The Lexington record. [volume], March 01, 1891, Image 2

About The Lexington record. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 1890-1???

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AUNT JE AN'S IJBTTEK.
Infirmary, Nurses, Donations,
A Twilight Visit. Incidents.
Lenten Thoughts.
Dear Friends:
' What should a Mid-Lent letter
be if not a message to,hearts grown
tender by daily communion with
Him "who spent these forty days
and forty nights in deeper humble
ness of spirit than we can ever
know ? I have not all of sunshine
or all of shadow for you. There
is just the blending which mellows
all human pictures however satis
fying. Our
HOUSE BEAUTIFUL
is growing, and bounteous hands
are now, as in all these twelve
months, showering upon us the
means of growth which should be
unto us a means of grace. The
brick annex is nearing completion.
A leading spirit in progress of all
kinds asked me, "How much will
it cost to furnish a Students' Ward
in your building? There ought
to be some place like that for sick
boys far from home and mother,"
Shall we not. encourage the sug
gestion? This is the season of the
year which has proved so trying to
southern' boys, and numbers of
them are sick now. Oh, for a light
sweet, pleasant room ; like that
where our last sick girl patient is
cared for; and how fervent her
commendation of the House Beau
tiful, where our white-capped young
nurses brighten the atmosphere of
sickness. Not alone do they cheer
these wards. Out into the homes
where disease and death come they
bear whatever of comfort may be
theirs to give. So faithfully ... has
Miss Westcott fulfilled her mission
for a dear young girl this holy
season, that though not mighty to
save, yet the bereaved parents were
unwilling to lit her go for days
afterwards.
AMONG THE POOR !
there was one suffering from neg
lect and wretchedness, whose
needs were so soothed by Miss
Larkin that her daily visit was
hailed with inexpressible delight.
Several public entertainments
have interested the people in be
half of our needed fund, and to
the question, "Are you going to
become self-sustaining?" we an
swer that we are. "The Rajah"
was played on the 7th of Febru
ary, by a company of our ama
teurs and netted $200. The beau
tiful Art Loan Exhibit which
was conducted so , cleverly, and
amiably by Miss Nettie McDowell
and her assistants, yielded $340,
which Mr. J, M. Dutf kindly
made $350. Ia one particular
nook, beneath handsome por
traits by distinguished artists, and
surrounded by curios and treas
ures from every land, the sweet,
bright spirit of the enterprise es
tablished John Scott, a delicate
boy, whose game about theWhite
House great men, was to be sold
to help '. his widowed ; mother.
Kind faces halted before his own
pale cheeks, and hands were busy
with purses till twentyrfive doW
lars had swelled his little treasury.
On that last night,- while rain
poured in torrents, a message
came that he must haBten home,
his mother was ill.
SHE STILL LIES PROSTRATE
on a bed of sickness, and the boy
himself is threatened with a wast
ing disease. But he does not for
get the sweet girl who was so
kind to him. Night after night
he has dreamed of her, with the
tenacity of a frail organism and
a precocious mind. On Washing
ton's birthday the boy read an
original sketch of the nation's
hero, which did great credit to
the memory of his father, the
gallant officer,' who sleeps in the
Lexington cemetery. So while
taking in money at the Art Loan
for the House Beautiful, the
sweet charity of helping others
was not forgotten. And the
money came in. Mrs. F. K. Hunt
sent 132; Mrs. Fitzhugh gave $5;
a friend sent $9; , another friend
sent $100; Miss Sue Scott $5; Mrs.
Katherine Reid. gave $264, the
annual endowment fund for one
cot, Mr. Will ' Pickett gave $25;
and
THUS THE WORK GOES ON.
Mrs. F. Gorton has sent valuable
papers for reading. Mr. J. C,
Bryant, who has ' shown much
kindness, sent some useful empty
boxes and packages of' garden
seed. Dr. ' Scott, of New York,
donated three boxes of medicine
and one box of cocaine. Mrs! Cl
F. Simbnds, who has given so
much from the ' very first, sent
one dozen cans of corn, ditto
peaches; ditto peas; One, dozen
oranges, ditto apples, ditto banan
as, also hominy, grits and candy.
Mrs. Ben Bruce sent old papers,
for which there are so-many uses.
Mrs. Warren, a glass of jelly, old
papers, and two pounds of butter.
She is always big-hearted and
watching for . a chance to help.
Mrs. France has again sent some
of her delicious crisp white celery,
than which there is nothing more
refreshing. Miss Johns sent
parsley, a bit of green to vary
the winter's bill of fare. ! Mrs;
Goodloe gave an overcoat for. Joe
Preston, the little lame boy adopt
ed by the institution. Messrs.
Cassell & Price sent him two flan
nel shirts. Mrs. Dudley gave him
stockings. Joe's ambition, how
ever, was for a pair of "galluses,"
so he was gratified in that line.
Miss Jeannie McLean donated a
bound volume of Harper's Month
ly. Mr. S. F. Warren sent mac
caroni, cheese, and cucumber
pickles. E. J. Curley sent a cask
of whisky, and Mr. Johns 'a jug
of distilled water. Mrs. Maria
Dudley, whose name always ap
pears on the, list, gave old linen,
and a, padlock and chain for the
ice chest. Mr. Spanier, a vendor
of tinware, gaye three tin boilers.
