New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
HAPPY CHILDREN BY THE SEA
OCEAN BREEZES AND FUN IN PLENTY FOR
WEARY CITY GIRLS AND BOYS.

TIE WELIrMANAGED HOME AT BATH bIACh-
ITS COMFORTABLE C,TTAGEs-A CHARITY
ORGANIZED BY THE cHILDRENs
AID SOCIETY
The Children's Home at Bath Beach unfolds to
the tenement-house youngsters visions OF happiness
never dreamed of in the widest flights OF iahcy'
The picture that 800 pinched. wan children pre-
sent is not pleasant; but their week a' '"o
home removes the premature wrinkles from tne'i
brews, and puts sparkle to the eye Una, cai"o'
be mistaken Every possible comfort is placed at
the childrens disposal. as a littie gri "ho 'ooA
in the situation showed.
.Do we have to pay for bathing suits?' she
asked
"Why no; certainly not" was the reply
The little girl. greatly pleased and astonisheu'
said: "Why never in such a place; every
khodv Is so kind and everything free. we doh
shave to pay to go on the merry-go-round, OF ,i'e
flying machine. or to the camera oscuId
s(obscura) or the swings or anything. On VIVA.
kfun! / never in such big water pelore' anu
she clapped her hands with delight
As The Tribune reporter entered the gate ne
.heard a little tot of six years talking 10 hei
colored companion Say, Susie. that's where 'hey
make the wind" pointing to the large wihdm'li'
fused for pumping water. Amt it nice 10 pe III
,the lovely country? You only have to open your
mouth and have the breeze blow down. III"
tsudden rush of a butterfly startled the child anu
: For fourteen years the Children's Home has been
.ti Rath Beach and has every year cared Tor AT
least 5000 weary little toddlers. The srouhus III
large and well adapted for the purpose TOT "mO"
they are used. The hcme was founded Dy y. De
Stone and to Charles Il. Fry the superintendent
is due in a great measure. much OF the success
Of the home. Under his supervision the GROUNDS
have been laid out and the cottages built Every
week a fresh contingent of 800 little SOUS II
recruited from the slums and treated 10 WEN
vacation, long looked for, ana rehlehioeiVN Wv
wear round The children range between the ages
of two and fourteen years but the majority seen
at the home yesterday were about nine OF u"
wars old OF this number forty are boys, a
separate cottage for them, given 10 the nome ny
John Jacob Aston. having been opehed this Seai
for the first time
The buildings on the grounds include the Sloane
Cottage used exclusively for a dormitory anu lor
nurses rooms Mrs W. II. vanderbilt 'o''aee'
containing the doctors office and a stting-room'
and the others here mentioned. The raOr cottages
are pretty little structures, as are also the 'oele'
cottages Latest additions to the GROUNDS are ue
Aston cottages which marvels of cleanliness
and spacousness Last and best in many ways. Is
the Haxtun Cottage. for crippled girls This cot
tage is the gift of Mrs. Benjamin Haxtun. and was
built at a cost of $1,000 Its pretty little dormitory'
containing twelve soft, snowy white BEDS its peau'
full little dining and sitting room. together win us
snug lavatory, bathroom kitchen and clothing
complete
who are lame afflicted with injuries OF the lifnps
or head this structure has been haven OF dehgh''
For the children who are bodily sound there are
amusements without end. They are permitted to
roam about the grounds at will, but are always
under the eyes of attendants. There are forty
swings a merry go round. a safety inclined cable
railway a camera -obscura, pin-whee on which
accidents are impossible. a wel-stocked library
and resting room. the gift of j. Hooker Hamersley
in memory of his father: and finally, GROWING JOY
of ALL ocean bathing. To see a laughing shouting
mob of children like these would soften the heart
of the most obdurate cynic. such excessive JOY Is
seldom seen. My, what lot of water SAID IA
little creature called Mamie. Il wish could nave
so much water all the time. l don't like TO wash in
a bucket"
Queer sayings abound among these little worldly
wise dollhouse plants one week the home was
overcrowded and it proposed to send some
of the children back 70 the city earlier than usual
but what argument could be used against the little
girl who said: "Oh. Mr.. Fry please let this girl
stay. l know a real skinny girl that will sleep
of u.s." 1t is hardly necessary to add that the
fat girl the little girl and the skinny" girl slept
together in one bed and were happy.
The charity is under the auspices of the Chill
dren's Aid Society. and it is the most successful
outcome of its summer work.