The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-29
Sophie Wright's Most Valued Gift
SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT By MRS. SIDNEY N. JULIAN

Few women have ever been so honored or recognized by their native city as Miss Sophie Wright ana few deserve so Ieat an honor. Much of the work done
 by this woman stands as a monument to her, but the words she spoke will ever sing in the hearts of those who knew her.
 If Miss Sophie loved ''her girls" dearly,
 a hundred times dearer to her were her
 boys" The girls she knew were protect
 ed and cared for, but the boys were home-
 less and hopelessly adrift
 When Miss Sophie started the night
 school for which she was justly famous
 there was a greater service behind the
 work However. this was only recognized
 by those who attended. New Orleans knew
 the number of pupils, the volunteer teach
 CTS, and the little crippled principal. but
 they couldn't know the words of comfort
 she spoke, nor the new hope she gave.
 nor the big outlook on life she preached to the night school boys" many old enough to be her father.
 All New Orleans knew was that this night school was making good citizens of
 Miss Sophie's boys, but they never knew how often, tired and i'll. she put an arm around a big, discouraged man and sent him back to work again with new | strength.
 | New Orleans seldom has a snowstorm, but once in while the ground is GOV cred with white down and it's a great
 day for this southern city On such a 1 day as this little crippled Sophie Wright | then about 16 years old, and looking like a tot of 10. looked out of the window and beheld some small boys with shovels ! at. her door; they wanted to shovel the | snow the sidewalks ana steps were slip pery and needed the work done badly | but money was awful scarce in tho Wright home, and there was certainly 1 none available for such service. Ther the sweet smile that always came or | Miss Sophie's face when a big thought was behind it, was seen, and she tolC | the small boys that if they would shove
 the snow she would teach them to read
 by the big grate fire inside.
 l This seemed a funny offer to those dirty, cold, little fellows, but after a mo. nlent they decided to try it; maybe il was the anticipation of few hours by 8 fire on that cold day; maybe the offer
 awoko real desire to learn, and maybe it was just Miss SoDhie's smie l So it started, the Sophie Wright Night
 School for Men. and 1t grew and grew
 and grew. but always there was Miss Sophie's smile.
 | I remember being one of her day pupils a rather favored, one; that after schoo
 one day she was being congratulated upon some generous gift of big-hearted
 citizen. when she said
 l Girls, I'm going to show you the dear
 est treasure ever given to me, the one
 will always value above all others. be-
 cause it was prompted by love and given with desire to please" | She limped out of the room, and we wondered what was to be shown that
 could be so dear to this woman, that now
 after years of toll was so honored and
 so beloved. -t
 1 She came back with a box under hei
 arm. which she placed on the table ano Iopened. Packed carefully and lovingly were four colored glasses and a coloree glass pitcher, cheap and gaudy if yot will. but what do you think made then 1 so dear to Miss Sophie?
 1 A little card hung by a dirty red rib bon from the pitcher handle and on Il was written. in cramped but carefu script ITO our teacher from her snow 1 birds.
 gift from the little boys she taught
 given to her the first Christmas after tnt snow storm, bought from their hart l earned money and selected with desire | to please.
 lovely grey eyes and she said: "Ont l of those boys Is dead. two are honoree citizens and the other one Is lost tt me, but that gift will ever be my mos cherished possession.
 Since that gift of the gaudy glass pitcher and glasses was given to Miss Sophie she has been the recipient ol thousands of dollars, jewels and count | less small but valuable gifts. but al ways to her the gift of her snow pirds'' was the dearest
 It's long way off now to tho Christmas season. a long way to tha time of generous giving. but even these months ahead people are beginning t pla n for their family and their friend' and how many are going to give ane
 receive gifts that have no value bu the thought behind fl, no beauty bu i the desire to please and no use but jus a reminder of love? No one win hav' such gift unless they deserve 1t. What have you Or I done to deserv' so xal,,nb1a a aft aa one that fl