Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-31

As we again present our annual report to | the New Haven public, who continue to 1 show such kindly interest in our work, onr I first thought is one of thankfulnees to the Giver of life that there has been so little l sickness of serious nature in the asylum 1 this year. and that we have not lost by death one child from among our number, nor one l manager from our board. The statistics for ! the year are ss follows:
 Number of children aided 175 Average number in asylum. --.-...--4 4Io New admissions. SS Placed at service oe Se i Given for adoption. .-...-'-'-'-. 3 I Sent to State reform school. 1 Present number under asylum care lo9
 In reviewing the work of another year we i trust that first steps have been taken in some | directions, which point very happily forward towards happy results, and although the sscost" of s'frst steps" is proverbial, we firm l ly believe that future progress in the parts ! marked out will be ensured.
 1 Foremost in this line is the inauguration of carpenters work with systematic teaching to | a class of eighteen boys.
 l MT. John Pursell, who has charge of the manual training school connected with our public schools, was able to give two hours a 1 week to the teaching of our boys, and now every Saturday morning in the largs, we'll 1 lighted and airy basement of the schoolhouse i may be found most diligent and interested ! class eagerly learning the uses of saw, ham, i mer and plane.
 The work done, MT. Pursell says. is equal ! to- if not rather above, the work done by 1 boys of their age in the public schools, and as entering the class is consid- } and wish to improve, is, we think, already apparent among the older boys between the ages of ten and twelve, who are more apt to grow restless under the necessary restraints of asylum life during the last two years of ! their stay than at any other period. sIo %tor ort af sgers to become personally acquainted with ] the children, has also been manifested and many pleasant little invitations to a few at a | time have been accepted, the children al ways behaving we'll and having good time. ! AS to the children who have gone out from | us this year, Mrs. Candee has visited sixty of | them in the country homes, which have been provided for them. She always tries to have a private interview with each child, and | as they can thus speak freely to her, 1t is pleasant 60 learn that for the most part they \ are contented in their places, and that their employers are also generally pleased with them. Some of the letters of these children show an upright, manly spirit. One boy at l MT. Moody's school at Mt. Hermon wrote | at the end of last summer: '1 have spent | the vacation in good honest manual labor, ' working on the farm here at school. an ! glad that am not yet afraid to handle the ! plough or any other tool. It seems good to | recognize another asylum boy here. My work now is engineering the boilers; run | it part of the night; it is quite responsible 1 job, and feel quite proud of it."
 Another boy sent to Mt. Hermon by g lady 1 in this city says: 'I like it very much here ! at Mt. Hermon. Most all of the young men ! here are Christians. have taken the clas- 1 sieal course as I wish to fit as far as possible I for college Little did think last winter that I should go to school here this fall term, ! but all things are possible with God. have ! al fp r i'm
 ! The lady with whom the last mentioned I boy lived after he left the asylum wrote of | him, i've love him very much; shall | feel sad indeed when he goes from us, but know that it is for his good. We want him to feel always that our house Is his home" From one ot the older girls, lately married, we have the following: 'I often wonder what would have become of me if had not been taken by the asylum. It is the dear Lords work and he is now guiding me and thank l him for making me 30 well of. We asylum girls have much to be thankful for. 1 hope you and all the other ladies will still have an interest in me-"
 A girl at her place in the country writes: 'I suppose the asylum children will haveys Christmas tree. think of them that day having nice time. I wish I was there. I think of what good home l had. I shall never forget it as long as live. What would the poor children do without this good home and warm bed to sleep in at night. l can never thank Mrs. Kingsley for her kind, lov- ing care. I saw boy the other day who lived at the asylum; he said if any of the children found fault with that good home they ought to go cold and hungry" Instances might be multiplied of others who acknowledge the same grateful feeling, which 1t is of course very pleasant to have thus expressed.
 Thanksgiving and Christmas were observ-
 ed much ns usual. The Christmas tree was
 loaded with gifts, and the whole room was
 astir with pleasure and excitement as they
 were distributed. The young ladies and
 gentlemen who so kindly contributed to the
 entertainment were most gratefully applaud
 ed, and Mrs. J. B. Robertson, with her usual kindness, furnished the Christmas dinner which was most bountifu1 and heartily ap- preciated. Donation day, which is the pecu- liar day of rejoicing in asylum affairs, was l not disappointing in any respect, and we congratulate the committee and their new ! chairman, Gen. E. E. Bradley, upon the | success of their efforts, while we at the same | time most thankfully acknowledge how much l we are indebted to them.
 The excursion on the Sound was given a l little earlier than usual, in August, and our sincere thanks are again most heartily of fered to Captain Peck not only the little ones, but for tho infinite pains that he takes to make the ar- engagements smooth for those who have the
 
 children. No children enjoy this day more than the crippled ones from the hospital, who are taken charge of as invited guests by one of the asylum managers who is also one of the hospital visitors.
 The effort must be 8 good deal, as many things are needed for their comfort, but we hope that some kind friend will always be found to take this trouble for their sake. School work has gone on much as usual. We were called on this spring to submit to change in the upper schoolroom through the resignation of Mrs. Mason. It was with nost sincere regret that we let her go, for her in- Huence and training had borne most excel lent fruit, Her successor has taken up her work with c hopeful spirit and an earnest purpose, and we are most thankful to have the place so filled.
 On Tuesday mornings the faithful sewing teachers are always on hand, and once more we thank them for their efforts and for the noticeable improvement in sewing which is ! the result. The children have. attended Sunday school in the morning at the United church when the weather permitted and the usual service has been held every ! Sunday afternoon at the asylum by the de- voted friends who are desirous that these children should learn to follow the way of | life. MT. E. B. Murray has kindly assisted l in the singing on these occasions.
 | The first legacy of the past year was from the estate of Mr. Julius D. Bristol of South ! ington from which the asylum received $22,- 14S.1S.
 In September gift of $1 ,000 was made to the asylum by an unknown friend, and add- ed to the endowment fund.
 In October another $1 ,000 was given by another friend to be added to the so-called permanent fund, established many years ago by Mr. Ezra c, Read and others, and held | for the benefit of the asylum by a self-per- | petuatinR board of trustees.
 Real estate left to the asylum by the will ! of the late Mrs. Mary Morris was disposed of ! by the advice of our trustees for $3, 591.77. From the estate of Mrs. Esther Ullman a I legacy of $100 has been received, and from that of Mrs. Mary W. Nicholson 8 parlor or gan with $100 to keep it in repair, also a | very generous donation of furniture from her heirs.
 From the estate of the late Levi Gilbert
 the asylum received in January $6, ,548.S SC. The same kind offices as usual have been performed for us by Judge Robertson and | kr 1,i %< fkn