The times., 1897-07-06
JOY AMONG THE ORPHANS.
A Happy Day for Children in the
City Asylums.

City Asylums.
While the petted, feted child of luxury,
with his quantities of expensive fireworks
and the sturdy little street ganin forced
to be content with one pack of firecrackers,
were making merry yesterday, each in his
own peculiar fashion, the friends and direc-
tors OF the several orphan asyluns in the
city bad seen To it that the inmates were
witt which To celebrate the glorious day
The Fourth comes but once a year, for
which the directors of these institutions
arc deyoatIy thankful. On such occasions
irot-,.ast rules are set aside in honor or the
period, and II noise counts for anything
these Homeless little ones are the most
patriotis. citizens we have. 1t was Clear
cas- Of tie in some OF the places as to who
ulaCft, the greatest amount or noise, the boys
or the girls.
Exhaustion and want of more material
with which to celebrate forced the :oang-
sters t. subside at last, and it was with
a sigh OF relief that the matrons saw each
little one once more safely at rest, and If
and the dreams of each happy sleeper pho
tographed, the poster signs OF Heardssey
would have sunk into oblivion beside diein.
The natron said that it would De ne'es-
sary to search each pocket at bedtime to
s..t if matches and firecrackers had not
beer preser we'd for today
When the reporter rang the hell at st.
Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum ON q street
it was ansW cred by d uinuuve lad not
many sizes larger than ant firecrac&er,
and the welcome. meant 10 be cordial, was
given with one eye OF the reporter and the
other ON group Of lads on the back pnrch.
and ia something like this:
Walk in, lady. Till there, jim; stop
stealing my firecrackers-l Walk IN the
pariov (Thats my punk: you let 1t alone-l
What's your name, lady? (Jifnl let ii
fix you II you don't keep your hands eff
those things ~ And so on, until finally
the sister in charge relieved the anxious
little doorkeeper from his task, and he
seurried isackto his companions with wrath
written on his brow
The large, shady yard in the rear of
the asylum looked, at first glance, like
niinia ture battlefield One urchln
reached gravely up to the sister anu PIE
sented her with a yellow fireeraoker, some
times found among a package OF these
conhustibIes, and remarked that she might
have it, as he didn't want any yellow
kid firecrackers-red was what he wanted
Mr. William Gait Tecollected that once
he was q boy himself, and evidently ap-
preciated that happy fact, for it was
through his generosity that the ninety five
boys at St Joseph's We're provided with
firecrackers, roman candles. sky rockets
and the hundred-and-one other explosives
that are so dear To the heart OF the
juvenile patriot After the pyrotechnhal
display at night, an ice cream feast was
in order, and the boys did full justice
to the good things provided for them.
At St Johns Church Orphanage Asso
ciation each child was provided with II re-
crackers, flags and candy. and Mrs. Dr.
Chat;srd furnished ice cream for them al
night.
Through subscriptions by the Wander bits
ex Secretary Whitne and Rev. DIR. Mackdy
Smith beautiful country home has been
built for the inmates of the association
near Alexandra, Va.
One OF the boys, George Washington by
name, was presented some time ago by a
friend with a number OF packages of fire
crackers and hid them, as he supposed
beyond the restless fingers OF the other
children and betook himself TO the cutIn-
try home with calm, seif-satisfied spirit
Yesterday he returned and the rest oi
the day he spent in mourning for his eX-
! pl.ided tIeasures-for they We're not. When
last seen, or rather heard, Miss Lucy. q
tsl1 In
stairs window, calmly lighting them AMI
dropping them down in delightful, hui
Dangerous manner, among a sea of up
turned, adrniring faces. Fortunately Miss
Lucy's aim was bad and no damage re-
suited.
Yesterday was the regular visiting day
at the Washington City Orphan Asylum
and relatives and friends helped to make
the occasion one of keen enjoyment t.
| the children Boys and girls alike were
each given two packages Of firecrackers
| aud III the evening the grounds around the
building were kept brilliantly lighted with
| continued and varied assortment Of fire
| works The large concert hall was decor
| ated with flags and bunting, and in ths
| evening an impromptu musical andliterary
| program took place. After the display
at night the children were treated to ice
| cream and cake, and went to bed, ttoToughl,
| happ-, but tired wishing that the Fourth
| Of July was of weekly occurrence
| At the House of Mercy, 240S K street
| the day was observed more quietly, bu
| with quite as much enjoyment.
| AT the rear OF the house is an immense
| yard, the length of it spanned by crap,
| aFbor, which affords shade just now, bu
later on the purple fruit viii appear al
| the vine is loaded with the green fruit j
! was under this cool, green canopy that {
| long table was spread, and from every
| conceivable point the American Stars an,
| Stripes we're displayed The table was
| beautifully decorated with sweet peas ant
| trailing vines, and the bright smiling
| faeeslof those seated at the table testified
| tt, the fact that patriotism is virtue lelt
| by even this unfortunate class In tn,
| evening Sister Dnrthea. the sister in charge
/ was given an entertainment by the girls. II
| which play was skillfully rendered.