The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-15
THE ST. FRANCIS ASYLUM.
PREPARATION FOR THE ANNU1L
 DONATION DAY.

Response From the Charitable Antic- ipated-Interesting Statement of the Asylum's Work and Affairs.
 The officers of St, Francis Orphan Asylum have published the following appeal to the people of New Haven to assist them on Donation day, Wednes- day next:
 The Donation Day association con- nected with St. Francis Orphan Asy- ,um, despite the fact that there are many calls upon all the charltably in- clined people in New Haven, venture once more, but only once this year, to gain the good will, to merit the sym pathy, and to reach, for practical sup port, the kind hearted residents of this city in aid of St. Francis orphans.
 Neither rich orphans, nor soldiers or phans, nor the orphaned of advanced age are eligible applicants for asylum relief-all such are amply provided for Nor do the hundreds of poor young or phan children placed by St. Francis Asylum in good respectable homes, all
  sion of it's unpaid agents, the priests of Connecticut, need the assistance sought in this appeal. The class in whose be- half this yearly petition is sent out are special types of our dependent children society's inefficient members, who do not usually come under the observation of the general public.
 When there are more children need ir,rr !, AL ing children, it is evident that all will not get good homes. The "gold fish" the ''gilt edged youngsters, as they may be called are the desirable lot for placement in homes. And oh! it is so amusing to note the picking and choos- ing necessary to please applicants for orphan children. They want the little creatures made to order for them; and while applicants differ in taste, they forget that as homes differ, so do the orphans, some being bright, others dull, some sad, some joyful-their na- lures different, and their friendless and homeless condition so dissimilar that notwithstanding the consensus of opin- ion and thought toward the family home life, good desirable homes are few and far between, and hard to find for hundreds of poor orphan children.
 While the primal aim of the asylum management is to give the home life, just as fast and as far as possible, the obstacles in the way of a good home must not be overlooked, and it should be borne in mind in the meantime that the little men and women in the big Whitney avenue orphanage facing it's kindred neighbor, the soldiers monu- ment. on the top of East Rock, repre- senting, as they do, twelve nationali- ties (and difference of nationality, like disparity of religion, is often a bar to home-finding) and who live, eat, drink and are clad in St. Francis Orphan Asylum, belong to that order for whom good homes could not be found and who in consequence have been com- mitted to the asylum's care and protec- tion as last resort
 No boarding house nor permanent home, but only temporary abode for destitute, homeless, full orphans and worthy half orphans, between two and twelve years of age, the work in which the asylum is engaged. so necessary be- cause of social conditions and changes among the poor, the institution is at once worthy of public support
 If the managers of St. Francis Or phan Asylum, in common with the vast majority of sociologists, are not advo- cates of institutional life, save as a temporary resting place, under humane conditions as care and treatment, everything from head to foot in the cost of full care for the poor orphan be- comes a wise expenditure in a most be- nefcent work.
 Nor does any work for the poor SD touch the heart as that for poor chil- dren bereft of father and mother, of parental endearment and the sweet comforts of home.
 In their behalf no elaborate explana- tion nor apology is needed. The cause of the fatherless and motherless, who but for charity have nothing save prayer and thanksgiving for their bene- factors, is always able to plead elo- quentIy for itself
 The same thoughtful, generous spirit therefore, that has ever characterized the liberality of the good people of this city will not permit St. Francis little darlings to "get left'' Their friends and they have gained a large constitu- ency in New Haven-will heed, on next WHdneSQdy, InlS lHVlldllOl, dlu IdellS once more to lend them again helping hand; for truly, if the orphan boys and girls of St. Francis Asylum are poor without being homeless, friendless and comfortless, it is because their many friends, made aware of their wants, have always come most generously tC their assistance.
 To gratify the longings of these affec- tonate. little, helpless ones, whom 1t takes SC little to make happy, tc strengthen their managers hands and increase their power for doing good and to share in the merits attached to worthy giving. is the object of these numerous remarks.
 Would your names be associated with great corporal and spiritual work? Would your deeds of tender charity know best only to God, be written by His recording angel? Then do not withhold but without distinction of re- ligion, present your offerings. reneni- Der these orphans.
 On November 10, 1898, 2.1S1 girls and 1.626 boys-total 3,S07 children-have been cared for in the asylum since June E. 1852 In forty-six years S7 children have died, 3.4O7 have been discharged of whom 1,610 were returned to parents or guardians and 1,797 were placed out