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Show living in the same yard as a young woman who sews for me pawned their winter bedding for about twenty-five cents. They were given twenty-two and a half cents when they left the bedding. If at the end of the month they wish to redeem their property they must bring twenty-five cents plus an interest of two and a half cents and if they wait two months bring thirty cents. Is it any wonder that the pawn shops grow rich? The sewing woman in telling of this family said. ''For two weeks they have had nothing to eat except what the neighbors give them. The father is away looking for work. We are so sorry for the mother and three children. She can't get any sewing to do. They never ask for anything and when one of the neighbors offers to lend her money or a garment to pawn she says.' 'How can I borrow anything more? I'll never be able to pay it back.' When I make my food at night the smallest girl sometimes comes and stands at the door and her eyes are so big and hungry and she never says a word. Then I dip out a bowl of mush and give to her and tell her to run to her room and eat it. If I have anything left I usually give it to them. But I am poor myself and the baby eats more than she used to and it takes more cloth to make her clothes, so I can't help them very much.'' Some of your money is to be given them each week, during the weeks I will be away. I am not giving much but enough to make the burden for the neighbors a little lighter. Last Sunday after church there was a little group of women gathered around me. Several wished to thank me for the help given them that week. I received their thanks and turned to speak to others as I would rather not have it generally known that we are helping people. But one of the women still stood there and said: ''Please doctor'' in a tone not to be ignored. Her little daughter of twelve is in our day school. A good, quiet child she is, and studies well. The child's father is not a Christian and never comes to church, though the mother constantly attends. They are very poor and the father wants to get the little girl married while the mother wishes her to go to school. The girl has been helped some with a garment now and then, but we cannot promise to support her. ' 'Please doctor'' she said again. I turned with regret in my heart that we could'nt promise what I expected her to ask. There was a hungry, eager look in her eyes and what she said was, ''Please, doctor, will you not pray much for my husband?'' Yes, I could give what she asked. This is a little of what your gifts are.doing. You know in a general way the various needs of a work like ours here, but all other needs fall into the background as we think of the spiritual possibilities of our work, before which we in ourselves stand powerless. Without the strength God's Spirit gives our work must fail. I believe that in some mysterious way our receiving the blessing we seek and being able to pass on to others the blessing they need is dependant in a degree upon your prayers. Let me urge you to pray. Sincerely Yours , Susan B. Tallmon . |