The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-18

ITS AFFLICTED FOUNDER TELLS
OF ITS INSPIRATION, FIRST EF-
FORTS, AND ITS PRESENT
NEEDS AND HoPES-socIETY
HAS GROWN LARGE AND POW.
ERFUL-MIss MERRlCk NOW A
HELPLESS INVALID.
BY Dan Doran.
(Written for N. c. w. c. News Serv-
That hopeless invalid, compelled
always to lie fiat on her back, should
be the founder and the directing gen.
JUS of a vigorous national society that
has spread through twenty great cities
and includes thousands of members,
may seem to many marvel. But it
is no marvel to those who know Miss
Mary V. Merrick, the inspiration and
the active head of the Christ Child
Society.
The Christ Child Society is Miss
Merrick's own child 1t is through her
faith and love and unremitting vigi-
lance that a single act of devotion to
the Infant Jesus has grown into ma
tional organization that operates set
Elements, sewing schools, dental
clinics, fresh-air farm and kinder
gartens that have brought sunshine
into the lives of thousands of Gods
little ones.
Miss Merrick's home is at Linwood,
Ellicott City, Md, twelve miles from
Baltimore. From the very first glance
of her eyes and the very first note of
her voice, the visitor ceases to wonder
that Mary Merrick has been able to
perform prodigies. Indeed, it would
seem strange if such woman could
not do the miraculous. 1t was thirty
years ago and Miss Merrick was still
in her teens when she met with the
accident which confined the blue-eyed
fair-haired girl to her bed and rolling
chair for the remainder of her life
But her enthusiasm is still the enthu-
siasm of youth; her eyes have still the
sparkle of radiant girlhood and her
faith is the faith of child. She says:
81 had often wondered how many
children there must be who come into
the world, like the Christ Child, with
out even sufficient clothes to keep
their little bodies warm. I thought
that if could only once, with my own
fingers, make few things for one
such child I would feel that had &C.
complished something in the world.
So I started. With my sisters help 1
soon had a layette finished.
at was Mrs. Leonide Delarue, of
| Washington, who up to the time of her
death was one of the best workers for
the Christ Child, who really gave me
the biggest help. For the hardest task
at first was to find the poorest child.
knew there must be many poor moth
ers who really needed clothes for
their newborn little ones, but we
didn't know single case. Mrs.
DelaFue often came to visit us and l
told her what | was doing and my
predicament. She had done consider
able work among poor families. She
Improved of my idea Immediately.
And she said, I have just the case
for those clothes. Give them to me
quick!' So my first difficulty was
solved and felt greatly satisfied"
Triumph Over Weakness.
AS Miss Merrick recounts the his.
tory of the upbuilding of the Christ
Child Society, one begins to realize,
without wondering, the secret of her
success. To her has been given the
power to magnetic hundreds OF
others into action. AS she recounts de.
tails, big and little, of how like the
grain of mustard seed, her little ad
venture grew into a thriving organism
Iyou can recognize, even from the man
ner of her narrative, the tremendous
force of character, the depths of love
and the wealth of tenderness that this
inspired invalid possesses.
i For there were many difficulties to
be overcome. Not the least of these
were during the long spells of sick
ness and suffering in which the young
girl was compelled practically te
abandon her plans for months at a
time. But Immediately she regained
sufficient vigor, she returned again to
4 her work. The vision never left hel
and the determination to serve the
Christ Child never weakened.
at seems so natural to want to de
good for somebody" she will tell you
"The Infant Jesus has shown us sc
many ways. We soon found that there
were many. many children who needed
clothes. They were not all infants
Some were poor, undernourished boy:
and girls Of eight or nine or ever
/ twelve, who had no ample protection
s against the rain and the winds of win
ter. Aud as it was Christmas that th'