Ladies' Charitable Union

Ai the annual meeting of the Ladies Charitnblo Cnion of this city, held March ,')th, 1874, tho following offlccrs wcre elected for the cnsning y mr: President- Mrs. H. L. Hubbell. Vicc President- Kits. C. T. Wilniol . Secretart-MT$. R. F. Tarraiit. Treaswei - Mra. V. Chapin, Jr. Tlie Board of Managers, consisting oí ladie froni the four churehes representcd in the Union, is as follows : Baptist - Mrs. W. Hilton, Airs. S. Crosnmn, Miss H. Bach, and Mrs. V. Chapín, Jr. Congregational - Mrs. D. S. Wood, Mrs. M. E. Mortvick, Mrs. H. L. Hubbell, and Mrs. J. D. Irish. Methodist- ISm. E. A. Beal, Mrs. B. F. Cocker, Mrs. C. T. Wilmot, and Mrs. E. Steele, Presbyterian- Mrs. C. G. Clark, Mrs. M. E. Jennings, Mrs. H. Kemp, and Mrs. K. F. f arrant. Tho folloTving rej)orts were submitted for the year endiug March 5, 1874 : TItEASUEES'S KKPOEI. To the Ladies' Charitable Union : Tour Treasurer would respectf ully aubaiit the following annual report for the year ending February 2S, 1874 : Tho receipts are as follows : From Membership feos, S 39 00 " private donations, 05 10 " interest on bond, 20 (K) " Thanksgiving collections, 58 17 Receipts for the year, 6172 27 Balance iu the Treasury March 1, 1874, 3Ó5 62 Making a total of ?527 89 Tho disbursemeuts liave been exelusively for charitable purjioses and amouut to -?i7 1 07 Balance iu Treasury at date, 253 82 HBS. M. E. HORWICK, Treasurer. A.va Akbok, Feb. 28, 2874. SECRETARY'S EEPOKT. To the officers and members of the Ladies' Charitablo Union: Time is ever on the wing ; and in its ceaseless and tireless rounds it has biought to our minds the rcalization of the fact, that all earthly things have au end, so has the sixth year of our orgauization. Here we linker for a moment to' take a retrospective view of our work. Trusting that byreviewing our mistakes, as well as our successes, wo may le enabled, by the help of God, to accomplüh far more the coming j'ear for the spiritual as well as the temporal benefit of those we are callad upon to aasist. Well knovring that as long as we live in this world of ehange and ndversity, we shall meet with those that need our help and sympathy for the poor and ncedy is a bequest left us by our Savior. In donig this wort, we should seek wisdom and dlrection from the master, always remembering that we aro but the alinoners of God's ov.-n abuudance, that he has giveu to the world, for the iise of all His creatures, "For the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." We reftd in tho holy seriptures abundant jiroof of God's love and regard for the poor. Does Ho not mean by all these promises of kiudness aud love to commend them to our sympathies ? Wat it not to secure our care in their behalf, that He saiJ, " He that oppresseth the poor reproachetli his maker ; but he that honoreth Hiia liath merey on the poor." It was uudoubtedly f o provide far their needs, that-íJod has so impressively enjoined upon us the duty ot benevoleuce; thus making the reüeving the wants of tho needy, and " visiting the widow and the fatherless in their amictions," a part of that religión which is the only passport j that rest which " remaineth for his children." In subinitting the following report for your onsideration,3'our secretary woukt as concisely as )ossible, give you a synopsis of our work for the ast yciir. The sixth annual record does not 'all behind those of forrner years in causes for ncouragement. Our mouthly meetings have been regularly atended ar.d with increasing interest. The liearts f our members are in the work, and love ior the Tnion scems to grow as the years go by and our ork and experieuce increases. I trust that our ïxth anniversary finds us with faith renewed, nd our energies streiigthened, confident that it s our Father's work, approved of Hira, and His hand guideth us." This year as usual we have eudeavored to visit n their homes all the cases of want and destituon that have come uuder onr notice, that by so oing we might find out their needs. We have so tried to encourage the tliriftless to work. And wMle affoi-ding temporary relief to the jrovident and worthy poor we have tried to find lem employment for which they are always lankful. It has been our desire to relieve the vants and alleviate the sufferings of all classes of ie poor. The toiling widow and the deserted wife and lother, the young and the old, tho