Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-01
The Idle, children a, R.ndaIr. Island.

"Nor'wester" writes from New York city to the
Boston Post Of the 25th as follows: s"Amone the
Thousands Of children to whom this philanthro pic
plan supplies the lack Of better home are neces-
sarily many whose physical condition is unhealthy
and whose mental Organization IL impeffect OF
buildings, distinct from the Refuge itself A
resident physician Is charged with the care of
these diseased and idiotc children but with w hat
success his practice meets doth otappear. During
arecent visit to the Island my curiosity led me TO
look In upon the apartm ent allotted to the idiotc
and insane little ones. In a single room-perhaps
10 by 2S feet In area1 found 81 inbeciIe children
seated closely together upon benches and chairs
arranged around the room some rocking them
selves necessarily to and fro, some screaming at
the top OF their voices, some Yelling out laugh,
llself tue token OF vacant mind; others of them
noise, intended for music. Here they chattered
and quarrelled, and grinned their ghastly SMILES
seemingly under little restraint other than mi ht
be needed to keep them glued to one spot Gazing
on vacancy and without the slightest external rest
Ing place or educement for the little thoug ht thet
might be capable Of these children lnge: out their
fragment Of life 17tmbeciHty becoming idiocy, i'd
locy Moving into insanity, and insanity finally
Graduating into death. Ii is beyond dispute that
who enters here leaves hope behind Itis hard
thought that hopeful cases Of mere imbecility
should thus inevitably be cut off from improvement
II not absolute cure, and by an error OF manage
nent, or by cruel, guilty carelessness be forced
into insanity but the connection Of cause and eff.
feet, premise and inference, cannot be MOTE close
ol CeIsdln tnan mat the mtsif1anagernent OF this
department OF Intended philanthfophy must In
volve and does produce the sad results referred to-
" nor Is the absence Of all attempt 10 vary tn.
monotony, and draw out the spark OF feason the
only omission noticeable. The air breathed by
.nese hrie unfoftunates is poisonously putrid
Iee very flooring reeks with a stencil almost In.
,oieraoie TO one who knows what fresh air is-a
knowledge denied, alas to these little captives
Nor Is IT at all remarkable that thirty seven chill
drenIall imbecIle, idiotic, insane or epileptic-
should, by their offensive breath, their noisome
s1nva, and the exhalatiOns from scrofulous sores
or saturated clothing, render unendurable by
oiners the atmosphere which themselves are COM
PEELED To breathe. What wonder that the Com :,
missloners had not been to visit the spot for sew
erai successive weeks, or that the salared doctor
hdu made bis calls infrequent and at somewhat
lengthy intervals? To be sure new building is
erecunS Tor the occupation of this department
Dut are not the children likely to be past remoy.
Ing thitber, or beyond the reach of remedy, when
removed to more convenient structure! have
hsard that an application was made by gentle
man who has made the care Of idiots his speciality
70 the president Of the Commissioners for permits
SION to attempt impI owing the condition Of these
iliue ones at his own expense as to time and
labor He received for reply, %, we can't attend
70 70 that now, we havent got round to that yet
Meanwhile the warden looks sharply after the
profits of his store, the Comm issoners stay away
the Physician ignores the childrcn's wants, the
nations labor hard to keep them still ON their
ssats, and the great scythe mows them one after
another, into eternity" ..'. 80