Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-11-15
LETTER FROM KENTUCKY
Miss Rosa Lake Writes Interest.
ing of Her Work as City
Missionary in Lexing-
ton, Kentucky.

years past, city missionary in
Lexington, KY. Miss Lake is so
we'll remembered in her old Edge
field home that the letter is publish
ed although it was not intended for
publication.
"How often think of Edgefeld,
but during these winter months, l
am so busy, / haven't time to live
in the past, or even think as much
of the future as I should, as have
to be so very much in the present
in my thoughts and actions.
To be the only city missionary in
a city of forty thousand inhabitants
means that there is no time to
waste.
A few minutes ago, I picked up
some newspapers to wrap some
clothing for pair of twins who
were here, having called them in
while on their way home from
school. They are prett5 girls ten
wears old with faxen curls, and very
bright. Their mother takes in wash
ing for six families, washing all day
and ironing till II o'clock at night.
She also has lovely baby
whom we are trying to clothe.
There are two sons, one going to
day school and night school and
the other working in the day and
goes to the night schaol which our
society started last year. We have
81 young men and boys, some OF
them foreigners, learning English.
We have young mems business
class with about seventeen mem
bers. This is free school with
volunteer teachers. The only one
who gets any pay is the janitor and
he is paid by the city school board
which also gives us the use of the
school building-but ! was about to
tell you about the paper l picked
up.
Il is was an Advertiser, of last
Jane, and as I re-read il, ! saw an
account 81 the w. @. Z. U. MEM
bers having a picnic for the old peo-
ple of the county infrmary or coun-
ty home. Seeing the account made
me wish you knew of what onr w.
C. T. u. is doing. What interests
me is that one day in each month
during the winter, they meet at one
of the members homes taking the
goods for a garment and one pre-
ferred dish. They have an all day
sewing for my work, making things
we most need for my needy families.
They all lunch together.
There is a society of young ladies
in the Central Christi N church that
has offered to give their spare
time to me to help in city missions,
visiting the needy with me and tax
ing fruit and good things. They will
help us in our Christmas work, and
will have candy sale in one of the
department stores, the proceeds of
which will go to my missionary
emergency fund. The store is own
ed and run by prominent Jews, all
of whom are generous to our work.
They give many large donations.
Just recently / was invited to a
y. church wedding of an Italian girl,
who was quite pretty. She was one
of fathers good friends. Her ia ther
and mother have a fruit stand, and
they always talked to father, and
wept when they heard we had lost
him. I love them because they first
loved him. The wedding was in the
Catholic church, and it was the first
time l had ever attended high mass.
The bride was beautifully gowned.
] am so glad my own church has
co-operated with me so well in all
my undertakings. Eleven years ago
my sister Lula and l organized b.
Y. P. U. in that church, and now
it is the right arm of the pastor, who
is DR.. J. W. Porter. He is great
man, pastor and editor of the West
ern Recorder. Although busy man,
he takes time to do anything we ask
him to do. He made beautiful talk
to the yonng men at the night school
recently. He is also president of our
board of the city missionary socie-
ties.
The city union of the Christian
Endeavor has this year given me
$4,000, to purchase two invalid's
chairs, for some ofthe shut-ins. There
are three Kings Daughters circles
in Lexington, one circle called the
Helpers, which name was giver
them as my helpers in the city mis-
sion work.
The Daughters of the Confedera
CIV contribute monthly to my salary
1 am a member of the chapter. Or
the 18th of October we unveiled
statue on the court house square, o:
General John Morgan, and assisted
in small way in planting Con
federate flags around the statue.
also helped sell souvenirs of tn
day for the chapter.
You remember tried to go as
foraiRn missionary, but each tim.