The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-04
THREE MEALS A DAY FOR &c.
THATSTHE RULE FOR CHILDN
or ST. AGNES'S NURSERY

and They'll BE Well When 'rheyo~
Up. Says the Director. Miss Hei'
Rules Against Pins and Dir 90.
st. Agnes's Day Nursery in the hugh
of Brooklyn is not imposing in apptnce'
A shabby sign, tackled to shabbyking
brick house. which stands in the dow
Of big public school in Degravreet
points the way to poor mothers paroh
Of place where they may leave : on
spring while they 60 to work.
There IL the same lack Of elece IN
the interior, for 30 far the goo omen
OF St. Ames's Parish who main the
nursery have had no money to I'd Tor
decorations.
What they are more concer ABOUT
is to supply plenty Of soap and or ana
make sure they are generously'd ana
to provide an abundance Of g. PLAIN
food, viii Oh they seem to thin'ee the
children more lasting good thssthetio
surroundings.
Miss O'Brien, who is matron, ! nurse,
mana ger, housekeeper and 'ard In
one, has kept her present post ost ever
aimee the inception Of the nry, nine
years ago, and she holds ded views
on the brin ging UP Of children
Not only does she believe tEhe most
important period Of child'' for the
formation Of character Ia seeo the
second and fifth year. but that to
A great extent the foundation healthy
or unhealthy adult life are bup during
the same period.
Cleanliness. no pins, plento cat. are
the slogan Of Miss O'Brien's aaistration.
with the emphasis on plenty at.
"A child who Is hungry or po nou11shed
can't be either good or we she says.
-and some children require r food than
others. I invariably put thestion, Do
you wish any more?' to someingsters at
every meal, for the reason I'll have dis
covered that one helping dnot satisfy
them"
Although under Catholicanagement.
St. Agnee's Day Nursery opits doors to
children Of any and all creetovided they
live within the boundary LII the parish
or come from parish wherere is no day
nursery solely to be near nursery
In order to suppress as as possible
spirit Of pauperism," MO 'Brien ex-
planned, we make a nomirharge OF five
cents a day for each child, II there are
three in the family. we tsthe three Tor
ten cents a day,
Just now I have in the t' four children
under seven years belong to a woman
who goes out to wash anon by the day
when she can get the worl never insist
on payment in advanced ma ny times
We take in youngsters when their
mother is looking for VI
III there are two pan we refuse TO
take their children, becaso that case one
can stay at home and pkfter them. and
l also refuse to take idN children and
children whose olothesre nned on.
when a woman prentAerself the first
time tell her tSe rus ONE place: You
must bring your cldreihere clean. !
explain, and you mt solutions where
buttons are intend to ), and not use
pins in place Of buns.
While here themalle children wear
aprons provided the1ursery which
protect their dress and fore they start
home | wash everface anpair Of hands.
They arrive. or aght toarrive, clean.
and they leave he clean
"You can see Ir yourse how the rule
works. said Mi o'Brien visitor the
other day, leadE the waspstairs to the
nursery. This DOM runs ON the front
to the back OF . second he Of the build
Ing. with windTs at either I'd.
The floor isoare save fotwo or three
small mats al the only future is lot
Of small chat and four sins cribs at the
further end which little f<s in need of
q nap may i'd one.
There we no curtains tehut out the
sunshine. wich poured in f'upon a tiny
urohin curb up fast asleepl one OF the
mats, and couple Of dozerher children
of from ito sitting in tile groups
here and iere--clean, neat, III fed, rosy
checked yungsters every on In corner
lay pileof unused toys and,lls.
why De not the children uig the toys''
the v.isitr asked in astonishnt.
For Ills reason: When to dinner
make thin put away the toyntil come
back, faring they may huithemselves
with tb blocks and balls or too rough
play i, my absence. In tn time they
ru,t IKE q rest or at least ,p romping
and le the toys alone.
Mid me? Yes indeed. one ever
dresn Of touching that pillntil l get
back and am seldom or ne' obliged to
resor TO any punishment.
-Ilm no believer in oorporalnishment,
AWAY. II child has beenoublesome
during the day refuse to kisim or her
WIN the mother comes to fetnim home,
an< that settles it, The yo:ster goes
on feeling deeply disgraced behaves
beter next time.
so far az age goes our RUS elastic.
We take in children from wo tight years
oil. We send the older oninto the
kindergarten next door and \ care for
them only before in the ming-they
generally arrive by half past and from
8t\ sin the afternoon.
"'rhe average number We looler in one
dav is thirty-five, although attendance
often jumps up to fifty. In csg for the
children ne feature lay moshess on is
to give them enough to eat.
Fortunately Mgr. Duffy. spial direc-
tor Of the nursery, feels exactas I do
on this subject. and 80 does the twoman
Of the house committee. TheJver try
to stint me in any way
what is the nursery menu?' sO'Brien
was asked.
we have really two menushe an
swered, leading the way down to dining
room at the right Of the front { This
room was furnished with lonF table
covered with white oilcloth and Bundled
with small chairs. At every pl was a