The Semi-weekly leader., 1921-12-10
MRS. BEE READS RES
CUE HOME REPORT
Kings Daughters Institution at
Natchez Doing a Great
Work.


ting and touching report and appeal
for the Kings Daughters Rescue
Home at Natchez of whose governing
board she is now a member, at the
meeting of the local chapter of
Kings Daughters and Sons Wednes-
day afternoon. Mrs Bee had just
returned from visit to the Home
whose unfortunate wards now num-
Der seventeen, all under the age of
eighteen years, and was deeply i'm
pressed with the needs of the insti-
tuition.
Those who failed to hear Mrs.
Bees account may learn of the work
OF the Rescue Home from the fol-
owing excerpts from a report sub
mitted at the last Kings Daughters
Convention, at McComb, by Mrs. j.
5. Campbell, chairman of the govern
ing board;
During the past year we have had
three young children at the Home,
who were held at the request of the
law enforcement officers of the state.
In each case. the child was accusing
witness in cases of statutory rape or
incest. Isthink that this should be
made the basis of securing an appro-
priation of small sum for the sup
port OF the Home from the incoming
legislature. If it is the opinion Of
the organization that this is wise, l
have the promise of a legislator from
Adams county that he will prepare
and introduce the necessary bill.
Along this line, we should adopt
some policy toward these youthful
inmates. One, from Humphreys
county, is now pregnant. She was
seduced by her natural father, who
IS now under conviction for the
crime. She could not read or write.
and has made remarkable progress
IN her books, and in general deveI-
opment. Her family desire that she
be returned home, but the Board has
not been of the opinion that this
should be done, inasmuch as they
mad failed to protect her in the past.
she is not delinquent, and should
not be committed to the Columbia
school. Another, from Clarke coun-
", was seduced by her adaptive faith
er, He is still under sentence, and
has an appeal pending in the Sup
RENE Court. OF course it is neces-
sary that we keep her until the suit
is finally settled. Her child is living.
The work of the Home has been
successful, and has been marked by
considerable increase in the num-
Der of girls applying for admission.
When l took charge, there were FIVE
girls and three babies at the Home.
There are now twelve girls and five
babies. Fifteen have been admitted,
bringing two babies who were born
before the mothers were admitted to
the Ilome. One Of these girls mar
ried the father of her child. Anoth-
er. with her child, has. hsea adopted
into good home. In this case, the
mother was child Of fifteen years.
Eleven babies have been born at the
home, of which number one was still
born, and three died. Six mothers
have retained their children.
Ig discussion of the statewide
work of the Kings Daughters-the
Rescue Home at Natchez-the first
thing to be thoroughly understood is
the nature of the work. The Home
is called Rescue Home, but the
girls who are admitted to the Home
are not hardened, dissolute charac-
ters from the dives of the cities, but
are in most Instances girls from the
rural districts, of tender years, who
have made one false step. In many
instances they are girls who have
been grievously wronged by men in
whom they had legal or moral
right to expect defenders, rather
than seducers.
The gene. al need of the rescue
work is well known to every mem
Der of this organization. There is
constant increase in the number of
admissions, which will no doubt con-
tinue as the work becomes better
known. At this time there are IL
girls at the home, and there have
been twenty in all during my term
of office.
Six of the babies have been adopt
ed. One baby was adopted through
the Salvation Army, whose ward
its mother was; another was adopt
ed with its little mother The other
four adoptions were handled through
the Mississippi Childrens Home-So-