The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-22

1 that is given it. A little incident in con- nection with the Charity Ball that touched me very deeply was a letter that I re- ceived shortly after accepting the honor of joint hostess for the occasion. It was from dear old lady who has been the re cipient of the good deeds done by this Charity. She wrote in the most gratfy- ing terms of the excellent work done by the District Nurses Association, telling of the kindness and gentleness and gener- osity of those connected with it, and say ing that if l only knew what it meant to the poor and distressed I would think nothing too much trouble in order to raise funds for the work. She spoke of friends of hers who had been in dire dis tress, when sickness had overtaken their families, when they were too poor to even buy medicine. much less to afford a nurse, when everything seemed so dark and the future a dim vista of suffering and mis- cry, and then she told of how the Dis trict Nurses Association had come, like Good Angel, and held out a kindly hand to them, brightening and alleviating the suffering about them-a world where every Hulndii udlltl NtiS OilC OI SSihPdthS and kindness and that life, after all, was really worth the living. I have never read a more beautiful or a more apprecia- tive letter in my life, and it was a testi- monial that would do more towards fur thering the cause of this Charity than anything else in the world 1 wish every body in Birmingham could have read the letter.
 stfTha nictript NnrSpS' ASSOCiat tiOu v Mrs Percy continued, makes so little demand upon the public, inasmuch as it Is only once during the year that an appeal is made for help and that is through the Annal Charity Ball. Last year the most gratifying results accrued from the ball and enough money was made for the maintenance of two nurses part of the year. That, of course. helped conditions wonderfully, for with so much illness and distress the duties devolving upon enc nurse are enormous and when an assist ant can be employed even for a short time, it doubles the amount of good work that can be done and so much relief is afforded those who need 1t. We are very anxious to make the ball this season a sufficient financial success to do every thing that the District Nurses Association wants to do during the year-to sustain their work already begun. as well as add ing to it, wherever necessary-and I be- leve that everybody feels the same way about this matter. The generous support and hearty response financially as well as in the matter of arrangements for the ball, has been remarkable and Mrs. Bar rett and are very appreciative of it."
 And all the artistic effects and plans for the ball, and that sort of thing?" l said:
 Are simply beautiful" said Mrs. Per cy enthusiastically. Our plans for a Wistaria and Butterfly Ball, as you al- ready know, are very elaborate, and the mise-en-scene as we have planned 1t will be exquisite from every point of vie\ with 8 background of lovely decorations and the many artistic costumes that will be worn on that occasion it ought to make one of the prettiest affairs that has ever been given here And one thing do cor rect, and that is the erroneous impression that seems to have gotten abroad that only those in costume will be expected to participate. We want just as many of our guests to come in costume as we can pos sibly get to do so, and these. of course, will participate in the Grand March. mak- ing sort of tableaux as a premiere. but after that every one. whether in costume or not will be just as cordinally welcomed as though they were"