XIII

THE  VOLUNTEER  ORGANIST

(An Incident from the Bowery Mission.)

(Author's Note.—It is generally believed that the principal
character of the following experience was the original of the
once so famous popular song, " The Volunteer Organist.")

IT is a far cry from Silesia to the Bowery.   Also
while there are many miles between those two
points, one has to travel hard, very hard and
fast, to land on the Bowery, as Victor H. Benke did.
There are many who do and always will remem¬
ber Benke's arrival on the Bowery, and his first
appearance in the Bowery Mission.

One of the staunchest friends of the mission is
Mrs. Sarah I. Bird, whom I have often called the
" Mother of the Derelicts." Over a score of years
has been spent by this unassuming, lovely woman
in philanthropic work of the most efficient sort.
Having an abundance of means, Mrs. Bird was not
only a liberal contributor to charitable work, but
brought her personal effort to help. She had been
a subscriber and worker in settlement work until
the earnest work done by the Bowery Mission at¬
tracted her attention and determined her to become

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