The evening times., 1898-02-25
CARING FOR
CHILD MAIFS
Operations Of the Abigail
School and kindergarten.
A Humanita rian institution for
Training the Friendless I'm Ways
OF Industry and Morality.

"A stream cannot be purified unless we
begin at its source" said a worker of
the Abigail Free School and Kindergar-
ten, speaking the other day of the work
her society was doing among the child
waits and strays OF Sullivan street, in
/ New York. Much of the disheartening
state of the paBper problem, she added,
lis due to the desultory and ill-directed
energies OF many Institutions which tend
to perpetuate the very conditions they
seek to remove.
We have learned at the Abigail that
any form Of relief that carries with ii a
sense OF patronage or dependence is de-
moralizing in its influence; so instead of
making our little friends feel that we are
meaking them our debtors, We try to
put them as much at ease as they would
be I'm their own homes by giving them
home comforts home amusements, clean
illness. and such instruction will pre-
pare them for the public schools.
''Our diSpensary physician looks after
the physical wants of our little charges,
and in the sewing school we teach them
industrious habits and plain sewing.
During the last year 81 475.7S was con-
tributed toward our work. besides clothes.
food sewing articles. books. toys etc.
amounting to several hundred dollars
worth. One hundred and fifty-three chill
dren were successfully treated at the dis
pensary. and 1.5S2 little ones We're cared
for in the kindergarten and infant de-
par1ments.
THE sewing school has been even more
successful than we hoped; there has been
an average daily attendance of twenty
seven girls under fourteen years of age.
who have been taught to make garments
for themselves. and who are proudly
wearing them now as the FIRST evidence
of their handiwork. Through the kind
ness Of DR. Louis Hlopsch We were able
TO send las children to the country last
summer, and the ST. Johns Guild Float
ing Hospital Association provided us with
excursion tickets for fifty-four mothers
and ll3 children. We sent twenty-five
sick mothers with forty-nine suffering
babes. 90 the Staten Island Seaside Hos
pital to he cared for during the summer
and recently We organized a Sunday
school. who're we take i'm very young tots
and prepare them for the church Sabbath
school
To belong 10 our Boys Band Is the
ambition Of nearly all OF our young
neighbors. and il is with commendab bic
lOftiness that our little professionals
take up their musical instruments TO
charm us on gala days
The Abigail is named after the mother
OF Johh - ttuA Ter. VINO has been It's pTln-
cipal supporter during the six years Of
itS existence. II is an incorpora ted insti-
tuition, and has enrolled in the books of
its various Departments many hundreds
OF children. The boys OF the district hold
meetings in the evening to gather in the
stray lads who abound around there. and
when they get them in they preach right
enOusness 90 them with all the fervor of
ardent elangelists. Since the kindergar-
ten was opend five thousand children
have been trained in industrial habits
prepared for the public schools. and given
the moral and Christian training their
own homes were unable to supply
MIR. and Mrs. G. Z. beware. the projec-
tors Of this humanitarian scheme, still
continue Al its head, and have recently
added TO their work a monthly paper. en-
Titled The Abigail, in which interesting
incidents OF the school and reports OF the
entire work may be made public. The
officers are John g IuyleE- president. &
:. Swain, II. y. Smith. William Baldwin,
stephen Merritt and Or. J. Z. Messenger.
directors. Mr.. DeVare is general mana
ger. Mrs DeVare is secretary and super
iEtcndent, and Mrs. J. /. bennett is the
treasurer