New-York tribune., 1902-12-08

because of the difficulty of presenting 1t in a
concrete FORM The Fund owes its thanks. Not
one who entertained child last summer failed
10 make a sacrifice of some sort. For some the
| sacrifice was great The Fund appreciates this
fact.
The children. as in other years were enter
tanned while in the country two ways. either
as the guests of individuals or as the guests or
communities Thousands Of the children were
the euastS of individuals in their homes Pos
sibly only one child went into that home; some
times there were two or three Other thousands
We're entertained in parties by INDIVIDUALS III
large houses given up entirety 10 their use
John E Parsons entertained seVerai nun
dred children at Interlaken Mass, where he
has accommodations for fifty boys and fifty
girls at time. Mrs. John S. Lyle, VINO several
years ago built house at Tenafiy, N j., large
enough to shelter fifty at one time. kept it
filled with girls from June Is to september 20
The people of Pittsheld. Mass: Warwick Hud-
SON. CIaverack Middletown. Goshen, Port Jer-
Wis Ringhamton and Utica, \. Y. and Fair-
field Conn entertained as communities several
parties each in the course of the summer Inc
fund itself also played the part OF most. ffesh
air homes at Ardsey, n. Y. and at Chapei Ill.,
n. j. were placed in its care by the owners
rent free. Here to many children were given
two weeks of country life at an expense within
the means of the fund The cost of entertain
ing the children was low, owing to, their prox-
unity to the city. Nearly two thousand chill
dren enjoyed the delights of these homes.
Last wear the children were sent to 35l diff
ferent places. This year the number was 3S1
These places were in seven different States
Vermont Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con-
necticut New-York. New-Jersey and Pennsyi-
vania This indicates the widespread interest
in the children. In nearly all these places they
were guests in private families The distance
from the city which so many travelled meant
life in another sphere for them. That is one
of the objects of the fund. II is not enough
that the body be given fresh air and whole
some food. The imagination and the soul need
food, and there is no better place to secure It
than where the hills rise blue in the distance.
the wind sweeps over the fields of grain. and
the wild rose blossoms at the roadside The
mellow tints of the country landscape and the
hospitable atmosphere of the country home are
sure to live long in the memory of child
whose life has mainly been lived among the
hard realities of the atmosphere of the tene-
ment districts.
At the fresh air home at Fairfield. Conn.
where the people of that town entertained five
parties of twenty children each every season. a
record was kept of the gain in weight of the chill
dren last summer. One interesting fact is shown
by the result. The children who not sent to
the country until August gain more than those
who go earlier 1t is evident from this that
those who go last are better prepared to meet
the inroads of another year of tenement house
life than those who sent before the hot
period has reaped its harvest. The following
table shows the gain and loss of each party
as whole: