The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-19
NEARLYONE HUNDRED
Children Cared for by the
Home Last Year.
AN OLD MAN WRITES
Send Me a Child That Will
Bother Me-"


work of charitable institutions of this city
is the number Of people who visit the
Children's Home or write asking for little
children to adopt. The board cannot meet
nearly all the applications. The Eagle
was shown a letter yesterday from a gen
tleman in Rice county. who wrote to a
friend here to visit the Chldren's Home
and see if the board would send him a
little boy or girl.
send me child that is lively and will
laugh and cry and get into mischief I am
So years old and I would give the world
for child that will laugh, get in my way
and bother me. Well give il a good home.
1 have raised five children but they are
all gone now and I can tell you there is
nothing as sweet as the bother Of chill
dren."
The annual meeting of the board oc-
CURED yesterday afternoon and the prin-
cipal business was the address of the pres
ident, Mrs. Z. V. Critchfield. She reports
that the home has taken care of nearly
a hundred children during the year. most
Of whom were sent out TO homes and
adopted Mrs Critchfield in her address
said:
To-day marks another mile stone along
our path as an institution. and before we
step out into the future, let us pause for
brief glance backward over the way we
have come. In every enterprise. 1t is well
to look forward, for thus we are inspired
with hope, ambition and new energy to
work on to the end. But ii IS also well to
look backward occasionally, to seek to i'm
prove upon the work already accom-
plshed, TO profit by our mistakes and to
take courage from our successes.
To-day we take an inventory OF what
we have accomplished during the past
year. We sum up what has been visible
to our finite minds of the blessed work
Of caring for Gods little ones. To us it
has only meant year Of anxious, con-
slant thought, careful planning and judi
cious management; but to the many little
children that have been sheltered under
the roof Of our home, only God and the
future can tel what it has meant. We
only know our work has been the means
Of giving many children all the physical
comforts and spiritual influence Of a good
home; also the means of filing the void
in homes where there are no little ones,
and also saving helpless. innocent chill
dren from a life of crime and wickednes4s
We should not be discouraged when we
ara doing such noble work.
"At the beginning of the year there
were L children in the home We have
admitted into the home during the year
81 Total cared for. g. OF these, so have
been returned to their parents; II have
been placed in good Christian homes;
died, and 10 still remain in the home. The
health has been remarkably good. The
usual ailments have from time to time
prevailed, but we have been spared any
very severe Illness. But one death has
occurred. A wee one. who came to US so
frail and shadow 'd with such sorrowful
circumstances THAI we could only feel It
was a happy release when It was taken
back to the loving heart of the Great
Father
I've have had a great many applica-
tons for children. You would be surprised
TO know how many homes are longing for
the laughter Of little ones. What a bless
ing it is that there are mother hearts
ready 20 take in these poor homeless ones.
Our Thanksgiving donation brought
generous supply Of all sorts of good things
for our store room.
Christmas was as usual, happy time
for the children. They were generously re-
membered with two beautiful Christmas
trees loaded with many pretty and useful
presents. bountiful supply OF candies. pop
corn and fruits. and at dinner time were
Toasted on roasted turkey with all its
usual accompaniments.
Several changes have been made in the
management Of the home but we are glad
to report now that we have good. eff
Gent help in all departments.
'rOur present matron, Mrs. 7. A. Jack
son. has proved a very faithful and eff
Gent matron in every way The stand
ing she has in the community IS a hep
to the home. She is economical and euer-
getic, always looking after the interests
OF the home herself and not depending on
others. We have never found a duty neg
lected or task unperformed. Nothing
too hard for her 70 do. II the children
are sick, she IS up al night, or at any
time during the night. 70 attend to their
wants. Looking after the moral and spir-
itual welfare OF the child as well as its
bodily comfort. she IS proving herself
mother to the little ones. making for each
q warm place In her great. loving heart,
THE visiting committees have carsrnIIy
looked after the wants of the home ard
through their solicitations many donations
have been secured.
One year ago when We took up this w.4k.
il was new 10 Us. We felt the responsio5l-
ity. eW nave made many mistakes. but
we feel you VIII throw ';he mantle o char
ity' over these and only look a. the good
we have tried . accomplish.
MANY sad things cave come 70 our TO
tee In this work which makes oUr hearts
ache with pity. but with the sad things