Untitled article by Mrs. S. M. I. Henry

Pacific Press Publishing Co. · New York · July 14, 1898

Items of W. C. T. U. History.

By Mrs. S. M. I. Henry

BY MRS. S. M. I. HENRY.

We instructed our Unions in this work among mothers to organize what we called “Mothers’ Circles” to meet once a week if possible. First, in order, was to district the village or city, and make a canvass of all homes. We were to go to rich and cultured who might be totally unconscious of any lack in themselves, and arouse them to interest in the poor, the ignorant and degraded. By this means two purposes would be served; the poor would have friends raised up for them, and the rich might be led to discover their own hearts and their own needs.

I could draw from many experiences to illustrate how this worked, and will select one notable case.

I had held an institute in an eastern city and given this plan of work, and a year or so later was recalled to continue it by a series of evangelistic services in the churches. I was met at the depot by the president of the leading Union, and she said: “I came for you myself because I have something to tell you at once. We have carried out this plan of work which you gave us, and as a result one of the wealthiest ladies of the city is waiting with such eagerness for your coming that I expect she will be at your home to meet you before you will get your lunch eaten. It came about in such a way that we all see that God was in it. The member of the Union to whom the district was given in which this lady lives is not such a very able woman, nor very courageous, but good and true as gold. She was very timid about calling on this rich lady but she came to the visitor of another district and said ‘I want to borrow your drunkard’s family with the crippled child for a lady in my district. I don’t know of any other way to approach her.’

“This lady is literary, artistic, beautiful; has always been in society, and seems absolutely beyond us, but this funny borrowing was agreed to, and our little timid visitor called on her rich lady, and without any preliminaries began to tell her about our work for mothers and children, and about the poor little baby who had been crippled by its father in a drunken outbreak. The child needed many things that would cost money, and which the Union would not be able to provide. There was hope that its condition might be greatly bettered by treatment if it could be provided. She told the story with all the earnestness of a thoroughly aroused motherly woman, and the Spirit of God helped her. Before she got to the end the eyes of her listener were full of tears, and she began to express herself by saying,

“‘I thank you for coming to me with this. I did not suppose any one would have so much confidence in me; no one ever did before. I will be glad to help. I am thoroughly sick of the selfish life I have lived. I will order the carriage and we will go at once to see this poor baby.’

“So the carriage with the coachman in livery was called and the two went together to the drunkard’s home.

“The interest aroused in this woman did not stop in one child, but reached out to all the sin-cursed children of the city, and the result was a plan for many things by which it was hoped to alleviate the distress of the victims of vice and poverty. Among the plans which she is hoping to realize is a free kindergarten, and it is about this that she is so anxious to see and talk with you.”

I was still at my lunch when she came. She was as full of projected good works as an egg is of meat, and eager for information as to how to proceed. She said:

“This work has been such a blessing to me that I wish to give everybody a chance to help in it, and will it be too much to ask you to mention it in your meetings, and tell every one who would like to assist that they can have an opportunity by handing their contribution to the Treasurer of the W. C. T. U.”

She did not dream of the delight and wonder with which I looked at her and listened, nor of how more than glad I was to say “it will be no trouble. I will gladly aid you all I can in every meeting. Please write out a statement of what you would like to have me present and I will use it as a mark for my Bible lesson, so I will never forget it.”

This she did, and was then so interested to know just how I would present her plan that she came to every service following the meeting from church to church all over the city, and before we had finished she came and said:

“I want to join you and put on the white ribbon. I will banish the wine from my home forever.”

This she did and soon added thereto the consecration of herself to Christ and work for his neglected poor.