The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

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 One of my early recollections in so- cial work in Birmingham was visit to the Mercy Home. What blessing this institution has been to our city.
 
 The Mercy Home is exclusively a city and county home for friendless children, and is maintained largely by private con tributions
 l am glad to know that the silver anni- versary of the Mercy Home, February 4 will be celebrated by the board with ap- propriate exercises.
 To call the roll of the original board would be to name some of Birming- hams most worthy matrons; women who have made sacrifices for others. Some of them like Mrs Annie T. Brooks, Mrs. Mary N. Ballard, Mrs. John White, Mrs. L. F. Stratton and Mrs. T. A. Hamilton have gone to their reward It's good, live to carry on the work: Mrs. c. B. Spencer, Mrs. William Redd, Mrs. W. H. Jeffries and Mrs. w. L. Murdock.
 
 When I came to Birmingham I had the good fortune to find home with Mrs. Brooks at the corner of Fifth avenue and Twenty-first street. just across from The Age-Herald. In that home were Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Jeffries, consecrated pair who, for % years, have worked side by side not only in the Mercy Home but in every good work in this great city. It was fitting that at the twenty-fifth annual meeting Mrs. Spencer's serv- ice as president should be featured, and in what more gracious way could it have been done than in the presentation of 8 bouquet of pink roses by the other orig inal members of the board, Mrs. Will liam Redd Mrs. W. H. Jeffries and Mrs. W. L. Murdock.
 What a story could be told by Mrs. Margaret Ramsay, the motherly. woman who, for IS years, has been matron. A sight of this good woman is a sermon on Mothers Day.
 An interesting feature of the home is the visits of former children" of the home, now grown, married, who bring the babies to see Mother Ramsay. Scarcely a week passes that someone of them does not come back for 8 visit, and Mother Ramsay has become Grandmother Ramsay to many more than the average grandmother can boast of.
 It is impossible to measure or estimate all the work of an institution of this day and almost every hour of the day. Each case is separate and concrete, and it becomes the ambition of all who are con- nected with the home to decide these and to work out that which is best for the individual child.
 The home has been fortunate in it's of ficers, board of managers, committees, board, matron and assistants. All are women who in the fullness of their give of the maternal to the desti- ute children who find their way into their protecting care.
 All gifts to the home are acknowledged when received, if the donors name is given It is often difficult to know from whom gifts come when delivered by a porter or maid and no card attached as is frequently the case. Gifts of money are all acknowledged in the treasurer's re- port.
 The citys poverty makes it more than ever necessary for the good people to give to the home. This institution for friendless little children belongs to Bir- not to any board of managers. and hope that Birmingham will be glad to take care of these little children.
 
 The home needs $SOO0 for necessary inn request, is it not? Let's give 1t as a birthday present in honor of it's twenty-fifth anniversary.. A shower of silver will do it.
 The Mercy Home is too familiar to the people of this community to need any elaborate explanation of its plans and purposes. It's 90 children stretch out their hands to you. Touch them with silver
 The Mercy Home is always so full of those in actual need of shelter, and is so continually running over from one room to another, taking up every nook and cranny of halls and corners, that ii is not possible to do as many kinds oi special work as it would like without the improvements asked for It's growing family.
 If you have any doubts about it's worth pay it a visit. The home is open tc visitors Thursdays from 2 to 5 o'clock and on the second Sunday of each month to parents or friends of children in the home
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