon to be running around
as of yore. Walk into the next room
the chamber of death-and look
through clouding eyes and for the
first time upon the dead lamb of the
flock, pale, unsuffering now, and re-
| poSeful. And then on into the room
| of the sick, four convalescents, all
girls, and busy with doll and picture
clippings and tiny fancywork, yet. all
under the eye of doctor and nurse,
and one with her widowed mother by
her side Blessings upon them and
may each live to be the Christian
queen of happy home.
Three Hundred at Dinner,
Central Dining Hall. Thanksgiving
| dinner ready and here they come
orphans and orphans and orphans,
marching hither from their various
buildings, all except the Nursery boys
and girls. Each knows his place and
! without an iota of confusion at the
eighteen long tables they are seated.
| A touch of the call-bell, and there is
| silence; then in concert the Orphan
age blessing is asked-such grace
| before meat, was it ever offered save
| by the Great Galilean? And now the
! dinner, good, wholesome and abund-
| ant-turkeY and gravy, butter and
| bread jelly and cake, steaming cor
| fee and sparkling water from the new
| nine hundred foot we'll But more:
| the orphans, the orphans ! Every lit
] tie eater orderly as a soldier and quiet
| as a mouse, yet free and joyous; a
bevy of the larger girls waiting on
| the tables with marked care and con-
] sideration; and Mrs Vinson, mistress
/ Of the Hall, busy as a bee here and
/ there and happy as mother-brd
| teeQ1nS nef young. On 1t was SlO-
rious to be with them, to see them,
to sit at meat with them; and glorious.
too, 20 think of the thousands of
| friends who are saying today wita
dimes and dollars all over the State
! that these orphans shall never come
to these tables and go hungry away.
A Kitchen Call.
| Follow Stringfield to the center and
source of things Take a peep at the
| kitchen, neat as a pin; there is the
great range where meats and vege-
tables are cooked in ample vessels;
| and there by the door s'Aunt Emma"
| the colored servant, smiling with just
| pride and almost shouting, eve
ought to be thankful. Praises to His
! name!' Descend to the bakery and
| you see where forty-five quarts of
| flour are transformed by the daily
| cooking into wholesome bread. And
there on the covered table is today's
Continued on Page Seven.)