Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-11-07
Home for Destitute
Children.
rME ANNUAL REPORT.

Apptber year las lsAssed aud we
cong TO- present our -tepOittti you.
1t may not be Improbable to give
q passing glance qt what has been
accomplished in the nine years since
the organization OF the Home. 1t
went into operation with seven chill.
dren. The number now averages
nifty. Seventy-One names were up
on our list last year. The corpora.
ti0h then rented y small house !. 1t
how owns a brick building and ten
acres of land. This building. which
ut the time of it's purchase was con.
sidered large, has become entirely
too small to accommodate the in
creasing family, and an addition Of
70x45 feet has been begun, Plans
for this addition were matured in
July and ground broken the first
day of August. This enlargement
has been a source Of great solicitude
to the Board. 1t was felt to be a
necessity. This Home was the only
Protestant one, in the State, and Il
proposed to provide for the desti.
tute children of the State. None
under two years of age were admit.
ted, and still 1t was unable to meet
the demands upon it. The claims
of the little Ones--the infants-of
whom a large number had sought
admission during the year-could
not be longer ignored. The disad-
vantages under which the work was
carried on was great. Too much
praise can hardly be given to the
lnatrOns and other Christian ladies
WHO have worked SO faithfully and
selfdenyinglyin the face OF SO many
difficulties.
These considerations, with others,
compelled the board to take some
decided action in tile matter, and
the addition was determined upon.
Some gentlemen of well.known lib
erality had promised assistance, and
subscriptions are now being solicit
ed in all parts of the State. John
p. Howard, Esq, of New York,
whose previous gifts to the Home
its friends will remember, has kind
~ promised to defray one tenth of
the expense of the building. We
trust that before winter the walls,
at least, will be up, covered, and
paid TOR.
We have great cause tor thank
fulness in the general good health
which has, prevailed among the chill
dren, there having been no serious
case of illness during the year,
This has seemed the more remarka-
BILE, as scarlet fever was very preva.
lent last winter in Burlington, and
more or less throughout the cOuh-
try. gW itNtH d. "A I.
During the year twenty-seven
children have been received, and
seventeen, have been provided with
good, Christian homes. ~
Perhaps it might add to the inter
est should some special cases be cit
ed, One little boy Of American par
entage was SO abused by his father
and step-mother, that the authori,
ties of the town were obliged to in
terfere. A guardian was appointed
and the boy brought to the Home.
Upon being asked by lady if he |
liked living at the Home, he replied
with much earnestness: ~ guess !
do" The. poor, little r fellow was
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 get me will you?"
Another case which has excited |
much sympathy is that of a blind
girl. Blindness seems burden
enough, but blindness and poverty !
combined are almost too much for a {
frail child to bear. Admission to a
blind asylum has been secured for
her, where she can be properly
.aught, and if possible, fitted to care
or herself. .'..
Another case is that of two Ameri.
IAN children, whose parents were,
1t one time, well TODD farmers
The mother died, the father unfor-
in business lost his proper
5y-his health failed, and he was
Unable to provide for his children.
Utterly discouraged and dishearten-
I'll, he brought them to the Home,
saying as he gave them up: "They
have been ill,treated, and have act
lally suffered for the necessaries OF
ife in the places where have been
obliged to leave them" .G |,
Children have been received dur.
ng the year from the following
owns Barre Barton, Bristol,
Burlington, Ferrisburgh, Guilford,
johnson, Middlebnry,
Montpelier, Plainfield, Rupert, Rut-
and, SlIorham, Swanton, st. Al.
,ans, Vergennes, Waterbury and
Reports from the children are ell
One lady writes con.
,erning a child whom she has adopt
Al: "My little Anna is very well,
md great pet in the house. She
s very loving, affectionate child,
md as bright as can be. We don't
NOW how we could get along with
tut her" The best reports come
rom the younger children, showing
most conclusively that our great
lopes lie in the Infants and very lit
lie ones. 90 .'w
We quote from an old lady's let.