The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-22
In Answer to Inqulrers.

Many of the friends of the ThornwelI Orphanage
have recently written, desiring information as to
our prospect and progress. This is cheerfuly given
There are now fourteen fatherless little ones as
inmates of the home, and including one admitted
as day pupil-ffteen orphans in all. These are
from Abbeville, Newberry, York. Spartanburg.
Laurens, and Barnwell Countess. FIVE are boys,
ten girls. Their ages average from seven to four
| teen
The school privileges are excellent A young &C.
complished teacher from Columbia is engaged. -
Her pupils are making commendable progress, al
though 800 if we had it, expended in school books
would assist greatly The school hours are all in
the forenoon. With one hour for study at night,
the children spend five hours daily in the school
room. Lessons in drawing and vocal music are
given to the larger children in addition.
As no servants of any sort are employed, all the
domestic duties OF the Orphanage are performed
by the children. -Four little girls have learned to
cook, wash, and iron, and with the assistance OF
tour smaller girls, rotating each week. they lesson
the labor by dividing it. The boys do all cutting
and hauling of wood, milking, stock feeding keep
up the fires, etc. In this way the entire household
work of the establishment is accomplished without
paying out cent for wages.
In addition to this, as fur hours are spent daily
in some manual labor, the children are being taught
useful occupations. We have little printing office,
III
has done some considerable job work for our vii
lage merchants. 1t also issues monthly period-
cal, which has 240 subscribers. AS the expenses
are very small, this little office about supports two
of the children. If We mad 2,400 at 81 each, it
would feed the entire orphan family.
Three of the boys are learning to farm they
have cleared an acre and set out foe orchard Of
l4O trees. They have also in the past two months,
cleared another acre, cut and hauled saw logs to
the mill, have themselves paled in full acre in
neat style, and are now planting it. Before they
were received into the Orphanage, they had never
done any of this sort of work. And all this work
they have not only done cheertully and without
urging but have taken great deal of pride and in
terest in it, Do you not think such good, indus
trious children ought to be helped?
Two Christian ladies of Darlington have nut it
into our power to purchase foot-power scrol-saw,
and we now propose to do great deal of fancy and
ornamental brackettiDg. The girls will also keep
knitting machine steadily employed. In these WAYS
and others that would weary the reader, were we
to detail them, these children are laborng to help
themselves.
Their health is excellent, their spirits are full of
ohid-Eke freedom.
As to money matters, while the strictest economy
is practiced, yet nearly $3.50 month is needed to
meet the total OF expenses, as it costs about 500
year to feed, cothe, and educate each child. Up
to this time though occasionally we have come
square up to the stone wall of necessity, yet we
have always found some helping hand ready to
come to our help Thank God
The times are very hard. Many have applied
that We cannot receive. We feel that, until fall it
would not be advisable to push on our plan for en-
dOwment But We do ask for contributions of
small sums to sustain the Orphanage during the
present summer. 1t is thoroughly Presbyterian
institution in its teachings, although not as to its
pupils, and therefore we can apply to none but
Presbyterians, and of the Presbyterians of the
South, but specially to those Of South Carolina,
Georgia. and Florida, we apply for aid.
Brethren, this is your work and Gods. Send
your gifts as heretofore to w. D. Bell, Clinton, s