Mrs. S. H. Allen, another whose
heart is in the work, gave, three
china bowls.. C. A, Johns do
nated a nasal atomizer, and Dr.
McClure,, two pus;; basins, Mrs.
'.. : iiO.. . ..... . i
Taylor, the x matron, gave a set
of muffin rings. This closes the
list to the 19th inst., but there is
scarcely a day without some con- j
tribution. This report does not
include the y ield, from the. nurses' j
engagements outside, which must,
reach nearly two hundred dollars.
Stanhope Totten, the lad who has
been ill all winter, is better now,
and so grateful that he sent one
round silver dollar as his offering.
This is not the first gilt from the
children of Mr. A. I. Totten, and
this dollar was a donation to the
boy while so extremely ill. He
has put it to a noble use.
THE HOME OF THE FRIENDLESS
was cozy and peaceful in the wan
ing daylight when I called. The
bell, which always rings with a
peal, broughtFIip to the door, now
grown to be much more than an
armful, or a lapful, and he was
wild with frolic. He seemed too,
to monopolize Aunt Amy, and I
found out why he was so happy
when she said in sorrowful tones
that Dick was dead. Yes-Dick
the saucy, the wise, the tyrant of
the kitchen, Aunt Amy's playmate,
is dead. He got to be too imperti
nent for his own good. One day
he pecked at an unfriendly heel,
which lost no time in kicking him
on his little feathered stomach. He
fell down in a fit and rolled over
and over, she said; but afterwards
he "peerted up." Then he got
fastened up in the coal cellar for
some .hours. Aunt Amy missed
him and began a search Peering
iuto the darkness she said, "Dick,
Dick." "Clear out! Clear out!"
he screamed irritably; so she let him
be" for a while. When next she
went he lay, toes up, and made no
sign. Whether Flip got the best
of him in a fight, for they were
always at it, or whether the kick
aforesaid gave a mortal hurt will
never be known. Matron Mary
buried him, and poor, widowed
Biddy refused outright to hatch
her eggs. "She won't lay, either,"
explained Aunt Amy seriously,
"unless I put her on the nest and
tell her she' 'must." But Flip has
it all his own way now and insisted
on treating i-me 'as his best friend.
I saw all the old ladies, but linger
ed longest by the firelight to hear
AUNT PATSY'S STORY.
She was glad of a . chat with a
visitor. She and Mother Steele
sit in opposite corners and talk;
till tired of each other. She told
how she lost two husbands, one
little daughter of each marriage
coming into the world after the
father's eyes were closed in death,
both of , whom are dead; now.
Then of the struggle to live alone,
followed by the kindness ot rela
tives, till at last .the Home was
the only place left. "And here
I've been for seven years. . I
would pot; leave here, for a home
with the richest, person in Ken
tucky, I have all I want." "Yes
said" blind Mother , Steele, who sat
listening and trimming her finger
nails, "we ; have, a , good home,
plenty to eat,; a good Matron, and
we never want to leave." "But
oh!" sighed Aunt Patsy, "if it
would please, the good Lord to
prepare me and call me now,,
right now, what a blessing! Ninety-two
years and , better have I
come. I have to be waited on
now. Maybe I'll get so J can't
do anything at all. How much,
better if I could end it all." And
then I drew her thoughts to her
carpet balls. She had made
twenty-nine since my last visit,
she and her blind companion..
She had pleasant incidents to tell
of the lady managers. Mean
while Flip had been capering
about us as we sat close together..
"Get out," she cried sharply, and.
added, as he veered oft and shook
his head cunningly from side to
side with eyes shining, "he's a
fine pup, but I'm afraid he'll hurt ,
my side," the lame side.
Dear friends, there are many of
my readers who say they like to
hear of these humble ones,
and their dumb playmates. A,
workingman met me on the street
and said, "I read your letter
Sunday till I cried. Here is a
dollar for the paper, I want to do.
what I can to help." ;
A happy Easter tide to all.
Yours in Christian fellowship.
Aunt Jean.
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Lonesome. 1
BY E. D. P.
' Mama, has God got any more
Dust up in Heaven?" "Why, my1
dear?"
"Because," said May, "if He has.
got .
Some more nice dust away up there,
I wish He'd 1 make" and she
laughed with glee,
"A little brother to play with me."'
Little Johnny I say, pa, what
does a "star" mean ? , ' .
Pa o(who is an actor and has
starred) It is an abbreviation of'
starvation, my son. Texas : Sift
ings. FAUNTLEROY ON THE BIRTH OF THE,
DIAMOND.
L. L. Fauntleroy Dearest
don't jewelers set big diamonds?
Mrs. Fauntleroy- Yes, Cedric.
L. L. Fauntleroy Well, dearest
do the big diamonds hatch out lit
tle ones? Jewelers' Weekly.
The Record from now till Sep
tember 1st for 50 cents.
New Subscribers.
Col. R. E. Edmonson, Mrs..
Myrtie Mayfield, Mrs. Joseph
Brower, (the last, two handed in.
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F. Gorton, of Rochester, N. Y.
Too Hard. .
BY E. D. P.
Said Johnny, "I shall never learik
The catechism, manimaj see
If they have not a kittenchisim,
For very little boys like me."
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