New-York tribune., 1902-07-18
FRESH AIR FUND CHILDREN.
AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR CHARACTER
BY ONE WHO STUDIED THEM.

| AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR CHARACTER
BY ONE WHO STUDIED THEM.
To see the green fields and beautiful country for
perhaps the last time in his life went one little lad
from the tenements yesterday with The Tribune
Fresh Air party for Sunbury, Penn. One of the
boys eyes is already gone. and the sight of the
other is failing rapidly that few months time
may find him totally blind. Thanks the lib
erality of the Fresh Air Fund patrons and the
kindness of the Sunbury hosts, the poor fe-
low will have at least beautiful and gracious
recollection 10 carry with him into the blackness
so rapidly advancing
To many others, the trip of The Tribune Fund
into the country comes also as a godsend in other
ways In the same party with the boy whose life
is so overshadowed with tragedy went little girl
from a basement home near East Second-st.,
place that be called a home filthy and
unkempt beyond belief. The den is known among
the missionaries the vest hole in that region
OF misery. From here during the long winter and
summer months the tiny child never goes except
to the doubtful playground of the street To her
the trip with the Fresh Air Fund children is
journey Paradise. Her family all foreigners,
and are unable 10 speak word of English When
the child was sent away last year for the first
time she under the same handicap Unex-
pectedy, however, her sweetness the hearts
of her hosts. and this year she was cordially in
Vited back again. 10 her ineXpressble joy In the
party for Sunbury six children from
the gloomy rear tenement houses and one little
fellow who lives in a stable
The work of The Tribune Fresh Air Fund in find
ing the cases of dire need and sending them away
for fortnight would be of little helpfulness were
it not for the other half Of the relief work which
is accomplished in the country homes from which
invitations must come before the children be
sent away. What this work is and how we'll it can
be done was illustrated Albion, N. Y, where a
party of Tribune children were sent this week.
The advance agent of The Tribune Fund visited
there in the spring, and found the Rev. Frederick
Wheeler Lewis. of the First Presbyterian Church
already interested and anxious to take UP the work
Albion is of the most beautiful small towns in
the State. entirely composed of residences with
ample grounds and with no factories TO spoil the
rural beauty of the surroundings. This impresses
the city children vandals though they supposed
to be, in the most unexpected ways Twelve years
ago. when party of the children Albion.
one of the hosts greatly surprised to see his
small guest driving home the cow, which had just
been turned out to pasture What you bring
ing her in for?' he asked of the satisfied little
fellow. why he replied. you don't want the
eating up all the lovely park, do your And
it took the better part of weeks convince the
| guest that he not living in some Central Park
annex.
when I learned through The Tribune and by
actual investigation of the great misery and need
| of the tenement dwellers," said Mr. Lewis, II
asked all the pastors in the town to make
nouncement of the work All of us made personal
| canvasses. Our parishoners responded readily to
the call for invitations when they understood
the scope and method of The Tribune Fresh Air
work. Only two objections to taking the children
were made-one the that they would not
be clean, and the other that the children do not
| need il. In answer to these sent out the follow
| ing letter:
Dear Friend: AS one of those who are going to
receive for a two weeks outing the Fresh Air chill.
| words OF information
train rsdsg July H. ana ea1e 0o on the the Ss p p M m
train, Thursday, July 81 You are kindly requested
s a an escort to Your home and also to see that
they at the train at the above hour of depart
feel ths must put Sp aH2a g guard Eagc TegaTd @
summer boarders" They are by means in,
bad" But perhaps the latter pTedominate Why
shouldn't they With such sur % bd be That e us is
be patient, even though some may seem 6oastful or
cagse BY strange desire TO brag about the way
they they Te IN be 9 o4dsr to get 81 Sent In e pag
| But the following quotations will show their un-
anG anGrse auyer yeu EnoW how Fresh Air children
sGse t their Dg fW ee Ter IN n & ans Rg
ily He is an attractive small boy. has the rosiestf
the BEST Clothes Of any East Side chap know.
we sent him sd0 to Rome our baS @ his Mee host Of the
grandeur his city home The little fellow insisted
He lives in tenement house, and his home Goa Goa
sss Ct kitchen h Wbere ane fTe the aSer mother and i've
Children i've 4 Fresh Air child regarded from the
b. das. the c4tdreP Psr hosts is ofen e 5s sS
neat and strong as 10 e them on the trains
These people are led think that the weareEs e
1
! jects for the Funds benevoence This clothing
| has in many instances been provided by the mis-
! sionaries from the store furnished by sewing
etTnias and Kindred organizations Were it not
for these gifts many of the children would hot ne
| properiy garbed to leave the city for an outing
occasionally a child lace trimmed garments
OF supcrior character These bits OF hnery are the
| misguided gifts of well to do people Such % nherg
| agtonishes the child's hostess, who is perhaps
| making a sacrifice entertain her She beneEes
that she has been imposed upon, and is entertaIa9I
ing a child in better circumstances tnan herseiI
| q 'Children, very much like their elders. ENJOY
'cutting a sHath" when they are away from hoiile
| Freouently people misled by their stories oi
| home conditions. Sometimes the tale is uue, pu
through lack of detail, conveys false lnpressi&In &
little iudiclous questioning often clears up t t,iv
MISUNDERSTANDING. little girl sent to the couhtI$
said as she entered the paror or neT hostess an!
/ saw the piano, why. have a piano al h9npe.5
| Her statement was true. a missionary had heiIu
her praying for one. that she might DidY HutIl
| dav School in a realistic fashoA, anu IaI H.
gone out and bought her toy one az 81 20 na III
hostess thought she from wen 10 90 m noisie nc
| The missionaries rarely make mistake III sc
| iecting the children -. ~ o1aa rIi-
ness OF your children. Let MS tell you tne iii'uS
| of their selection ,..as sand IA their
rettIrns-so many children wanted IN eaSn toMlt 49,, "a
disfrict-the workers from the missions HaFe t
the task getting the little e&cuIsI9hS7ts Sy
II Is easier to get the invitations ana tne to
for the work than TO prepare the cniluISI on. ,eone
thew shall for the country cehI e-lsrs
The homes go those unselfish Chrlsuah ,ssnrs