The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-20

salaam .'Willam ill?" Eyes, sir; with
the throat. sir" Doctor" "Oh. yes, sir,
thankee. sir" IAN right; Williams q
gGSd boy Goa Take e re Of him. h Mrs T0me
Bella BaihgateP And you. too, Mrs.
BathgateP Yes, the child is an honor to
you in that suit. How'd you get time
to do it? Next. And here's Sarah
Bsttley, Wen, Sarah, all alone to-day ?.
scrubbin' m couldn't come" "All right,
mother" Richard Rowlands : Richard,
a little better work at school. DOR we'll have
"Helloa, Tommy Rifles! Growing to be a
man, aren't you? Only three months more
on the list. Tommy. Tell mother We'll
have Oracle lie, in the orphsnage In few
weeks. "Ihankee. sir: got place. SIR"
goes, from one to three hours. But the
struggles, the battles for existence; the
blessed help this little help is to them all;
the eyes suffused with tears; the choked
words of gratitude; the pinched and pitiful
efforts to come there clean, patched-up and
deserving; the dolorous, dreadful hours in
these fatherless homes behind all this Woe
full procession to the aims giving, are enough
to sicken and sadden the strongest hearts.
l have never in any country visited q
charitable institution so well adapted to its
uses, and where there was such a splendid
and universal evidence of one having en-
tered the atmosphere of Christian home.
The hrSt orphanage was an old structure In
Duke street. The present one was COM
pleted and opened in 1874. 1t is situated on
uninclOsed ground. granted by the corpora
ton OF Liverpool, surrounded by the sylvan
groves, limpid streams, mimic lakes and
velvety lawns of beautiful Newsham Park.
The buildings comprise the orphanage
itself. tive-story edifice of gray brick with
stone trimmings, as sweet as new-laid egg
from cellar to garnet; one of the hand
soonest chapelS in England, commodious
and beautiful sanitarium and an ivy and
rose covered parsonage.
The discipline and regime are faultless.
They comprise regular family worship and
religious instruction; safe association of
the sexes, who take their meals ami attend
chapel in company; thorough secular and
commercial education; and regular and sub
stantlal diet, including three ample meals
each day. Health, comfort, happiness and
cleanliness are absolutely secured The
dOrmitories are
CAPACIoUs AND EVEN BEAUTIFUL.
There is a basket for clothing under each
bed. and each child is allowed private box
with lock and key, where brush and comb,
letters, home treasures and all keepsakes
are kept. There are a teachers sitting
room and a bedroom off each dormitory,
ensuring perfect order; and the bathrooms
and dressing-rooms are perfect and COM
plete.
Extraordinary provisions have been made
in this institution for recreation and amuse-
ment The park is the great open-air play
ground for them all. For unpleasant
weather there are spacious indoor rooms
and gymnasums for both boys and girls;
and great arched porch extends along the
rear of the Orphanage open to an immense
paved court, very similar to the covered
promenade YOU will find at the entrance 10
the quadrangle of Elton College, and much
on the same plan as that of the ancient
English monastic cloIsters, which always
opened into beautiful court or garth. Here
also, perhaps to Il greater degree than in any
other similar Institution. the combined ele-
mentS of drill and music have been util-
lied. The bearing of these children is
eXquisltely manful and wOmanly. The
theory and practice are that children can
be interested in maneuverS and drills, and
all manner OF dispositions rendered faGile
and QuieScent under the influence of music.
SO there is an almost ceaseless series of
musical Gccompanmeuts-musi on rising,
music at entering and leaving classes.
music at going to and coming from meals,
innumeraele musical entertainments and
sOireeS, even music on going TO bed. L have
never known of such marked and lumin-
Gus proof OF the humaniZing and even
Outstanding influence of music, and the
singing of these 300 or 400 children is alone
| almost worth coming across the sea to hear.
There are two public services held each
Sunday. The afternoon service, perhaps,
attracts the greatest number of visitors.
During the voluntary is heard the sound of
approaching hundreds of feet as if the foot
steps were blended into the echo of one
tread. Tramp, tramp tramp, on they come,
with heads erect. turning their eyes neither
TO the right nor the left, with hands crossed
| behind them, and with the cleanest, bright
est faces You ever anywhere looked upon.
The boys enter first and occupy the pews
of the south transept. The girls follow
them. and pass into the north transept
aisles. The chaplain, robed in plain sur
plice. enters last. The discipline, order
and decorum are marvellous. Aftera short
pause. all standing. the children sing with
taste and expression the WE'LL known
| anthem. =" 1 VIII Arise and Go to My
Father" TheSe who sing have no living
fathers this side OF the grave. The ord-
nary shortened service of evening prayer is
then proceeded with, and in the responses,
reading the Psalms ami chanting the Mag
nlticat and Nunc Dimittis. the children dis
play intelligence and feeling. But most pa
thetic of all things here is the plaintive
Ltany sung Immediately after the prayer
for those at sea. Your eyes cannot but
mist as you look and listen and you can
never cross the ocean again without know
ing the real and blessed significance of
shpboard Entertainment night"
*6Opyri0h, 1871. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.