The Washington times., 1895-06-17
Return of Ten Youthful Guests
of the Fresh Air Fund.
lyVALIDS CONE BACK WELL.
Great Success of Delightful Charity
Started by the Junior Christian N
EndeavOrers-How the Children
Amused Themselves During Their
Stay In the Country.

hume OF the Junior Christian Eudeavor
| Society at Fails Church.
The Juniors Of the Endeavor order some
| time ago awoke TO an appreciation of their
own good fortune in having nice COM
| Portable homes and well-to-do parents,
and, in order to give less favored boys and
girls an opportunity to receive the benefit
uf the country air and diet, the Junior
| Cuuntry Home wass tarted.
| That the projecttsa great success and one
! which Will bring joy and Gladness into
the life of many a little back alley waif,
| the faces of the returning children amply
| proved AS reported in The Times, when
| the party left for Falls Church there was
! not kearty, healthy child among the entire
ten. one was iucurably lame, another just
recovered from "a lingering illness, and
several were afflicted jn other ways
a decided change has taken place in
| the children during their absence in the
country and it was freely commented upon
by all who had seen them prior to the visit
TO the home. Thin emaciated frames had
taken on a wonderful amount of flesh
Instead Of the petful, peevsh disposition
of the invalid, they laughed and talked
with the passengers on the train and
played pranks and Jokes on the good-natured
COAIuNlOIS anu DIdhSiDtH.
One little Swiss boy, Paul Jenrynaud
who when he set out for the Home
had just recovered from a long, linger-
ing Illness, was in remarkably fine spirit.
All traces of the fever had vanished, and
he was 10 all appearances, well boy.
ONE ROUND OF HAPPINESS.
The life OF the young folks while at
Falls Church was one round of happiness
They We're allowed free excess not only
to the home grounds but to every foot of
territory for miles around Not farmer
mechanic, or storekeeper in the vicinity
who did not do his best TO make their
stay an enjoyable and beneficial one
When they rose in the morning, they
drank copious draughts OF pure milk
| and ate to their fill of all that town or
country affords, while the life giving air
filled their lungs.
During the heat of the day the children
played in the shady grove, which has
been named Fenwick's Fern. Seven large,
patTiarchial oaks raise their heads towards
the sky and their noble crowns join in
grand canopy of Ieafy foliage and into
/ the green grassy court below the suns
! rays never fall. To complete the beauty
! OF the place tiny spring bubbles at the
| foot of one OF the trees and trickles away
| III tiny TIYulet across the meadow.
An orchard full of fruit trees OF all kinds
| stretches out for several hundred yards
! behind the oldfarmhouse, whichdoesservice
| as the home.
| There is a well that never runs dry, and
! that was continual source of enjoyment
! to the children, who loved 70 work the odd,
! old-fashioned bucket contTivance for rais-
! ing the water Not least among the de-
! lights of the pace is barnyard full of
| chickens and guinea fowls, which were
never-ending sOurces of wonder
| What fascination there is for children
| III an old garret, directly under shingled
! roof. There is just such a one at the
| Home and in rainy weather the youngsters
! found their way there aud TeYelled among
! the old furniture, chests aud packages Of
sweet smelling things with which it
was stored.
Prof Sims, physical director of the
! Washington 7. h. c. A, visited the place
! last week and made himself very popular.
| He rolled and romped with the boys on
! the grass, swung the girls on the grapevine
! or in the hammOcks, and ended up by
| beating at checkers Johnny Carroll, the
| lame newsboy ,ofwhom anaccount appeared
! III The Times when the Home was opened.
PLANTS CORN WITH HIS CRUTCHES.
When John first reached the Home he
was so weak that he could hardly creep
along, but yesterday he walked all around
the grounds aud went to the station, about
half a mile distant, after the mail This
service was not asked of him. but he begs
SO hard to be allowed to do something
| that superintendent Stevens can not re-
sist him.
Sometimes he helps plant corn, and this
he does in unique fashion. He fills his
/ pockets With the grain, then, digging two
holes with his crutcnes, he drops in the
corn and covers them as neatly as you
| please With the same instrument.
Carliss Gibbs, one OF those who re-
turned yesterday, brought with him
| prize coveted by all of his fellows. 1t was
a big, ugly specimen of the land turtle.
! When he got off the train he was hugging
! to his breast a paSteboard box With a
! perforated top, through one OF the holes
! OF which protruded the animals head
There was an affecting case of sisterly
/ affection noticed among the children.
| Little julie Brosman mad just recovered
/ from a severe spell OF sickness when she
was sent to the farm. and il had left her
wasted and worn. Katie Brosman, all
! during the two weeks of her stay, assidu-
ouSly nuTsed her sister, and so devoted
! was she in her attentions that she herself
! received but little benefit from her trip.
| This was noticed by the superintendent
! and upon his recommendation the two
| sisters We're allowed to prolong their
! stay at the beautiful home.
There was one flaXen-haired, demure
! little maiden whom everybody dubbed
| Miss Pnngle There was nobody like
| her in the company. Never an unkind
| or harsh word came from her lips but,
! in matronly manner she extended her
| protection over girls about twice her
age. Annie Truman enjoys the proud
distinction of being the prctticst and
sweetest girl that has yet visited the
institution, and it will be long before she
is displaced from her cnviable position.
The trees in the orchard of the Home
are fairly groaning beneath their burden
1
| pecially luscious and large, and if the
/ crop exceeds the wants of the Home
! baskets will be sent to the Junior Chris
| tian Endeavorers of the city for dis
tribution among the sick children in the
various hospitals Of Washington.
The inside of the house is scrupulouSly
! neat and clean and a better bousekeeper
/ or more mothery little woman than Mrs.
! Steele could not be found. Both she and
! her husband seem 10 have won their way
into the hearts of the boys and girls, ard
not one of the ten who spent the last two
weeks at the home could have gone to
| sleep without having frs t given a good
| night kiss and hug to Papa and Mamma
| Steele.
The little beds are white and duwny
and the dormtory opens out on a large
/ bed of sweet scented roses, whose fragrance
| first greets the children when they awake
! in the morning.
The next lot OF children will be taken to
the home on Thursday. On the following
| day there will be an excursion from Wash
ington, under the auspices OF the Junior
! Endea vur Societies.
The names uf those who returned yester-
day are: John Carroll Roland Gibbs
! Edith Burkart. Grace Burkart Bessie
Gibbs, Carliss Gibbs, Kate Brusman, Julie
Brosman. Annie Truman, and Paul
JenrynaId.
This is an admirable charity in which
| the juniors are engaged. They Will. in
course of the season. give many little