The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-14
MISS ABBY M'ELROY
SPEAKS AT Y. v. c. A.
Explains Association Work
to 100 Women
MISS BALLARD HERE
Miss Stanton, Miss Taylor and Mrs.
Passmore Coming Today, Tomor-
row and Monday to Aid in
the Campaign
MISS BALLARD HERE

More than one eye was moist yes
terday and more than one heart went
out in longing and a desire to help
her less fortunate sister as Miss Abby
McI1iroy told story after story Of real
human interest to 100 of the women of
leisure of Birmingham who were en-
tertained at luncheon at The Young
Womens Christian association yester-
day Miss McElroy is not only an in
teresting speaker but she knows the
psychology of touching the hearts Of
her listeners.
The purpose of the luncheon yester-
day was to make the representative
women of Birmingham realize the need
for Young Women's Christian associa
tion work and to want to take part
in the carrying on of it. Miss McElroy
pointed out how the association gives
the business woman a new outlook
upon life, how through its travellers
aid work 1t meets the stranger as she
enters the city and finds her a home,
a safe, economical, wholesome place
where she may be protected from the
evils SO likely to befall the strange
girl in strange city. She spoke Of
liC tdl nttQ lOI SOt1di lALtb LiAC nun
ger in the hearts of many women for
"a place of real enjoyment and innocent
pleasure, of the loneliness of some lives
before touched by the association, and
she pointed out most emphatically that
the menace of the great city today is
not so much its wickedness but Its
loneliness.
She told of visiting a factory in an
other city where the girls had not
of the ugly stone buttons that they put
on garments BY machinery from early
morning till the close of the factory
at night. She pointed out the dulling.
deadening effect on the mentality of n
girl who has to do such work and the
great need for an opportunity to in
dulge in amusements, sports or classes
in the evening that will make them
forget the terrible monotony of such
toll and have a quiekening effect on
their perceptions, and on their intel
lects
One girl, Miss Melflroy said, whom
she asked to tell her what she thought
the strongest thing in association work
said: "The social part of it, for, you
see when you live at home you have
your mother. If you come home very
tired at night, too tired to care about
anything, your mother says CHEEKY
make you comfortable, you feel she
cares In n strange city you know that
nobody cares, but once you get into
association life, when you come home
tired from work at night you think
of the bright pleasant rooms and con-
genial people up at the association,
and you know that there they do care
for You and you go up to gymnasium
class. a sewing class Bible class
and in the joy of the evening and the
pleasant, happy faces about you you
Just plain forget that you're tired. And
then, why, you aren't tired. 1t means
so much to come in touch with those
who are not tired, even though they
too have forgotten that they were.'
Miss Nellie A. Ballard, publicity Sec
retary for the national board, arrived in
Birmingham yesterday to assist in the
campaign and today Miss Edith n.
Stanton director of the bureau OF ref
erence of the national board, will reach
the city. Tomorrow Miss Harriet Tay
lor, executive of the foreign department
and acting executive of the finance de-
partment. will arrive. Miss Taylor is
most interesting speaker and Bir-
mingham people will have several OPP
portunities to hear her. On Monday
Mrs. X. H. Passmore of Minneapolis, Il
volunteer worker who has given up "A
three months trip to Europe with her
two daughters to help in these finance
campaigns because she feels so strong
| ly what women of leisure can do for
the cause, will arrive. Mrs Passmore
speaks interestingly from the view
| point of a volunteer