The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-20
For the Farmer and Mechanic
One Of the State Charities. Is
Properly Managed
REILEvUE SPRINGS Sent &c

BELLEVUE SPRINGS, Sept &c
What l. the end aud aim of the
Oxford Orphan Asylum - Is a que tion
which Is being very freely discussed since
Mr. Mills statement. In the last dying
speech Of the Orphdns F'~DRd OF the
terms on which he will put out ne girs
I old enough 10 leave the lnstltnI lon, and
his appeals for all appearing n most Of
the State papers after the collapse ~
his own especial organ. AS the Fur-
nler amt .Hcchaaic has such wide clr
culatIDn perhaps il may reach some ONE
capable of giving satisfactory answer
To this question, interesting not on,
| 10 the voters but TO every woman OF on;
State. Is the Asylum, like HON,
| tor the Aged, intended a mere char
/ table institution where llttle chllirer
can bs comfortably cared for aud taught
to read and write, and at the aye uf
| fourteen be put out into families, the
heads Of which will treat them as then
own children aud pay from five to ten
dollars month for the privilege OF d.,
ing SO? or does 1t aim higher than this
and propose. not only to care for Its IN
mates as children but to tit them to earn
their own living and become prod
instead OF mere consumers? Ii the tlrst
| then there Is nothing more to be SAID,
a 1t answer. Its purpose for 1t wouid
be hard to find hundred aud fifty chiI
dren in any charitable or State insttu-
| ton who would show by their personal
appearance that they are as kindly and
we'll cared for, and are in the main a.
healthy aud happy as these orphans
they are too dc a general rule As well
al!vanced IN the rudlmental branches a
! the children OF their age who attend
the common schools, being kept in the
school rooms every day, Saturday anu
Sunday excepted, from nine to twelve,
| aud from two to five.
Mr. Mills advertised girls over four
teen as good house keepers, for whom
he required ten dollars a month"; and
girls not SO good who would requIle
some looking after, for five dollars
month Now will some mason ask
him if these girls have been taught un-
der u practical h use keeper, to MAKE
bread, get an ordinary meal, do Up
Shirt or dress, and take care of fa4nily
supplies or under seamstress to cut
and make their own clothes. There
has MT been either matron or house
keeper employed at the Asylum for
three or four years, and from my per
sona knowledge, acquired by months
resi- ience IN the institution while edl-
dug the Orphdn's Friend, can safely say
| Chere waS not during that time slnYl
girl IN it, who knew enough Of cooking
house keeping, securing or laundry work,
to enable her to retain position as
house keeper IN any we'll regulated fam
lily for week.
| All the cooking it is true is done By
the children, with elder girls over them
as house keepers, but these socalled
| house keepers could not cook, nor could
they wash and iron, all the laundry
work being put out OF the institution.
and, SO fearful is Mr.. Mills that each
girl will not get her full quota Of school
room teaching, that the cooks are con
stantly changed, and it was he stand
| ing joke at the teachers table. where |
sat, that We would certain; exhibit the
/ biscuits at the State Fair and take the
/ premium for the very worst ever made :;
- for eating them it never entered into
our heads to do 50.
Mr.. Mills says that the funds will not
4 admit of teaching the boys trades. aDd
,cornfuly repuiiates the iica that he i
fitting the girls 10 be servants to the
/ rich Is i. derogltors To any woman
+, 10 know how to cook. wash aud iron, or
make her own clothes? o., If neces-a
v is it derogttory to her to do this
vyrk Ii not why does not Mr.. Mills
f tf.t q t1lt rnr nd
.ceper ami have these girls So taught
am sanding UP for them and their
oesf int, rest. when | LAY, II b. cant al
old ~ pay al, he bad better dismiss
80 1 iii, young lady teachers aud Keep
laii he gui, out OF the school room
laif III every day under com petent in
.truc.ors in these branches. Dll aunt
Abb, House told President Davis he
tStryiug to DO more than COD A mighty
intended aug man to dc, for lie Vas try
iug to be President and all tn. Secreta
rics too" adding, the Lord knows 1t
= en,ush Tor ore nan to be President
i th-sc Confederate States. SO say
Of Nr Mills, 1t Is enough for him to
be ; lpcrlutcndent OF that Orphan Asy
um without trying to be the house
keeper aul matron too. He IS al aC;-
uirabie Superintendent, the materials
ae supplies for cooking are good and
abundant, but never sat dOwa to the
table at ne in,tltGtiDn without think
ing Of the Spanish proverb God send,
he meat and the Devil sends tn. cook
L write in no unkinIness to him. but
a l1tiee to the.e orphan girls, that
they may be taught to earn an honora-
ble living by the labor OF their hands
instead Of beng united, as they VOW
are, for york OF any kind.