The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-15
Kindorgn, ten Ml.sIonary Work.

That prevention Of crime is better
and more economical than Its punish
ment is accepted without argument, yet
1t is paradoXical to note how freely
money is given and appropriated for
building and maintaining prisons, jails,
reformatories, truant schools, etc, and
! with what apathy and even opposi-
ton are met all plans for preventing
the necessity for such INSTITUTIONS,
We point with pride to our reforms
tories, jails and prisons Are we able
to point with equal pride to any visi-
BILE efforts put forth to save their ne
/ cessity?
Charles Loring Brace in the introduce
ton to his book, THE Dangerous
Glasses of New York" says; THE class
of large city most dangerous to its
prosperity, its morals and Its political
life are the ignorant, destitute, UNI
trained and abandoned youth; the out
cast street children growing up to be
voters, to be the implements of dema-
gogues, and the sources of domestic
outbreaks and violations of law"
We permit immigrants and their chill
| dren to come to our cities We have
our own native-born children AIS well,
What are these little children growing
up to be? Shall they be permitted to
swell the army of the aboVe-refered-to
dangerous classes?"
| 1t has been tersely said that "in edu-
eating a child we must begin with his
grandmother" In educating the chill
dren of to-day are we not educating the
| OPP n Of n1 fa harS Ot the
future?
Do we realize that the years to give
these children any education in right
living for themselves and their neigh
bors are so few of the average persons
! lifetime? Many times we have heard it
repeated that the majority of children
| leave school at fourteen. Leave school
to do what? To begin work for them
selves or others; to think for them
selves. to stand upon their own feet, SO
to speak.
| In our crowded cities every one knows
that the number of children under the
| influence of adequate, moral, home en-
! vironment is few compared with the
number who are under no such re-
straining, guiding and moulding influ-
ences,
We may talk and say that govern
ment should restrict immigration to
our country and cities. Meanwhile the
fact remains that the children are here,
and the question increasingly presents
| itself What ought we to do for
them?"
The former president of Wellesley col
lege has said that she regretted she
was born too soon to begin her educa
ton. The best we can give these chill
dren is to let them begin in the mission
! kindergarten, which receives little chill
dren too young to attend the public
school, thus frightening the time for
their instruction at the most impress
sionable period of life.
The Elm City Kindergarten Associa
ton, with its tlourishing school at Wei
come Hall, its branch'on Lloyd street,
and it's new branch in Trinity parish
on George street Is doing home mis-
sion work in our own midst just as
the home missionary Is doing his on
the western prairie, or at the south.
| To western home missionary, to the
one at the south, the hope for the flu
ture, not only for his or her particular
mission field but for the country, lies
in the children. So also the hope for
the future Of our cities lies in the chill
dren of these cities.
To the earnest worker at home or
abroad life is fuller of opportunities for
work than are the means for carrying
it on
The faithful workers in the Kinder
garten Association Of our city, knowing
so well the influence for good which is
being exerted upon the lives of the chill
dren under its care, desire that all citi-
zens be equal believers with them and
financial helpers as we'll. This most
\ excellent work should be extended to
other needy localities. SO that the good
results may be as far-reaching as pos
sible,
An earnest appeal is made to those
unacquainted with this branch of the
citys missions to visit any one of
these schools and investigate for them
selves, so that they may fully under
stand the aim of the work and the
spirit in which it is done.
A sincere hope is expressed that the
investigation will lead to large sympa-
thy and hearty support. Fl, NJ c.