Evening star., 1909-05-16

when the women know what II means tn
promote this good work. is the belief OF
the Washington society.
Zone good result OF the welfare depart
ment. of which every member is particu-
| larly proud further explained Mrs.
| Wainwright, 'is the successful mission
which Miss Gertrude Beeks of the wom-
ans committee OF the National Civic Fed
GRAFTON undertook at the suggestion OF
President Roosevelt and the present chief
executive when he was Secretary of War.
Miss Beeks went 10 Panama last year 70
examine conditions and diagnose the
cause OF SO much unhappiness and unrest.
She found only small things the trouble.
as we sum up human misery. but they
caused so much so!icitude as TO be al
most a menace to the great digging or
the canal. She found the men who were
digging had to sleep I'm the room with
their damp. foul-smelling clothes: that
they had no place TO dry them In the
evening and that often in the morning
they put on wet garments-wet as whas
they took them off the evening betofs.
Now the government has provided .
place to dry working clothes and to keep
them overnight. and a number Of just
such minor comforts have been added TO
the camps.
such trifes as these. as most people
reckon them. have much to do with The
social unrest. and one OF the aims of the
crusade is TO point out to the employers
the economic value of having the work
ers we'll cared for during work hours.
But the great aim of the Civic Fedora
ton wherever ii is established is to pro-
mote the brotherhood of man. not In quiY-
otic fashion, but practically and along
utilitarian lines. Everything is progress
ing. and naturally philanthropy charity.
every virtue which looks to essening
misery and uplifting the moral standard
is following the trend of the time. From
the charity as doled in the middle ages
from the gate of the convent or monas-
terry TO the modern concept of aiding the
needy there is a wide difference. Now
charity means not TO give money which
you can spare with a lavish hand
1t means give yourself 1t should en-
courage every woman In this country 10
look into the matter, when she remem-
bers that beginning with the first lady
of the land thousands and thousands or
busy women are making the ends and
aims of civic betterment an object near
office. See that 1t is properly heated and
ventilated and that the sanitary condi-
tions are proper. The rural free delivery
should claim attention and the commu-
nifty should aid the welfare of the faitn-'
full servants of the government in every
detail This is what we understand by
practical Christianity and practical pa
triotiSm.
personality that she shrnks from all ex-
ploitation of herself i'm the work in which
she is engaged During her long resi-
dence in Washington. for she is a ma
tive and always lives here when her hus-
band is at sea. she has been identified
with practical charity and crusades which
count in the sum of successful achieve
ment. She comes of long line of martial
celebrities. Her father was In the army:
and her brother. Col. Wotherspoon, Is at
present on the general army staff. she
was Miss Evelyn Wotherspoon and mas
been identified with the resident portion
of Washington society as well as with
the official set.
Copyright. 1909. by Margaret B. Downing