DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-12-18
CHILDREN OF THE POOR.
How They Are Taken Care OF In tho
Brooklyn Day Nurseries.

Brooklyn Day Nurseries.
Among the institutions established
by charitable people there are none
more deserving of notice than the day
nurseries which care for the children Of
hard-working women during the hours
wheI the mothers are away toiling for
their daily bread. The matron of one
of these day homes, when asked to tell
something about the institution, said:
"We work on the principle OF helping
those who help themselves. We do not
encourage paupers in any way. Any
respectable woman desiring work may
come to MS, and we will doevery thing
in our power to get employment for her
and care for her children while she is
at work. This is what we consider the
best form of charity, and as we charge
small sum for the care of tho chill
dren it gives the mother sense OF in
dependence which they would not have
were we to take them for nothing. The
fees do not meet the expenses, of course,
but it is worth something to be able to
help honest, loving mothers to keep
their little ones with them instead of
throwing them on the street to look
after themselves or putting them in an
asylum and only occasionally seeing
them. 1t is no easy task for woman
tired from hard days work to take
care of an infant during the night and
then be up In time in the morning to
leave the child in our charge and get to
work at seven o'clock. Sometimes we
have as many as five children from one
family here. We take them from one
month to ten years. The elder ones go
to the public school and re-
turn hers for dinner and in
tho afternoon until called for.
have been matron here for ten years,
and when we started this nursery,
which is one of the oldest in the city,
we only had from one to five children a
day; now we have from twenty to fifty.
Mothers may only leave their children
here on the days they arc working, and
we can not attempt to take caro- of sick
children, as we have not the facilities.
We do not believe in maintaining mil
itary discipline with the children, and as
long as they do nothing wrong they are
allowed to romp and frolic as much as
they please. l have a sort of kinder
garten system of my own and teach the
little ones tho alphabet and to spell easy
words with blocks and this amuses as
well as instructs them. They also learn
to sing hymns and songs and say
grace. These little exercises make an
impression on the minds of tho children,
and 1t is amusing to hear the mother
tell sometimes of how they are taken to
task by them for neglecting to say
grace. We often give them little treats
and always have picnic to the park in
the summer. Our aim is to make it as
pleasant as possible for the children
and to give them the comforts Of a
home, which many of them, poor things,
do not know the meaning of. Most of
the little ones like to come here, and no
matter how inclement the weather
mothers never fail to bring them when
they are going out to work for the
day. One little fellow had been coming
to us for some years when his mother
died and friends took him in charge
He was given a coin one day and told
to do any thing he liked with it. He
came here, said he was going to stay
all day, and gave me the money-all he
had in the world The day was spent
playing with the other children, and he
was one of the last to leave at night.
After Nard he was sent to school and
l have never seen him since Had |
known it was his last cent he was pay
ing for the days visit he might have
had his pleasure for nothing. While
we do not feed the children on luxuries
and sweetmeats, we give them plenty
of nourishing food, and any thing in
the way of extras that is kindly do
mated is much appreciated by them.
We try to make them happy and con-
tented and to do all the good in the
world we can. "-Brool1lyn Eagle.