The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-01-22

dozen children than in this large establish
ment.
In answer to my inquiries on the
subject, the natron tells me she deems the
remarkable health Of the girls due tl
their perfectly regular habits in every re-
spect, the house being managed by clock
J work, and also in a great degree to the abun.
dant but simple fare, no eating being al
lowed between meals. The board have been
fortunate in securing the services OF DR..
Lewis, an experienced physician, as Superin-
tendent, and he regulates the regimen Of
the children according to age. A pretter sight
can hardly be found than the nursery depart
ment, about dozen chubby infants nnder
five years old, at their dinner, all sitting
In high chairs at a round table, chatting
merrilyto each other and the good old dame,
who is their special guardian.
Plenty of time is allowed for play and ex-
ercise, the garden abounds with the finest
fruits and vegetables in Summer, and the
children are provided with baskets, and
make parties into the groves for wild berries
or gather the cultivated kinds at will. The
house is heated by steam and kept in APPLE
pie order by the Older girls, under the SUI
perVision of the matron and her aids all the
children are bathed and dressed twice
week; great attention is paid to tidiness,
manners and moral training, the matron
and teacher being high toned ladies, s'worthy
scions of noble house." ever laboring to in
spire their young charges with delicacy and
refinement, and treating them as their own
children.
In one Of my visits found the seamstress
making dozens OF undergarments with the
wearers' names, and exclaimed, "Why l
thought in all public institutions, such
hings were numbered" $50 they are for
paupers and convicts" said the matron shut
these children are neither, and shall never be
treated as such while in my care"
The orphans are thoroughly instructed in
the English branches and in vocal music,
| and in case of rare musical talent, the child
is taught the piano and organ. They all
learn to sew we'll, to knit, to cook and do
house-work, and are all allowed to have lit
tie gardens and learn to attend to flowers,
great attention being paid to that depart
ment by the matron and teacher. The rules
require that at the age OF eighteen, the girls
shall leave the institution, and one can but
feel regret for the tenderly reared children,
who are here surrounded by comfort and
guarded from evil, when the hour comes
that they must leave this peaceful home and
go out to make their way in the cold hard
world.
But set out to tell about the Christmas
feast, to which the matron lad given me an
invitation.
AS approached the house, perfect buzz
of merry little voices reached my ears, and
one of the older girls who admitted me. said
the children were dressing for the occasion,
and quite wild with excitement. The board
were expected to see the Christmas tree and
stay to supper, the annual entertainment
being prepared for them in consideration of
their services in the management of the es-
tate, only two of them, the President and |
dozen Of the immediate neishbors were in
vited and a pleasant incident Of the evening |
was the return of one OF the older girls, who
had lately gone to service in the country
and had come back to share the pleasures of
the festival. This young girl had been one
of 10 fSrct ha fox in RI
and was brought from the county poor
house by a benevol ent physician who is also
director. She has always been one Of the
bestgirls, learning we'll in every department,
and Mrs. Lewis gave the good doctor, who
kept up an interest in his protege, such
out he took her into his own family to
assist his wife. The Doctor brought the
girl to the feast himself, and it was touching
to see the way the other orphans Rugged and
kissed the gentle ''elder sister" of the house,
on her return. She was very cold when she
come in from her long ride, and the teacher
brought her into the matron's room, introdu-
cling her to the ladies present, as lone of
our girls who has been away and come back
to spend Christmas"
After the company had all assembled, it
was announced that the visitors must come
to the chapel and see the Christmas tree.
The folding doors were thrown open, the
mysterious green curtain drawn aside, and
scene like fairy land opened before US.
An immense tree lighted with hundreds of
tapers and ornamented with everything
imaginable in the way OF toys, pictures,
fruit, confectioneries etc. occupied the centre
of the handsome chapel, which is circular in
form. Dimly visible beyond the tree, the
matron, Mrs. Lewis, sat at the organ and in
a semicircle around her were grouped the
forty-six homeless and destitute young crea-
lures, rescued from poverty, ignorance and
degradation by the benevolence of the old |
man, who by the labors of long life accu-
INFLATED great fortune trafficing in the
dirty weed, now transformed into the fair
plant, charity. Surely never before did tobac>
CO assume so lovely form!
The older girls in their grey uniform,
frightened with gay ribbons, stood on the
outside of the circle; next them came row
of children from seven to ten years old
dressed in blue calico, and the front rank was
composed of about twenty little creatures,
arrayed in purest white, beaming with hap
piness, and looking positively angelic in
their baby innocence. Many of these little
girls are the offspring Of sin and shame, born |
only to al inheritance Of ignominy some
Of them deserted by heartless or worthless |
parents, but by the spirit Of love here trans
planted into an atmosphere Of light and |
hope. AS the fair young faces beamed on
the Joyous scene, one could realize that the
Christ-child, he who was born among the
lowly of earth, in the form OF the child OF
man, illumined the place, and that it was
through him that these tender lambs, so in
nocent in their helplessness and woe had