APPEALS TO CHARITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11842, 20 December 1901, Page 7

APPEALS TO CHARITY

•We hare received the following letters: —

Sir, —Remembering your past kindness, I venture -to ask space in your valuable columns to make a. Christmas appeal on behalf of the poor and needy of our city. I am meeting with them every day in connection with my work, and many of them are really poor, even "without the ordinary necessities of life. Unless some of our kind readers come to their help Christmas greetings will bo nothing to them but a satire. Some of the most pathetic instances which I meet with are where the children have to suffer. Only a few days since 1 received a note from a. mother with quite a large family of little boys and girls. The rent was behind, and the landlord had : threatened to turn them out. The cupboard was empty, and the children hungry, and in urgent need of clothing. The father was dead, and the mother's actions had caused many of her friends to turn their back upon her, but tats fact surely did not justifv sue ill leaving tho children in such a , sorry plight. As a servant of Christ I felt that i. must help them, and this Christmas I should like to do a little more to make them happier. It is _ hard to face poverty when one, has health and strength, but it is infinitely worse when it is accompanied b> sickness. I have recently been visiting a young woman who cannot live much - longer. She is dreadfully . emaciated by the disease which afflicts her, and is that weak that she cannot do anything for herself and too pool to procure either suitable food or medicine. Thanks to the kindness of some of our friends I have boon able to do a little to help her. She will not he here next Christmas, and 1 should like to make this as bright as possible. Ihe above are instances such as. I am constantly meeting. I could toll, of the poverty-stricken old woman without friends, of the deserted wile . who strutr sties bravely to maintain her , c y ll * [ dren, and *oI tho invalid fatner and sickly j; mother who are in urgent need, but"!; have already been too long, and must close. -I am sure when your readers understand the facts as they really are they will respond in their usual liberal way. Gifts of food, clothing, or money will all be thankfully received. Many of iny women ' friends will he glad to work if someone will bo good enough to give them the opportunity. I will close, wishing you and your readers tho compli- ■ ments of the season, and thanks to you for your continued kindness. Will tho good friends who can help us please communicate cither with our treasurer, Mr. H. E. Pacey, care of the New Zealand Dairy Association, Limited, Wellcsley-street, or to yours sincerely. Sister Kenneth. Woodstreet, Ponsonby. December, 19, 1901. ( The Rev. W. E. Lush, chaplain of the Mission of the Good Shepherd, writes: — " May I trespass on your space to make an appeal on behalf of the Children's Homo in Ayr-street, Parnell. It is hoped that the work there will be nearly self-supporting; we shall never orc-ouragc relatives who ran pay for children to lean on tho public. The work has been one very dear to Mrs. Oowie, whose philanthropic energy has been •well known. What we ore needing now is just a little help to cover the necessary expenses of. fitting up the old Grammar School building for the purpose. The garden feto in Government House grounds, postponed from the 11th to the 23rd, will be devoted entirely to this branch of the work of the Good Shepherd. We hope the fete will be well patronised; the attractions arc advertised. But we do not mind a few subscriptions from those who cannot come. This- work is for the good of children. It is undertaken with the hope of making them useful and honourable members of society, with fiomo of the feai of God in them." : .