Clothing for the Needy

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 December 1916, Page 2

Clothing for the Needy

A LETTER FROM LADY STOUT.

Mrs Banks, of Levin, is in receipt of the following lcter regarding gifts of clothiuy sent from Levin and elsewliore to Great Britain :— 338 The Terrace. December 6th, 1916. Dear ilrs Banks, —I received a letter to-day from Mrs Methven, tJhio lady to whpm I sent the parcels for Edinburgh which IE shall quote as 1 feel- that you deserve the full measure of gratitude and thanks for your splendid work and generosity. Mrs Methven writes: -'And now I must thank you for your splendid gift to the soldiers' and sailors wives and children. It was so good of you to allow mo to be the medium. ' The cases arrived in splendid condition a few days ago and my sisters have been since to see the secretary of the association where they were sent. She told them that they are al cha l/.oa with your delightful gift. She says tlio committee have not met ffio' vly yet, but when they do their honor i-y secretary, Lady Marjorie Mackenzie will write to you. Meantime t poiivy to you their warmest thanks. Mwrv mi tide is appreciated and 't

a great pleasure to have this expression of. the bond of interest, between New Zealand and the Home Country. It will cheer tli© wives and children of the brave men who are fighting to recognise the sympathy that is sent to them from .their comrades in your country. 'My sisters, too, are very grateful for they have been doing work among ;sonie of the soldiers' and sailors' families and they have been adlowcd to give the, names of their special friends, so again allow me to say how much your good-

ness is appreciated for you have brought happiness into • the hearts of many families 111 Edinburgh." Miss Methven is at present laid aside by illness, having undergone an opera-' tion. It is doubtful if she will recover. She is a grand brave woman. Our young cousin. Miss Mona Stout, of Glasgow, wrote about the last- case sent to them: "I have just been in the depths of your beautiful box of clothes and have found - no eudof garments which will be more than w'eloome 'fc-r out kindergarten where we look after children below school age when their parents are at work. The old girls of Laurel Bank school (which we were at) and friends keep it going. Every year we havs a small sale of clothing fo;r the mothers and make a very small charge so the parents take a little intei est

in the dressing* of their ch' Iron, 'I it is wonderful to see what. >u

effort they make after a while to send' their kiddies clean and tidy. One small boy of three simply refused to- come to school one moirning till his mother had sewn a button on

his trousers. When our children leave us at the age of five to go to the hoard school they can easily be spotted among the other children who have not been through our hands; they look eo bright and healthy, and

•s we are always told by their teachers much more intelligent. Being the secretary for the Phoenix Park Kindergarten Association I can't thank you and your friends enough for your very useful and generous sift. The rest of the things mother is sending to a depot where they

distribute clothing amongst the poor." Then Mrs Stout writes: "I cannot tell you how delighted and pleased we all are at the generosity of you and your friends in New Zealand. The clothes are most beautiful in fact rather too good for most of our families, but we are so pleased to have .such nice things to give our very respectable families who will take care of them and appreciate them, and coming from New Zealand enhances their value. The Bth Scottish ißifleis ladies (Tom's regiment—her only son who was killed at Gallipoli) were quite in a. flutter of delight at receiving a special do-

nation of clothing, but it seem 2d impossible to keep them all for them, so they took out some of the

used clothing, which they required at once and' they sent the rest on to

the' Soliders and Sailors' Association. When the second box' aprived I communicated with Mrs Mackenzie and sent the clothing to her, also the £2, which she was very glad to have. Of couirse, I explained to her all about it and she said we had just to conie and ask for anything for the Bth Scottish Rifles as we found they needed things. She was simply charmed with the clothes. How daintily the little jackets and frocks and everything were made. We just gloated over them, and the quilts are so pretty. I kept the flannel and blankets and quilts myself to give to special cases. I have received the other £1 and look forward to the other case arriving. All were in per-

feet condition. We cannot thank you and vour friends enough for we have had a very trying winter— so wet and cold and dismal." I think these letters will cheer you in your good work.

Yours sincerely, with tliank6. ANN 1 ! P. STOUT.