The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-06-11

Notes by the way-Davsnport and ths
:, Orphans Home.
Had the Indians known of that Scripture
story: how that Eastern world vhsnce The
race started had been pronounced, following
its creation, simply good !" by the Great
Spirit, they would have framed legend ~
the which he should have been made % pro-
nounce this Western world "better,"r-A ana
this "Iowa" of theirs and ours, best
Is beautiful at all times, it is doubly 20 st
this season. Spring seems to have come IN
.svces, At last, and it has wrought woods and
nra,r;es and fields into forms OF beauty.
Take the train at Davenport, any oil these
flpe merriags, and be borne cut cvertss 7
pra;ries to Iowa City and beyond, aud. IT
never be lore, yoa viii at least under thstrn-
sp;ration pronounce eulogiums GupsnA ahis
Hawkeye State.
This is extorted from us by our having SO
recently made that ride ourself, and the con-
segment enthusiasm thus almost impert-
nently intermediates itself in exordium where
The bodyof our writing is of other matter.
i Forws shah not get ont Of Dsveaport ii
this writing That goodly city is attractive.
1t is wide awake and active. 1t has good
buildings, and is erecting more. /, has good
people, and still good people come unto 1t. 1t
left its native oaks and forest trees standing,
and has delishtfal shade, which heokuk
needs aud has not. 1t has planted trees
where native trees were not, and bias shaded
streets and tree embowered houses, aud that
is sensible and pretty. When will keokuk-
best prospectisely Of Iowa towns-do ike
wise Il has churches and schools that are
indexes Of its christianity, morality and re-
publicanism. and it has the Gazette, sturdy
auxiliary and daily oracle Of these 1t had
during our visit the Masonic Convention,
bringing thitber admirable brethren OF the
craft, whom we found it pleasant TO know.
1t had during our visit the State Sunday
School Convention, bringing thither more
than two hundred of earnest supporters OF
that enterprise, and these could not fail TO
be admirable persons. Hon. Hiram Price,
member of Congress from his district, presi.
ded and Congressman could not be in
filter or more digni6ed place, if like Mr..
Price, he is, as he should be, Christian and
statesman. by the way, dIi, you ever hear
Prof Phillips sing his " Missionary Song?'
He saug 1t more than once during the ses>
sion, and if you want to hear genuine heart
burst OF song and splendid vocazation, clear,
/ distinct, meiodious, sweeping through and
over your own soul, aud thrilling you like
| inspiration, hear Prof Phillips sing that
| hymn.
But we have otparposed stopping at these
Conventions. however attractive, nor yet in
all Davenport. For there is party Of ex-
cellent gentlemen-oar MASONIC friend Roth
ert, Of keokuk, one Of them--that drive up
to the hotel and kindly confscate US for an
excursion to the Orphans Home.
We went. Two and one~half miles of de-
| lightful drive, Of delightful weather and pros
pect, ard We Hre at the Home. First you
stop, and let your eye wander across country,
and you look ever SO eagerly OF q near by per
feet gem and picture of pastoral beauty,
made BY ~ Duck Creek" most delightful Of
stream. with the most unenphonious Of names
You are convinced that the view from the
Home, being thing of beauty, would be to
you Joy forever. There is a solid quadran-
| gle Of one story frame cottages inside the
fence to your left that is the Home. DR..
Cochrsne, the excellent Superintendent, Mrs.
Wittonrnyer, the Marion, and Mrs. Boone Of
our own place, give us cordial greetings, and
show Us through cottages, dining hall, kitchen
and schools Some OF the Juveniles we're
playing out in the park, if park that be which
is merely commons A large majority Of the
four hundred and fifty congregated there, were
in school, Ne went there with q pretty
strong determination not TO be pleased with
the institution. We thought better of our
purpose before we came away. We found
not one sick among the four hundred and
| fifty. That speaks well for the sanitary ar
rsngement. We found those in school as
CHEEKY, wIde>awake and happy appearing as
the same number Of little folks anywhere
could be on so warm and drowsy morning.
The desks, seats, school appointments are
first rate, aud the teachers evidently efficient
and devoted to their work. The little folk
playing out in the yard, were as happy as
childhood ever is, and seemed to have no griefs.
| Dr. Coehrane told me he didn't think he had
an unhappy child at the Home We had nm
objection 10 the system OF the Institution.
We made it TO DR.. Cochrane; We will enter
| it on record here. There is nothing that can
supereede for the child the want of home ed
ucation. That is the bitterness of orphanage
you and ! know persons, especially men,
reckless in youth, that maintain a worthy
manhood bet srse the early home associa-
tions and Influences worked orf within them,
silently through the years and conquered at
last. Schools, intercourse with the world,
many things, can give the head culture home
trainins alone gives the heart culture. This
last i Is thai makes fit manhood and wo>
manic IT, There is no safe education with
oat il. life roughens ard hardens nature. All
OF us Income selfish enough, and cold
enough. and unsympathetic enough,
rs the years 60 on, however rich
1 the early hfe WAS In home love, arid
tenderness and sympathy klnding influence
Now, nn Orphans Home gathers together
several hundred children, and they are count.
ed off per head, and arranged in squads,
with female overseer TO the squad, and
these overseers get q salary and have certain
duties 10 perform; the children are clicked to
bed, and clocked up in the morning, and
clicked TO school, and clicked to play, and
clocked to breakfast, dinner and suppet, ana
so generally clicked that they become wood
en- timekeepers and will go out into wooden
life. Every thing is mechanical; a quasi,
military or peritentiary discipline in a mild
form. There are teachers plenty and over
seers plenty, but never mother or mother 8
| world and there is many child and many a
man kept to truth and aeadfastness by a
mothers word, when else despite all the
preachers and teachers in the world. il or he
would have gone straight to the devil But
the "Hore keeps the child to its mechani>
cal life, and be there ever so good people
that would adopt one Of these orphans. and