St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-13

1t was a hot day in town yesterday.
1t was one of those days when every
thing stuck to You closer than brother,
and you felt instinctiyely that you had
shine on your nose and cheeks. The
wind only made it worse, and to your
other discomforts added the unbearable
sense of untidiness that nothing bat
stray wisps of hair blowing in front of
your ears can give. All people who
were not at the lakes cursed the fates
that kept them in town, but at Com
there was a hOuSetul of cool and happy
children.
The old Town and Country club
house, now the Fresh Air Fund home,
is a comfortable and substantial build
ing, built of brick, and square, without
waste room. The hall runs clear through
the house. in the old Southern fashion.
On the right are two large rooms,
used as dormitorieS. On the left is
the big airy dining room and the
kitchen. Outside, the broad gallery
has a new railing to keep little
ones from falling off, and under the
trees are bright colored hammockS and
great red swung. The gallery is the
children's play ground. and little in
validS who caInOt walk sit here listen
ing to the stories the dryads in the oak
trees ahisper and watching the sun
beams dance on the blue and silver of
the lake at the foot or the lawn.
There are eighteen children at the
home now, and there is room for more.
Almost as many more can be taken care
of if more cots are provided. Miss
Davis.a woman who has the rare gift of
winning the love and confidence of her
little charges, is matrOn of the home. A
cook and laundresS are employed, and
the matron is assisted by Que nurse.
Life at the home is very simple. The
days begin with prayers and breakfast
at {. The food is simple, but is well and
carefully cooked, and the children have
all the milk they can drink. The
younger children take maps in the after
noon. and are put to bed, after bath,
at Z O'Clock. The older children listen
in the evening to aiBible story the
matron tells. have some caliSthenic eX-
erciseS, and go to bed at o'clock. The
calisthenics have already accomplished
wonderful results. Little Anna Dihan-
itsch, who has crooked shoulder, has
been very much helped by simple eX-
erciSeS.
The children have the best of care
and are wonderfully happy. At first 1t
was hard to make them obey without
harsh measures, but now the matron's
word, spoken with a kindly smile, is
Immediately obeyed. Only one little
girl is unmanageable. and her punish
ment consists merely in being sent to
bed, not, however, without food. But
the children are all such patient little
folk. Some of them do not smile, and
the pitifully patient look in their faces
strikes the chord of sympathy in every
heart. There is one little fellow who
sits in the corner of the gallery, or hud-
dies, rather, for his deformity will not
allow him to sit upright, and watches
the other children. The poor little fell
low is homesick. The matron wishes
some simple games for him.
The saddest thing in the home is a
The frail little body is scarcely more
than skeleton, and the great tired eyes
look out without smile. But even this
mOrsel of unfortunate humanity has
been benefited by the fresh air and care
at the home.
Indeed, all the children are improving
rapidly. Even little Charley, who is
paralyzed, has color in his face he did
not have fortnight ago. Nearly
all the children have some disease,
the Indirect result of bad air
anu uHWuOteSOlllo IOOu. LlCtio Josie mas
spinal disease, and stands with her poor
little back bent in crook she cannot
stIaighten. But she is happy little
midget, and enjoys the pretty toys the
home affords.
The pet of the home is little Nellie
Nellie BLY, they call her-a jolly little
body, two years old. with the brightest
blue eyes and the merriest face. One
leg is in a plaster cast and will be so for
long time; but Nellie laughs and plays
and leases quite as if she were the most
robust girl in st. Paul. Most Of the
children are really ill, but some are
really weak and need the air of the
home.
The charity is at last one of the insti-
tutiOnS of the town, but still needs aid
and support. Chairs, clothing, games,
cots. bedding are still needed, and
surely no woman in all the town who
has the mother love that lies i'll the
heart of'every good woman can think of
those little children out there by the
lake and refuse to help the good work
Oh.