New-York tribune., 1901-08-14
TEACHING IN PORTO RICO.
CONDITIONS WITH WHICH MISS ORION
HAS TO COPE IN MANAGING
THE CHILDREN
THE CHILDREN.

Everything in Porto Rico seems TO be exceed
ingy small, except the families says Miss E
Josephine Orton, teacher under the American
Missionary Association, in the Santurce Field
Porto Rico. in a recent letter. Il thought had
seen large families in small houses in Tennessee
but ] never saw so many people in so small a
space have seen here.
-'One Of my little pupils is the youngest OF
family Of twenty-five children. Our kitchen win
COW looks out upon a straw matched shack Of two
sn all rooms that ehelters five adults and four
children There is another tiny shack below US.
about eight by Afteen feet. divided into three
roons. where a father and mother. with their TWO
OF three small children. live and carry a thriv-
ing business. The front serves as fruit
stau, and I have often the women frying
fritters little charcoal stove and selling them
at the back door.
1T IS marvellous 10 see the amount OF work that
can be done in such small quarters and under
such disa dvautages. The meals seem 10 be served
10 one member Of the family a time a
hox or in the hands. The dishes are washed on
- the hoor-a fearfuIy dirty floor at that-and the
clothes washed in the little back yard. and
hung 10 dry old barb wire fence. often
wonder what the people here would do without
barb wire fences. They are far more convenient
than clothes lines. which seem 10 be unknown 10
rbe natives The harbs do away with the neces-
sftv for clothespins. which are also unknown
Clothes are OF course. often rusted and torn on
them but one must expect things 10 wear out in
one way or another, and when the laVenoera
irons them nicely with the tears folded on the IN
-fde q casual observer would never know the diff
ference.
.,0ne OF the most discouraging features Of our
s,hooI work is the irregular attendance. Much
f this Is caused by sickness, but among the white
children, the most common absences are que 10
.fssras or holy days. which are astonishingly nu-
-,srous II there were a few more saints whose
80 bo5 "a oe observed the poor children would
have no time learn anything OUTSIDE the cate
chism. s-..,
NJ cases being caused by the constitutional olla-
.o-fness Of both parents and children Lately
however the tempting fruit Of the mango HeeS'
which grow along the roadsides, is responsible Tor
much Of the lateness.
with an assistant, I recently Went 10 , IooA Up
son,e absentees. We turned on me N-lli'aiS
poz6 enc OF a few decent streets in santurce'
49,. o- ~ the sandy alleys common here
Iz ,,,tb the one or two roomed homes or the
roo- and swarning with children in ah stages q
dress and undress tumbling about in the olrl WIN
the cats and dogs. -.
we had not gone far before we came 10 'he
none We 5ar paeing back and forth: with baby
e-b 80 ne other three months old. dressed IN q
IttIe tight wasted calico ofess 'les \ co1IdT1'f
Ten whether il reminded me OF a Gol OF d "a m
-. t,'st ne .bere ne handed Of the babies u
his vie who met the door ne iooIl ,,.a'
Ne ne e95ee8 @ 9 irf and he only articles Of fuTni.
ture were few chairs and sTIalI Aal.Il .S -, h.
rheTe Was 20 lack Of children. Ihey seeiIie,u 70 ~
IN .sss6rfed sizes and I'll al OF the otheIwse @ -
vacant eDace Eight Of the children ne eliS.55
whom was not more than twelve years psiOaIsT % 49, y
10 rhfs Family and the other four We lea me-,
co,sire ufose mother had died the day before ano
they had now come 10 make this lheT no1le, r, -
rb0igr rhe tbree eldest children always came -
scho0l 1erv neatly dressed. we knew nc nc ,,t
rerv ,er, roor. The father, VINO was sl'h ii.' NJ
of the time going about when he vas ~ pa P1ot
ding fruit in pushcart And yet $f,,Ir littIe
heg.tsfr6 ~ omen their door 10 tnese lolI a..
orphans, We wondered how many IaIlIl-i' 'c,.ios
comfortable circumstances in our own large oi'i'9
would do The same. 49, -, .t.o,,. 80,
In my department there is a htle elll ,g{ bolIT
years old who asked 10 be excused nan M l4o-a
hefore The closing Of the morning session eI-
DAY. as she lived very far from schooI ssee
tLe permission. but very much annoy 20 - 20 =
her cone saIsurerine in every afternoon ilOl4
half 10 rhree-ouarters Of hour late. AZ
last ] accepted invitation 70 Tlslt -ass Is
home i was very interesting going on SGIGSs SIS
the country past fruit trees of various hIIl.s. .
al and strange 20 me But as We 49, 49,
further from the main road u became H9ar No.
snd more sandy, until every time We la Looh q n
forward we slipped half a step backward. -
seemed as il we walked miles before We reaiii'i
her home. Since then have been more cilaIitaDis
toward Paulas tardiness.