Let us now return to the history of our “Girl’s Own Branch.” The duty of the Secretary was to correspond with the members, supply them with the Monthly Letter, and induce them to take in one of the Association magazines. It was only about three years ago that our branch first saw the light, and during that period it has proved to have a healthy and vigorous life. In all 82 have joined, of whom a great many have been transferred to other branches, two have married, two have been removed by death, leaving 40 now in constant correspondence with the secretary.
That the individual members are alive may be judged from these facts:—
One member has a Saturday evening Bible class of twenty factory girls, whom she helps in many ways.
Another collected £1 for the Shaftesbury Memorial Fund, and a third collected for the Old Ford Institute; and all have helped in the special Christmas collections.
One of the members is an inmate of an incurable hospital, and is most helpful to the secretary by specially remembering in prayer any of her fellow-members who may desire to be thus aided.
We will now ask you to listen to the testimonies of the members by quoting a few passages from their letters, to which many more might be added:—
“I never thought seriously till I joined the Association,” writes one, “and now I am a totally different girl—so happy. I was confirmed last week, and shall always look back to the day with joy.”
“I think it seems so kind and good of ladies,” writes another, “to take such an interest in us poor girls. You little know half the good you do us or what our lives really are. I sometimes feel ready to give up in despair, when everything seems to go wrong, and at those times your letters seem sent of God to cheer me up and help me to go on again. They are read and re-read again and again, and I thank you for them much.”
A young member writes:—“Thank you very much for writing to me. I do enjoy your letters. I quite feel as though I knew you; but I should like to see you ever so much.”
Yet another:—“You have granted me such a privilege by asking me to write to you, which I shall be pleased to do.”