Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31

domestic service. II not adopted and IL self.
supporting they may remain here permanently.
should they choose to do so. or at the age Of
eighteen they may go forth to shift for them
selves. There are q number of orphans
here, both male and female, reared in the insti-
prefer to work hard all their days for the gen.
eral good rather than leave the shelter of the
only nome they have ever known. The young
men earn considerable sums at their various
occupations and the girls take in fine sewing,
embroidery and laundry work. They have also
Q model bakery in the house, and the very best
bread that is sold in the city comes from these
ovens.
ovEE FOUR HUNDRED CHILDREN.
At present there are 426 children in the asy-
lum. The smallest Of these able to be out OF
the nursery % class Of forty-seven between the
ages of two and five years. were put through
their best PAGES for our ediication, with little
songs and parrot-ike dialogues, each setting
forth their religious faith and the goodness Of
their protectors. All were neatly though poorly
clad-the girls in blue bingham gowns, the
boys with jean jackets and trousers, both sexes
wearing aprons exactly alike. of the same coarse
blue cloth that the sisters wear for dresses,
with WOODEN hose knit by the larger girls and
pegged shoes made by the boys. Each little
apron had a square pocket patched on in front,
into which was thrust o calico handkerchief
but the usual lamentable neglect peculiar to
childhoods use Of tho latter article prevailed.
At the head of each little cot in the long, clean
dormitory hung calico bag marked with the
owners number, containing q comb and a
rosary-and woe to the luckless youngster who
forge:s the use OF either!
GOOD MOCK BAND.
The most amusing part of our entertainment,
was furnished by the large boys band. We
came down the old stone stairs of the dormi-
tory at the tap of the drum, and saw ranged
under the fig trees a group Of lads from twelve
to fourteen years old, who rendered some really
credltable music upon what at first sight looked
to be frst-class instruments. Closer inspec.
ton, however, disclosed that the horns and
comets were nothing but pastebocrd and
twisted paper, the bass drum made of a skin
stretched over half barrel held in place by
the original hoop, and the snare made from &
lard can which still showed the New York
brand painted on its side. One young genius
had q section Of cane cut into flute; another
had common coarse comb with bit of paper
over it for q mouthpiece and the rest footed
away upon fne-tooth combs.
NONE OF THEM INDIANS.
Among the crowd Of little faces it Is notice
able that none Of them are purely Indian
though SO large percentage Of Peru's popula
ton are Indians. Many are unmistakably arts
tocrats in features and bearing and not few
nave tne lalr nalr ana blue eyes OF Angio-Saxor
blood
On the following Sunday we were invited to
go with the children to beautiful estate in the
outskirts of the city which had been willed to
the institution by deceased Frenchman. We
marched three miles through dusty lanes Dor.
dered by cactus and wild institutions, beside
the blue-gowned sisterhood and troop Of casta-
ways, simply for the pleasure Of seeing the lat.
ter enjoy an hour or two Of freedom and sun
shine. There is house on the estate, beau
tiful flower garden, an orchard, swings, ar
bors, fields green with barley and alfalfa and
meadows where sheep were browsing, and il
did ones soul good to see the forsaken crea.
lures happy as SO many butterflies the elder
children taking care Of the little ones and thu
good sisters sitting by, each busy with hel
knitting work. FANNIE b. WARD.