Evening star., 1955-01-11
Mary Merrick Dies;
Noted as Founder Of
Christ Child Society
tContinued From First Page.)


magazine, ''The sign" suggested
she would become the first saint
born In the United States. The
late Archbishop Curley Of Balti-
more predicted her canonization.
A movement to bring this about
is In the making.
Even In her 80s she was girl
ish in her laughter. Her delight
in talking to visitors gave her
great charm. There was no In
tensity of missionary zeal about
her. No halo hung over her
head, just a harness to ease the
weight on the spine. But there
was an inward sanctification Of
the spirit which radiated at
times especially when she told
the story Of the beginnings OF
the Christ Child Society.
She was in the room In which
she spent the last 80 years OF her
life in the big comfortable house
at East Melrose street and Con-
necticut avenue in Chevy Chase
She did not dwell on the Diff
ficulties. It all sounded like fun.
the way she told 1t. It was the
appeal Of the Christ Child, the
help Of friends and the co-ordi-
nation Of effort she was able TO
provide from her bed.
Elegant Family Mansion.
Her father was general coun-
sell for the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad. The Victorian elegance
Of the upper stories of the Mer-
rick mansion at 1908 F street
next to the Palace theater can
still be seen. A store, occupies
the first floor. She was born
there on November 2. 1866. the
year after Appomattox. The
Merrick family became a large
one. Miss Merrick was the second
in family of eight children.
seven girls and one boy.
The Merricks were distin-
guished. Her grandfather, VIII
liam D. Merrick, q veteran OF
1912, represented Maryland in
the Senate during the Wing as
cendancy Of the 40s. Her uncle.
William M. Merrick, was an as
sociate Judge of the Supreme
Court of the District Of Colum-
bia (now the District Court A
great granduncle. George Thom-
as, had been Governor Of Mary
land. The Merrick family tree
had Calverts and Brents and
other prominent Maryland
Catholic names among its fore
bears.
Miss Merrick remembers her
father telling the family at the
dinner table one night that he
had seen Grover Cleveland In
the White House that afternoon
and had been offered q place on
the Supreme Court. He told
them he had refused it.
why. father?" he was asked.
II have eight reasons" he said
looking around the table at his
children They were very young
and they wondered what their
fathers reasons were.
Christmas Was Holy Day.
Christmas In the Merrick
household was a holy day, the
anniversary of the birth ofj
Christ. The children wrote their
Christmas letters-not to Santa
Claus but to the Christ Child.
Mrs. Merrick was an Episco,-
palian, a daughter Of James G.
MCGUIRE, well-to-do real es-
tate and insurance man whose
house in the 900 block Of e street
was used in recent years by the
YWCA, The children were taught
by their mother that the King
dom of Heaven al least could be
approached on this earth It was
not until after the birth of her
fifth child that she became con-
verted to Roman catholicism
her husbands religion.
One Christmas when Mary
Virginia was in her early tee.ls,
she and her sisters devoted
themselves to making an outfit
for an underprivileged baby.
"And where are you going to
find a poor child?" their father
asked.
The girls hadn't thought of
that. AL the people they knew
were well-to-do. So they ap-
pealed to Miss Leonide Delarue
who had lace shop on Pennsyl-
vania avenue near Twelfth street.
She found a poor family. The
father was a guard at the Smith
sonian Institution and he had IL
children. There was a new baby
and a great need for a full
layette.
Years later a young priest
called on Miss Merrick. II am
the first baby you clothed" he
told her.
Helped Administer Estate.
Miss Merrick's Gripping In
trinity was followed by the
death of her parents. Her abil-
ity at running the family from
her bed became SO evident that
she was made one Of the admin
istrators of the estate after she
came Of age.
Her atiliction intensified her
interest in the Christmas work.
Friends heard about 1t and
offered to help. Among them
were the Sheridan sisters, daugh-
terS Of Gen. Philip Sheridan, A
formal organization was started.
Miss Delarue became the first
secretary.
Things were so different In
those days." she told an inter-
viewer in 1858. THE naked con-