The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-05

sitting around on the floor plIing mp
blocks. playing with dolls and toys, and
keeping M a continual prattle. The nur-
sery is In charge of a woman who WIS
busy sewing and at the same time keep
ing an eye on her babies. Not angles
but angels" these happy, healthy rosy
checked naxen-haired, blue-eyed little
people, seated on the clean. bare floor.
happier than kings on their thrones or
beauties on their divans Farther along
the corridor were the large airy dormi-
tories furnished with little iron cots. the
linen snowy white, the walls and floors
without a spot. No peg nor nail nor hook
10 hang as much as n string on Is TO be
found in the dormitory.
For the use OF each dormitofY Is a law
story fitted NJ with rows of basins Over
each basin is a small mirror and beside
the mirror are hooks from which are sus-
pended bags containing the toilet articles
of each child. The children at an early
age are trained to wash and dress them
selves, and also TO clean up after them
selves. leaving everything neat and tidy.
They make up their own beds dust and
sweep and scrub, in fact, cleanliness is
the cardinal virtue observable every
where With the exception of the children
In the nursery, there were none on the
second floor at this time of the day
The third floor. which was a mere garrett
In the roof a year ago, has been hoored
and ceiled and had lights cut In the roof.
and is now known as the Clothes room.
one OF the most useful and necessary
apartments in the building Here are the
wardrobes IN which the childrens' clothes
are kept and long tables on which the
clothes are spread out for inspection and
wrapping. The sister In charge of tlNs
room, to use her own words, has her
hands pretty full. Here was a pile OF
clothes and underelothes. for boys and
girls, just come from the laundry All
l,aI 81 = -. al
according to age and sex of the wearer
It looked to be such task the wicked
fairy gave the little girl. but the sister in
charge summoned to her aid the good
fairy-Patience-and she distributed these
articles as a letter sorter does letters.
One heap especially kept growing larger
and larger, this was the heap set aside
for repairs ! took up one article. a little
girls dress, 1t didn't seem worth two
cents. so rent and torn was 1t, but the
sister assured me that by patching and
mending it could be made to serve little
while longer
would like. if I were able, to ex-
press my feelings when I thought of the
eallous Indifference of the well-to-do who
lavish money upon clothes for their chill
dren and never think of the struggles
these good sisters arc having to patch
and mend ragged and wornout little
dresses for the poor children in their
sew and patch and mend for eight or ten
children knows what task is hers, but
what shall be said of her who has to
patch and mend for eighty-fve2 There
are ladies today in Birmingham whose
wardrobes trunks and bureaus are packed
full of discarded clothes which they never
Will wear again, but which would be
welcome present at the orphanage,
Whilst on the third floor | was shown
the hospital which l found-empty Not
a child sick out Of eighty-hvei Just think
of 1t. you good, fond mothers, whose nur-
series hold one pet lamb and the walls
of which are shelved and furnished to
equal a respectable drug store. Here are
eighty-flve children, dressed in patched
clothes. bare footed and bare headed
supported on charity and the hospital
empty! This is something worth consid-
erlug at a mothers convention.
Descending to the first floor which at
this time OF day is the field of action
proper, the first room I visit is the school
room. Here are about forty children all
between and years of age, divided into
two classes, boys and girls. As | enter
the sister who is teaching gently elaps
her hands once and the children all rise
and stand. The course of studies and the
method of teaching is explained TO me
after which particularly intelligent look
ing little girl takes a seat at the piano
and plays several accompaniment whilst
the class sings Nothing could be moro
interesting than to observe the hearty and
vigorous spirit they threw into the songs,
especially one little boy about years of
age. and dressed in suit of blue overalls;
a perfect If diminutive. man.
As | was about to retire at a signal
from the Sister, the children made very
graceful bow and resumed their seats
1t is no exaggeraton to say that the
Z1,11
entities them to be called ladies' and gem
tlemen much more than the fashionable
young woman at whose house once call
ed to enquire for her brother. and who
replied to some remark of her mothers
by saying, "Oh, shut up, Nav. / m talking
to the man." There is more than reading.
writing and arithmetic to be learned in
school, especially by those who have no
home or have no one at home to teach
them.
on this floor is the pantry. and here
another Sister had a class of young girls
who We're being taught the art of pre-
serving fruits. The supply of material
was unfortunately, rather limited, but
the quality was all right. This Sister has
only recently come from Ireland and she
spoke glowingly of her home on the banks
of the Slaney in County Wexford.
The next scene was the kitchen. This
was a busy quarter, presided over by
a Sister who was ably assisted by six or
eight OF the eldest girls. A big dish of
what seemed Irish stew was sending out
It's savory fragrance and cans of cold
buttermilk stood outside In the dining
room preparations were being made by
setting the plates and chairs. Everything
being ready. the bell tinkled and along
came the children in a quiet orderly
manner No pell-mell rush. no tumbllng
over chairs or each other. but with a
radiant, expectant look they took their
places behind their chairs, awaited the
saying of grace and then sat down. Every
action of the children shows a training
not calculated to suppress the natural
buoyancy of childhood, but to restrain
and control 1t.
From the children themselves I was d.
rected to some of their work, Every child
does something, no matter hopv little.
There is the truck garden, worthy OF
visit by our best farmers; there are pigs
and chickens to feed, there are weeds
to chop down. there are a hundred things
to be lone and done every day: and all
this work this institution, these children.
the planning and deVising how to make
ends maet all these <eings are entrusted
to one woman who is Loyalty assisted by
her sister.
l; is not what person actually sees
here that makes the impression. but the
thoughts that naturally come to a persons
mind when he contrasts the practical good
that IS actually. although quietly. being
done here with the noisy. blatant voice of