The evening times., 1897-04-20
The INFANTS OF ST. AIMS
Instead of Rolling Eggs They Re-
ceiyed at Home.
From Helpless Infant to Romping
Boy and Girl, All Had a Royal
Good Time.

The babies of st. AIMS Infant Asylum
did not roH eggs at the White House yes
terday afternoon, but they gave party
at which they sang nursery rhymes and
of visitors, among them many of the
uiost prominent citizens of the District,
called on the little ones during the hours
of their reception, each bringing sonle
donation in groceries, money or clothes
Though the larger children, from three
to seven years old, romped merrly in the
high-walled garden, there were nearly
two dozen litIle tots in white embroidered
slips and dainty ribbons having good
time in the suushiny play-rooms with
their nurses and toys. Scattered about
the polished brown floor were hobby-horscs
that were kept galloping madiy by their
fearless riders, and there were gorgeous
eggs and wound-up things that buzzed
and ratified aud whirred
They were the jolliest little lot, and
they crowed and laughed aud occasionally
scrapped together with as much American
independence as though they were the
little babies of the rich, and had no other
mission in life but to eat, sleep and be
merry, which, in truth, is all they do.
Communicating with their big, beautifgl
play-room, were other rooms all Of them
gay with sunlight and with pots of plants
on the deep windo wsills, and a snow
white statue of the Virgin on each wall
One was the refcctory, W here these
funny Liliputians sit at a low table covered
with white oilCloth and eat their porridge
and drink their milk from bowls and mugs
of white enameled ware, In the nursery
stood, in two long rows, beautiful walnut
cradles, each covered with a snowy Mar
seilles coverlid and q tiny square pillow
with a cambric rurfe around it's edge. In
one corner a small walnut bed, as spotless
as the others, testified that the children
were guarded at night as carefully as dur
ing the day.
The half dozen little cots in the infirmary
were made up in apple-pie order and the
chairs beside them were empty, which gave
pleasant proof that every orphan is well
There is still another room in the nursery
realms -spotleSsly clean like the Others
an q CHEEKY with Sunbeams and plants. Only
cradles are in this pretty place, and ofthese
four were occupied by crumbs of humanity
swathed in flannel and lace. Two of these
babies were fast asleep, with their nursing
bottles by them, and two Others. wide-eyed
and wearing a general air Of not wanting
to be interrupted, were still taking long and
satisfactory pulls at their milk, the tubing
being so arranged that there was no danger
Of their orgie being stopped by stTangula-
tion. The fattest of these two squab-like
cherubs had big black eyes and straw-col-
ored skin "a veritable yellow kid and when
a visitor asked if the child was colored the
nurse touched its cheek with a beautiful
pride and told its little story:
Yes, it is a colored baby. 1t was
brought here by a policeman one
morning over a week ago. 1t was so near
dead with pneumonia from exposure that
sister feared ii would not live throughout
TIE day-an now look, isn't it perfectly
lovely?'
In addition TO these four ''bottle babies
there are twenty-five other babies put out
The sisters make regular visits of inspec-
tiun, and if the babies are found not to
have the very best Of care, the little ones
are brought back and new wet-nurse OBJ
aimed When the babies are three years
I'D they are put with the larger children,
where they sleep in cots, study lessons
and eat at larger table from pink plate
aud white mug. a the age OF seven the
boys are transferred to ST Joseph's Asy-
Um and the girls are put under the care
If the Sisters OF St Vincent de Paul