The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-19
py DOLLY DALRYMPLE

! HH11T occurs to me that in summing
 up the work and the influence 1 S Of the great Red Cross during the Christmas drive for membership that it's by-products, Faith, Hope and Char i ity, stand valiantly out as being highly
 developed since the war work started" Mrs. J. D. Kirkpatrick, whose appoint ment as general in the great nation wide drive of the Red Cross for mem bership has met with the universal ap- proval of the entire city of Birmingham, which feels and recognizes Mrs. Kirk patrck's ability to make it a success and go lover the top'' with a splendid record to our credit, pointed out the three by-products mentioned in the foregoing statement as the most impor-
 tant of the many developments in Red Cross work.
 "Standing as the Red Cross does as a bulwark and a fortress in war times, said Mrs. kirkpatrick, Tit has brought together men and women from every avenue of life and the great melting pot has developed patience, promptness and a kindred spirit in the great drive for humanity
 "Let me give you an example of what I mean,' Mrs Kirkpatrick continued. When I was asked to take charge Of the Red Cross Christmas drive for mem bership went home after the meeting and pondered over the situation and mapped out plan whereby we might do the most effective work; put the names of nine women on my list, ana the next morning when I was ready to ask them to meet at my house to dis cuss certain measures and arrangements imagine my surprise to look out of doors and find the ground covered with snow and ice; everything frozen stiff; or course, it was not an encouraging Sit uation, but I went to my phone just the same and called the nine women whom 1 I had chosen for the work. Now let
 me tell you what happened: Not one single one of those nine women hesl- | tated for one moment: many of them \ had no automobiles and no way but the street cars to reach my house; not one
 stopped to give an excuse such as we
 usually hear: I'm sorry. but l have another engagement.' So sorry, but the Wea ther is too bad.' lo pc Sidu to pe
 present, but haven't don my Christmas
 shopping and, oh well, you know the
 usual excuses; but everyone of the nine
 women said: Yes, I'll be there on time i It was for the Red Cross; that Is all
 they wanted to know. and, true to their
 word, in spite of snow and sleet and
 rain and hail. those nine women reported promptly at my house in the afternoon, one of the women found when she
 started home that the wheels of her au-
 tomobile had frozen to the earth and 1t stayed out in front of my house until o'clock that evening, when it was liter
 ally rriEed out of the ground. A beau tiful spirit which the Red Cross has I developed is shown in regard to prompt ness and willingness to serve, which i these nine women manifested.
 1 Another by-product of the Red Cross | work which stamps itself upon my mind lis the quality Of patience and tolerance, said Mrs. Kirkpatrick, 'and this was verified in my own case few days
 ago. My unit was in the Edison hall al Lovenaan, Joseph & Loeb's doing Red | Cross work, when stranger-a woman passed the door and knocked; saw her through the glass doors and realized 1 that I did not know her; I opened the door, however, and asked what l could | do for her; she said she wanted me
 to tell her where she could buy a