PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY
Two Estimable People Who Are Giving Their Lives for Destitute Children.
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto Me."
That's scripture, and if it's carried out it's not only scripture, but it's also good, practical Christianity.
There are a lot of good, old-fashioned church members and deacons in this vale of tears who, we are sorry to say,
do not know the meaning of the words, "Practical Christianity." They think that if they go to church regularly,
pay the preacher ten or fifteen cents in an envelope on Sunday, they are going the limit, and have a license
to skin some one during the following week in a "purely business deal." A certain deacon residing not a hundred
miles from here some years ago conducted a general store, and he used to reiterate, time after time, that
"religion was religion, and friendship was friendship, and they were both all right in their place; but they had
nothing whatever to do with business." Now we wish to remark right here that a deacon or church member or any other
man that can't use his religion in his business hasn't got hold of the right brand of religion. And that brings
us to what we started to say some time ago:
If there were ever two people who had the real true brand of religion and practical Christianity inside of
'em, it is Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Outman, the managers of the Bethel Orphanage, located at Osceola, Pa. There are
at present thirty little homeless orphan children in their charge, and these people are practically giving their
lives to the bringing up of these orphans, and assisting them to become useful members of society. These children come
from all walks of life. Some of the little boys were picked up in a large city, where they washed beer bottles in
a saloon for a living, and slept in a stable.
Mr. and Mrs. Outman started this home for little children on their own hook, some years ago, expecting to
do the work and take care of what children they could themselves alone, but the demands were so great that they were
unable to continue. So they looked over Tioga county in search of gentlemen with hearts, and soon found that there
were lots of good men still left in old Tioga. They succeeded in getting some of these men interested in
the work they had set their hearts upon, and a corporation was formed, with the following directors and officers:
President, Fred Wood; Secretary-Treasurer, J. K. Outman; S. Y. Doumaux, A. H. Vosburg, Claude Wilson, H. P. Rusling
and J. J. Johnson. Later Messrs. W. B. Leet and H. C. Close were chosen in place of the two later.
This orphanage work in Osceola has been under the direction of this corporation for four years. 70 children
have been under its care since it opened, on the 17th of August, 1917. Nineteen of this number are now in Home
from Tioga county. It was founded strictly for destitute children to board, other than those from the County Home.
We believe everybody has sympathy for destitute children, who are in no way to blame for being here on earth,
or for being in a destitute condition. The saint, the sinner, the rich and the poor alike are ALL touched with the
suffering of a neglected child. Mr. and Mrs. Outman have a beautiful place for these innocent little children,
where they are brought up as all children should be. The great drawback to the work of these Christian people who
are doing so much for the world, is the lack of funds. They have to scrimp and save in every way in order to make
both ends meet. There are hundreds of good people in Tioga county who have enoughof this world's goods, andto spare.
Where could it be invested that it would do more good than in helping these fatherless and motherless babies?
They are little diamonds inthe rough. Should we not unite in our efforts to give them a chance?
"For whosoever shall give a cup of cold water in My name, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."
--- Mansfield Advertiser
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