The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-10-27
Home for Destitute Children.
THE ANNUAL REPORT.

10 me t0TpordtorS ann Fr7endS OF me
Home.
Another year has passed and we come
to present our report to you.
| may not DO Improbable to give n
passing glance at what has been accom-.
plsbed in the nine years since the organi.
cation Of the Home 1t went into opera
ton with seven children. The number
now averages fifty. Scventy-one names
were upon tho list last year. The cor.
poration thea rented small house it
now owns a brick building and ten acres
Of land. This building, which at the
time Of its purchase was considered large.
has become entirely too small to accom-.
modate the increasing family, and an
addition Of 10x45 feet has been begun.
Plans for this addition were matured in
July and ground broken the first day of
August. This enlargement has been
source of great solcitudc to the Board,
1t was felt to be n necessity. This Home
was the only Protestant one in the State,
and it proposed to provide for the desti.
tute children Of the State. None under
Two years Of age were admitted. and still
it was unable to meet the demands upon
it. The claims Of the little oncs-the
infants-of whom large number had
sought admission during the year. could
not be longer ignored The disadvantag.
es under which the work was carried on
were great. Too much praise can hardly
be given 20 the matron and other Chris.
tian ladies who have worked so faithfully
and sclf-denyingly in the face Of so many
difficulties.
These considerations, WITH others, com.
PEELED the Board to take some decided
action in the matter, and the addition
was determined upon Some gentlemen
Of wcll.known liberality had promised as.
sistance, and subscriptions are now be.
ing solicited in all parts of the State.
John p. Howard, Esq, Of New York,
whose previous gifts to the Home, its
friends vii remember has kindly prom.
ised to delraj one tenth Of the expense Of
the building. We trust that before win.
ter, the walls, at least, will he up, GOV.
cred and paid TOR.
We have great cause for thaukIulness
in the general good health which has pre-
vailed among ;hc chidren-ihcrc having
been no serious case Of illness during the
year. This has seemed remarkable, a.
scarlet fever was very prevalent last win.
ter in burlington, and more or less
throughout the country
Daring the year 81 children have been
received and II have been provided with
good Christian homes.
Perhaps it might add to the interest
should some special cases be cited. One
little boy Of American patronage was so
abused by his father and step.mother,
that the authorities of the town were oh.
liged to interfere a guardian was ap.
pointed and the boy brought to TIE Home.
Upon being asked by a lady if he liked
living at the Home. he replied with much
carncstness 81 guess do" The poor
little fellow was feariuly bruised when
he came and seemed terrified when any
one spoke to him. Going to his teacher
one day he said You won't let my
papa got me will you ?"
Another case which has excited much
sympathy is tina. ola little blind girl.
Blindness seems burden enough, but
blindness and poverty combined are al.
most too much for ffail child to bear.
Admission to blind asylum has been sc.
cured for her, where she can be properly
taught, and if possible, fitted to care for
herself.
Another case is that of two American
children, whose parents werea one time,
well.to. do.farmcIs The mother died,
the father unfortunate in business i lost
his propoTiy-his health failed, and he
was unable to provide for his children.
Utterly discouraged and hisheartencd he
brought them to the Home, saying as he
gave them up They have been i'll.
treated and have actually suffered for
the neccssaries Of life in the places where
| have been obliged to leave them"
We might put before you other similar
cases had We time and you, patience.
Children have been received during the
year from the following towns Barre,
Barton, Bristol, Burlington, Ferrisburgh,
Guidford, lIydepark, Johnson, Middle.
bury, Montpelier, Plainfed, Rupert,
Rutland, Shoreham, Swanton. st, Adams,
Nergennes, Waterbury and Wili,ion.
Reports from the ehileren are general,
ly encouraging. One lady whites con.
cerning child whom she had adopted.
My little Anna Is very we'll, and great
pet in the house She is a very loving,
atiectonate child, and as bright as can
be. We don't know how We could live
without her. The best reports cone from
the younger children, showing most con
clusiyely that our great hopes lie in the
infants and very little ones
We quote from an old lady's letter as
an example Of the appreciation which
our work sometimes--we regret that We
cannot says always receives from the
friends of the children. The little grand.
child of whom she spoke hos been taken
from the Home by his father, after re.
naming with US year and half She
says 1--WE are all delighted with the little
fellows Improvement, 1t seems surpris.
ing that so young a child should remem-
Der so much, lie sings his little hymns
and seems quite happy. | shall ever feel
grateful to you for your kind interest in
him, and should much rather he had re.
NAMED with you"
As We have bcfJre incidentally re.
marked, we have had during the year,
most efficient helpers at the Home, and
the children have been well and wisely
cared for and instructed.
We have to thank our friends for their
subscriptions to the building fund, annual
expenses. as well as for their contribu.
tions to the pleasure and improvement of
the children
Packages of clothing have been received
from Cambridge, Coventry, Chelsea
Painfeld, Saxton's River, Vergennes,