The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-12
BABIES AT BATH.

TENEMENT HOUSE CHILDREN BREATHING FRESH
AIR IN GREEN FIELDs-scENEs ON THE WAY
FROM THE CITY.
''Our school starts for the Poor Childrens Sum-
mer Home at Bath for week next Monday morning.
and IT'S sight worth seeing when they leave with
their little bundles and babies" said Miss Ella
Huntington of the Wilson Mission. to a HERALD
reporter q few days ago. Miss Huntington. who is a
niece of Bishop huntington has devoted her life to
practical mission work in this city, aud the result Of
her labers is visible in the homes of hundreds of
poor people, especially on the east side of the city
The children are taught not only to read write and
cipher. but (by the means OF miniature kitchen
utensils and household furniture) to keep house.
Shortly before nine O'Clock the little girls
upwards of hundred in number-who
had been selected to so assembled i'll the
Mission House, No. la9 St. Marks place. Some
simple exercises were performed. and when Mr.
schegel who has charge of the transportation Of the
children from New York TO the Summer Home. ar
rived they were formed into line. The prospect of
a week. respite from brick walls, dark rooms and
heated pavements gladdened the hearts and faces of
many, but there were others whose sunken eyes,
attenuated forms and wrinkied brows attested to
neglect and cruelty far beyond the measure Of their
strength and years. As they passed down the stair
way Miss Huntington babe them all coodby. and to
"Litte Barbara" the youngest of them. said. Don't
forget to write a letter. DEAR" Barbara
clinging closely to homemade rag baby, which,
sad to record, met with fatal accident later the
day. The procession trooped along Eighth street to
Third avenue, and when it dawned upon their
minds that they were to be whirled
along through the on the IT, road
their delight knew no bounds. At the station it
found that three of the number whose names had
been called were missing. But they gathered
into the fold at Bath late in the afternoon having
been sent on by kind people could not bear
these almost outcast children they peered out
of the windows the cars the train sped on to
the Battery No painted scenes or mimic representa-
ton could have caused them halt the wonderment
excited by this panoramic glance at real life and
the rapid changes reflected in their sympathetic
faces. Here and there only could be found a sullen
one. 1t curious to hear the children make
father and my second mother said tidy little girl.
The explanation of this was that her mother had
died and father married; then her father had
died and her stepmother married again.
COUNTRY SIGHTS
When the Battery reached there univer-
sal shout of 20 the trees. the trees! and glimpse
Of the blue waters of the bay beyond opened up to
their already quiekened senses an idea of what was
vet to come At the South Ferry the company
joined by Sister Rebecca, Of the Holy Innocent
Guild, charitable organization connected with
1.-The Little Church Around the Corner" Sister Re-
becca had forty-two little her charge. of
whom she carried aboard the boat in her arms. The
Guild looks especially after children who sick at
their homes They all were clean and comfortably
dressed. On the Brooklyn side stood the large open
cars. into which the children and their guardians
were packed. Going through the City of Churches
songs which accompany the object lessons in the
Mission and occasionally Gospel hymn was sung.
But once the train, with the city in the back
ground, the iron horse whirlnG them through fields
OF and grain. then came terrible struggle be-
tween natural propensity and partial regeneration.
Just as the last strain of the well known Sunday
school hymn II want to be an angel" was dying
ont there came out full chorus of my Johanna
lives i'll Harlem" In vain were mods and ominous
shakes of the head from those in authority. The
long pentup birds felt that they free. and the
last stanza OF
There is happy land.
Far. far away.
struggled feeby for awhile, and then expired under
O vociferous burst of "Such an education has my
Mary Ann" At last the Summer Home reached.
and a wild rush made for the swings,
..scups," as they called. One sallow faced and
pinched looking child, who forestalled at
the '.scups," down the grass under
tree near which the HERALD reporter stand
ing. large butterfly futtered her,
and she sprang up and screamed from fright
such was her ignorance Of nature ana or natures
works. The children were apportioned to their
respective places in the dormitores. and after
good dinner, sent out in the grounds to play
again. The limit of the time during which schools
remain mt the Home is one week, and they given
salt water baths every day. excepting Mondays and
Saturdays. MIR. Holt, the superintendent stated
| that since the opening of the season. June L.
| l,6O6 children have remained week, and 2iS in
picnic parties have spent day at the Home making
| q total OF lisa The children who went down yes
! terday will return to New York on next Saturday.