The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-12
PHILANTHROPY in CUBA.
A visit to the Geologic Benefcencia"
at NedadO.

at NedadO.
The following interesting letter. touch
ing upon a branch of philanthropic work
in Cuba that is seldom, if ever heard of
through newspaper correspondence, has
been received from the wife of ..an Amer
lean officer at Vedado, Cuba, by relatives
in this city:
Wednesday morning we started off
bright and early for the "Colegio Bene-
ficencia" managed by Sonora America
Fares, in the Cerro suburb. We took
short route out through the country
roads. and the meadows looked luxu-
riantly green and fresh on both sides of
the raised highway We passed a rose
nursery and were next saluted by the
delicious fragrance Of a tanneryi We
finally ratified into the Cerro. long. hot
sunny street. and after passing the fine
place of the English consul, vivid terra
Gotta, with white trimmings, ana
splendid garden, neatly keP, and
glimpse of some giant royal palms, we
drew up at the school. The sonora,
handsome. clever woman who spent nine
teen wears in New York, and is as well
educated as any American lady, received
us cordially, and proceeded TO marshal
her forces We seated ourselves in the
great salon and admired the pendant
carvings of the arches, the elaborate
mouldings of white plaster, the frescoed
ceiling and other evidences of ancient
grandeur. (for this is just a rented house,
as a temporary home for these Orphans.
till she seated herself at the jingling old
piano and struck up Onward Christian
Soldiers" when instantly burst of
childish voices began the Spanish version
of the hymn. and from behind the screen
of the patio appeared the governess, a
tall, gray-haired woman, leading the
smallest orphan, a regular little darling,
about three years old, and behind her,
two and two. boys and girls, to the age of
fourteen. about thirty in all. They wore
cheap dark blue cotton gowns and suits
with a white Maltese cross sewed on the
chest, and had their hair cut short.
There were several blondes. but the ma
jority had the waxen skins. and great
black orbs of the typical Spaniard When
the music stopped the little dumping by
the governess trotted forward to the wall,
where the Cuban and American flags
were displayed, and gave a military Sa-
Lutte, afterwards taking her seat in the
little rocker she occupies in the kinder
garten. All the children, by couples, re-
peated this salute, she little boys especial
ly relishing it. I thought, and then, stand
ing by their seats, they sang the kinder
garten morning song, Good Morning to
YOU" Then she put them through their
usual routine. speaking In English, and
they replying in the same way. She has
tried TO follow che modern systems of ed
ucation, teaching form, color, object
numbers, and so on, while instructing in
English so that they can acquire that, too.
They were bright and interested and
their accent was pretty good. She spends
several hours there every day, and as
she is not rich now. supports the estab-
lishment by soliciting donations from
wealthy friends. Her work is of course
entirely voluntary, and a very great Ia
Dor; she has learned type-writing to be
able to leach the older girls, and oversees
the health. morals, minds and manners
of these children, expenses, bank account
bills, everything connected with the place
Just think what an undertaking! The chill
dren We're picked up here, there, any
where; two were found alone in a hut
in the country, entirely alone, five are
sisters one is the granddaughter of
countess. whose relations are too poor
to support her; another lost her parents
In the war. her mother having command
ed a troop! They have no boys over five.
Well, now il was time 90 bring out my
five pounds of candy-only gum
drops-and display our German
"pully'' books Aunt and Uncle gave the
children, which I thought might amuse
these little melancholy-eyed Cubans, as
1 had no books to give away. So Sonora
put Marjorie in her place, to distribute
the dulces, and showing the box, said:
This is candy" No answering smile ap-
peared on the attentive little faces. so
she said. "Bon-bons;' no response.
well, dulces" she admitted, and the
flash which lit up their faces was almost
instantaneous. So while they slowly and
solemnly devoured the sweets l took
the chair, and pulled the NifteFweFt pie
ture books explaining as well as my fee
bic Spanish would permit, and eking it
out with the most extraordinary, dra-
metic gestures. I wish would write
Mutter about it, if she could have seen
the delighted faces, and hearty laughs
the interest and wonder those pictures
excited, even the governess craning her
neck to see. and the servants running 20
keep in at the windows while Sonora cx-
planned that the books came from Ale
mania" where Froebels Kindergarten
system originated, l think Mrs. Winter
vert would certainly have been pleased
AS Sonora said, How little we dream of
the far-reaching consequences of kind
act! To think those books should have
been enjoyed by so many far-distant peo-
pie as we'll as by your Gwen Capt.