over worked nd discouraged, the child of God and the careess sinner, the sick and the dying, have alike lared tho counsels and sympathies of our committees and all the aid they could bestow. And hile relieviug their temporal wants, we did not brget to point them to the " Lamb of God hich taketh away the sin of the world." In doing our work we have made 330 calis, ui havo distribnted 28 pairs of new shoes, 18 ew garmeuts, 26-3 yards of new cloth, more han 290 half worn garments, valued at 127 36, jesides bedding, potatoes, beans, apples, bread nd meat to a considerable amount. We have also f urnished medicine and nourish" ïg food for the sick, distributed fuel and grocees, and paid rent. We have given these things ith a careful hand it is true, yst so as to make many thankful hearts. We could not do our work aud help those that eek our aid, but for the resources kindly f urished us by the friends of humanity in Ann Arbor. We often wish the donors could witness is comfort and thankfulness their half worn arments bring. May Grod bless every dear 'riend that has helppd us in our work by their onations of money, half-worn garments, or proisious or their prayers, and may they roalize ie truth, that " it is more blessed to givo than o reseive." Four for whom we have been caring and tryng to make comfortable have passedfromearth; ne a husband and father died a few days since, nd we have every reason to beheve that he has oneto that land, "where there is no sickness,,or liadow of death." Our committee who visited lim aud made him as comfortable as possible uring his illness,j reported that he died " trustng in Jesus as his Savior." What a comíortng thought this will be for the lonely wife, as lie takes up the burden of life, and struggles on o support herself and the httle ones he has leit, ntireiy depeudent upon the "God of the widow and the iatherless." In this review of our work, we fiud some pleasant incidente that assure us our labor ha3 uot all been in vam : One, a poor but worthy woman whom we had cared for, and nursed through a long ïUness, expressed her gratituda and said she liad written her mother in Germany of our kiudne3s who sends her greetiug and asks God to bless us for the aid and care we had given her daughter. So you see Christian sisters that the httle rippla of love and charity not only proved a blessing to her we assisted but cheered the heart of the Germán mother across the ocean. If we havo made one heart glad, shall we not have the blessing of Him who said " Inasmuch as ye did it unto of the least of these yo did it unto me." I cannot close our roport without a word of reference to that fearful curse intemperance, which blights the homes and ruina the precious souls oí so many around us. Could this gigantic evil bo removed more than halL of the poverty and suffering in our city would be obviated. And then would charity bo unfettered in her work, and the poor assisted without the fear that the help given would go to the venders oí this traffic. How many iamilies do wo üud where the husband and father gives all he can earn to the saloon keeper, and leaves his wife dependent on charity and his children to beg and piek up what they can on the street ? Oh ! how eamestly do we wish we could get these children frora uuder the influence oi such i:ithcrs. This could be done by getting them homes in Christian families, or by sending them to the State Public School whero they would be educated and trained up with habits of industry, and under Christian influence. Shall not this be an object for our consideration in the future ? The year, month aftor month has passed, and I with it the record oL our work. for eteinity. - God grant that it may hcive been f.iitbfully performed. Christian littera vo are on the threshold of a ncw year. Tho futuro is beforo as. Shnll we uot prny for strcngth and graeo, that we may enter upon its dutie3 and responsibilities with renewed zeal and diligence? " Doing with our might whnt our hands find to do." For as long as the world is full of sin and sorrow, poverty and advereity, thero will be work for Shristian women. Muy we so well do our work and íaithfully fulfill the trusts confided to us by the Mnster, that whea wa shall bu araong thoso that were but aro not it may be truthf ully said ot us, "they were true women, they havo dono what they cou!d." MBS. II. I'. TAKlíAXT, Secretary.