Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-19

plies to purchase by the wholesale, thereby
saving quite per cent to the treasury and at
the same time materially lessening the labor.
Mrs. Shedds faith in the work of rescuing
unfortunate children from the influences OF
vice and crime, never tagged, and after fail
| ing health admonished her that her work was
nearly done, she seemed stimulated by the
consciousness, that to her, the night was
coming "when no man can work" and to the
last day and even to the last hour of her
earthly life, the Masters summons to come
up higher, found her doing for the inmates Of
the clone" To all who were privileged
to labor with her, she has bequeathed an ex.
ample of great fidelity to duty, and the frag.
rance ola cody life.
In the carly Spring Of the present year
Miss Kate Morton passed away. Though Miss
Morton's health had not permitted active
work since 1880. still her faithful and etiici-
eut service as corresponding secretary of the
board for several years previous to that time,
i, gratefully remembered by her co-laborers
while the Christian graces embodied in her
character, shine with undmmed ustre. The
affection with which she is remembered, is
still shown by an occasional letter from n
distant part Of the State addressed to her, aud
written by children or friends who had in
years gone by, been helped by the soothing
influence of her sympathy.
Besides these removals by death, the num-
Der of active workers for the cause of human.
ity in this particular direction, has been less.
ened by the removal from town Of three Of
the managers elected at the last annual meet.
ing. These aies were all efficient in their
respective positions and were serious loss lo
the Home. Without wishing to discriminate
where all were valuable, we feel consraine /
to say that Mrs. Miner for several years the
able secretary of the board, gave large part
of her time and more than ordinary abil.
tiles 10 the vital interests of the Home in
many ways aside from her duties as secret
AIRY. She has left the impress of rare execu-
tive ability upon the institution, which must
be felt long after her name shall be forgotten.
With these removals aud the election of CON-
parallve strangers to fill the vacancies in the
board, the cares OF the president wete neces-
sarily increased, until in the month of April
her health gave way and she was Frustrated
by sickness and compelled to resign her posi-
ton as president. This was loss, at the
bare mention OF which the friends of the
Home stood appalled,. During the succeed
ing weeks OF watching and anxiety, cloud
developed the "lIome" and weighed heavily
upon the hearts Of her fellow laborers.
Eighteen years of un,ring devotion to the
| interests of the institution had made her loss
|
has spared her life, and while VIC can not
hope that at her advauccd age, she will ever
again give the same active labor to the cause,
we hope that she may be spared for years to
give the benefit of her experience and the in
spiration Of her abiding faith in the work to
| her successor.
| But amid all these discouragcments the
work o! the Home has gone on. During the
Winter and Spring, there was an unwonted
call for children both boys and girls, who
we're old enough to make themselves useful
and the supply has not been equal to the de-
mand. Thirty-fve children have been sent
to homes during the year and thirty-six have
been admitted, viz: eight from Burlington,
four each from Mddlebury and Barnet, three
each from johnson, Swanton and Newport,
and one each from Shelburn, Mount Holly,
| Rutland. Wiuooski, Bloomington, Danville,
Bradford.
Ten children have been indentured during
the year and eight have been adopted. 9th
ers are still on trial and there are now in the
institution sxty-three children. Twenty
| five of these are under eight years of age and
all need the motherly care and affection
which can only be given them in full meas
IRE in private families. Some of the older
girls went out TO work for wages for the
SUMMER aud will soon return to swell the
family in the Home.
Five children have died during the year,
all in the infants department. Some of these
we're in the institution only as boarders, be.
inr too much diseased when admitted to be
eligible MS regular inmates,
One child has been sent to the Reform
School within the year.
There have been the same experiences in
pu,>ing out children as in former years.
From some come reports of satisfaction and
encnurarement from Others nothing but dis
annnintmcpt. We fear that in most instances
nennle taking children expect too much OF
Them. They seem to imagine that children
coming from charitable institution must have
no faults or al least none to require the disci-
Mine of every day life in cline upon line and
precept upon preeept." Ihey seem 10 ex-
meet ,ha, the training in this institution has
exterminated all childish tobles and vicious
tendencies and that propriety OF department
and maturity OF judgment have taken root
in the soil only lately bringing forth harvest
of noyious habits This is not the experience
of narents with their own children. We all
know that children under the most judi
cous and conscientious training, need ad-
moni,ion. reproof, counsel, warning, en-
conrauemcut, discipline, instruction and nd
vice from the dawn OF intelligence to man
hood and womauhood and yet people forget
that these children have lost, or never
had. the tender loving care which chlld-life
needs until, in the atmosphere OF ignorance
and degradation, vicious tendencies have
been fostered and developed, which will re-
ouirc n life time Of persistent effort to over
We want people to take our children fully
realizing the responsibility they are assuming
and coupping themselves with the noble
and Christ.like purpose of aiming TO make
respectable, intelligent and God-fearing men
and women of these unfortunate children.
We are happy in being able to testify
10 many instances OF such heroic
purpose. May their numbers multiply un.
iii every orphan and worse than ophau child
shall find place in the homes and hearts OF
these eelf.sacrinciug laborers in the cause of
humanity and religion.
As the years go by, and the number OF
children about the State increases, the wis
dom of the suggestion made in the last bien-
NAL report is constantly forced upon us, viz
that we must depend upon our county mana
gers for aid in looking after the children In
their respective counties. People having
children are often careless about keeping US