The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-25
|cH|LD SAVING \
A GREAT WORK VI
First Report Of Supt. Maybee, of
children's Home Society.
: MANY STRIKING INCIDENTS
,Good Stories Are Brought Out in This
Search for ChiIdren-All Have Lent
Him Help-Farmers Take
the Most Waits.
MANY STRIKING INCIDENTS

The following is the report OF, Rev.
William J. Maybee. superintendent OF
the Children's Home Society. submitted
Z at the first general meeting held Friday
Il evening:
j To the Board Of Directors Of the Chill
Il dren's Home Society. OF Virginia.
In presenting this, our first annual re-
sport Of the work of the Society, we have
fsvery reason for encouragement and DE-
fSout thanksgiving to our Heavenly
itFather for the great measure OF success
iShat has crowned our labors since we
Esrere elected to this responsible position.
t;Novenber a. 1900. the date the Society
Acompleted its organization.
! Since that time we have received under
Four care. eighty-five dependent children,
finclLding orphans. half orphans. aban-
kdoned and grossly abused, many OF the
fast named having been resuced from the
t-most immoral and perilous surroundings.
and committed through the courts
Out of the eishty-five. eighty-one have
been happily placed in good families,
/ where they are now growing up as sons
rand daughters. with promising future
;and those homes are made radiant ana
Happy with their presence.
The Society not having a receiving
s71ome where the children might be tenn
,pora,ily cared for, through the kindness
of the directors of the Belle Bryan Day
syNursery' we have utilized their build
Ding for that purpose.
Il HEARTILY WELCOMED.
I Wherever our mission has been intro
fSuced. hearty welcome has been ac-
corded, from the fact that this Society
/ fills a place occupied by no other ins1-
tuition in Virginia. 1t not only cares for
4 full orphans. but takes care of half-or-
IIhans. and worse than orphans. those I'M
fortunate little ones. abandoned and
grossly abused. growing up amid vicious
and immoral surroundings.
Our experience this last year confirms
re1s in the opinion that little children are
not naturally bad. but are made so by
Immoral surroundings and bad training.
4 What possible future for such boy Of
ttcn years as we found in our city one
scar ago. forsaken by his own mother for
u five wears and a. drunken, homeless IA
thor. soon to be fit subject for the
rcformatory. ruled out of the orphan
jnsylums because he was so unfortunate
as not to be an orphan Yet, in that con-
s1ition we came TO his rescue. won his con-
/ iidence, fitted him out in decent apparel,
!: and placed him in a good family that had
never been blessed with children. where,
after three months. he was legally adopt
(! ed as their own son. Or what hope for
the young girl of H.. years who was re-
ported to Us through the kindness of the
4 polce of cur city. as living with her
mother in one of the lowest denS, if left
q llIJIe longer III those tpIiultIbhS: w = d.
once instituted proceedings, and had her
committed to our Society through the
Cbancery Court Once she ran away
from our receiving home. once she es-
capped from the police office, and once
from the Superintendents home. She
was the third time captured and taken
to good country home, where she is now
very contented and happy. and. under
careful. Christian training. she is already
inauiring is she cannot soon unite with
the church.
The orphan asy1ums are doing good
work by caring for the homeless and
/; helpless orphans. But for the perma-
snent good of society it is vastly more
kdmportant to rescue the neglected and
1, grossly abused children from vicious sur
,roundings in order to arrest the growth
of the dangerous classes and place them
tout in good family homes, remote from
ttheir former surroundings. where they
tmay grow up into useful members of So
fciety.
MANY GOOD HOMES
I AS reported from other States so we
believe it is true in this. there are more
fEood homes without children than chill
tdren in need OF homes. Our mission is
Ito make the adjustment by securing the
ffanily homes for them
Among the many interesting incidents
ian our work. we desire to make special
tmention of a few.
Two little ones-a little girl of three
wears and her little nephew of four-who
became our wards last fall We're SO re-
f<duce,d to mere skeletons through poverty