The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03

would provo useful and valuable to en-.
ployers, who would then appreciate them
instead Of returning them In disgust @ q
least in disappointment to the asylum,
| BECAUSE while human nature In genera
IN. little or no use for, and neglects and
even abuses tho improbable. 1t, on the
contrary, values and uses we'll the pron-
| table that is, those who know how 70
| do well useful things-at any rate IT does
not voluntarily get rid of them.
So. TO repeat, the fact that bound-out
orphans generally prove Improbable. IS
an Indictment OF present modes OF caring
for orphans.
| Indeed, impartial investigation would
doubtless show present modes to be THOR
oughly imperfect on the practical slde,
| l. e., as to fitting orphans for q life or
useful service. But such investiga ton
should be non-local. because no local
committee might, however, bring In
cnt would dare face the wrath OF the
good" women Of locality should It re-
port in accordance with the facts. a
committee might however bring In a,
.'clean bill. which would, OF course, be
| highly gratifying to all interested In tho
| welfare of orphans. a general inVestlsa-
! ton therefore could not fail of happy re-
| suits. That the training, however, is not
always wise or practica is shown by the
| following example within the writer's per-
sonal experience. The orphan had been
placed the previous year In a senteel
family in the country, and although she
had about years experience of life as
it really Is, yet the only return she could
make for good wages and a good home
| tha a
head Of pretty curls, both OF which she
did diligently. This, Of course, is not Of
] fered as a typical example, but may 1t
not represent considerable percentage
! of the qualifications for usefulness OF
graduated orphans? But In reality how
| many orphan asylum graduates have
earning capacity In sewing, dress-maklng,
cooking. house service, &C., &C., or how
many can make themselves valuable to
employers and therefore valuable to them
selves? This is the age of commercialism
| and it's motto is value received" and
! Ii orphans do not or cannot meet this
requirement. must 1t not be the fault Of
orphan asylum management?
| Returning now TO the proposition TO
board out orphans In lieu Of asylums.'
It is remarked first that it is not pro-
| posed to proceed abruptly, but cautiously
and tentatively. and to extend the system
| only when after a fair trial#it Is found
! to work we'll. and second, that being a
new departure and contrary to long-es-
tablished custom many difficulties and
| distractions, mainly of Ignorance and
prejudice but also in no small measure
OF selfshness, because many now INSTALL
| ed in comfortable berths for life would
| BIO affected, will have to be met and over
come. Routine and custom, always
~:,~>, #-c
kind, must cease to dominate and
| thoughtful and consdcrate intelligence
will have to be freely and patiently APP
Piled which will DO almost as difficult as
overcoming Ignorance and prejudice, be-
cause few can think TO the point and
fewer still can net to the point Having
| thus to overcome Ignorance prejudice and
| selfshness and having to bring lntelll-
gence OF high order and hard, patient
and perseverlng application TO tho work,
| It Is seen that the task is no easy and
sclf-eXecuting one. We shall have to get
out OF the ruts worn deep by long GUS
TONI shall have to employ agents and
assistants, not because they need the
! places and arc IN good standing IN the
church; and boards of managers. instead
of managing perfunctorily and by faith,
must bestr themselves and manage by
sight--must see and know and not simply
believe that all is right.
A very big job, this. It VIII be objected.
and "a chorus of opposition will probab bly,
arise from ignorance and prejudice, we'll
meaning on the whole. and from the
beneflclarlcs of the present system. Yes.
/ 1t is a big and, 1t may be added, q diff
cult job. but Is not the game worth the
| candle or is not the superior benefit to
| the orphans, md perhaps to double the
number Of orphans now cared for, worth
the exertion7
If tho object of orphan asylums is
merely to shelter children tn they get
large enough, but not htted enough to
work, and then to turn them out into
the world like shorn lambs With no
! heaven to temper the wind to them then
! the game Is not worth the candle, because
| present orphan asylum management APP
pears effeetually to do this,
| But II the object is not only to shelter
but to prepare orphans for the struggle
! of life, then the game is worth the candle,
and the labor and care Of setting up the
new system should be cheerfully and
eagerly undertaken. For what will 1t pro-
t fit orphans Ia shelter them for few
years and thenitnrr them, tnorant of its
| WAYS. into cold and selfish world ever
ready to impose upon Ignorance and In
nocence?
! The advantages OF the boarding system