The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
ONE DAYS WORK
AT the Leila Day Nursery.


written for the Journal & Courier by
Keith Saint John)
Rain or shine the bird concert be-
gins every May morning at half-past
four, when all the green world is still
and the human world sleeps, and by
five the birds have finished maths"
and quiet obtains. 1t is my usual habit
to indulge in another nap after the con-
cert, but on d certain morning last
week, L rose and dressed as [ had a
long day before me, the evening of
which 1 shall hope to make interesting
to your readers. Behold me then, hay
ing breakfasted at home, walking to-
ward the lower part of our city; and
after some devious wanderings, ringing.
the door bell at No, s. Greene street,
where my day was to be spent with
| Miss Bush and her flock of Children at
| the Leila Day nursery. AS no response
came to the bell-ringing, | began to re-
alize that $50 a. m. was rather early
for formal front door calls. so l slipped
around to the rear of the house and
was lucky to choose the door (there
We're three which admitted me to a
basement kitchen, clean and small,
whore a young girl stood busy at the
stove and three tiny children sat upon
the floor, BY the time l had intro
duced myself, Miss Bush appeared, to
whom l had hardly explained my APP
pearance, when a knock at the door, by
which l had entered, caused her to
| Nd Of u
man, a baby and small bundle, say
ing to me, Here is one Of our rubber
shop babies. With the child in her
arms and the other three toddlmg after,
she led the way up stairs to the muir
sery' where two young nurses received
these and other children as they APP
peared, while l was piloted up stairs by
Miss Bush, to begin my tour of the
house
Miss Bush, Miss Adelaide, Miss Car
rie and Miss Kelly, with a cook and
I laundress, who also does the scrubbing,
! comprise the regular household, Two
young teachers from the Free Kinder
garten association, come from nine to
twelve and teach those old enough to be
in their classes. The six I have first
mentioned make their home at the day
nursery and though the upper rooms
are small, they are attractive, because
of their neatness and order
There is a long stretch of thirty years
and a strong chain of trying circum-
stances which connect the Leila Day
nursery in its first workings with its
to-day achievements People do not
care particularly for statistics. l shall
not attempt to give them, but call at
tention to three indispensable items;
earnest persistent effort will result In
success, and incalculable amount OF
home work is accomplished in the day
nurseries, and as study in economics
they are not to be ignored
Ones pride of sex receives blow ir
the knowledge that the need of such in
situations is caused by the failure Of
men to provide for their families, De.
sertion laziness and intemperance arc
the usual causes which send wives out
to days work while the children are
cared for at the nursery. The small
sum Of five cents day for each chile
secures the mothers from loss of elf-re
pect and simple mental calculation
gives an astonishing number cared for
when the seoretary's report shows az
income Of $932.s5 from this source alone
in 1904. If the women were debarret
the opportunity to help support theil
families, as would be the case, were
there no day nurseries, they would be
come public charge.
The nursery room contains nine era
, dies, two baby carriages and twenty
two crib-beds These often receive twt
occupants. Well lighted by four larg,
windows curtained and protected witt
outside blinds, one door LEADING
through rear hall to outside entrance
, one into the bathroom, and one pro
tected by low CRATE, leads to the mail
house, for the nursery with kindergar
ten rooms overhead, includes the are;
of new brick addition, thirty eigh
by eighteen feet which the wise energ.
, of Miss Bush made a necessity, 4
, which need the board OF manager
gladly responded. The floor is bare
save for a generous patch of bright oil
cloth which has been placed before tn
, Judges bench" which I must de
scribe. Along the east wall and oppo
f site the sunny west windows a littl
BENCH has been built, Just the RICH
height, the wall affording support fo
) the back and q stationary table abou
two feet high, affording dining facili
ties as well as a guard to keep the Ia
! lbles in place. I discovered this to b
the throne from which judgment wa
pronounced upon food and matters pri
, vate or of general interest by the youn
patrons Of the nursery.
As each child arrives its outer gar
ments are removed and hung away
After a visit to the Bathroom the
emerge clean and shining, arrRyed il
the small blue check apron provided b.
the nursery and promptly bestowed Of
I the Judges BENCH" when the attend
ant flies back to prepare anothe
younsster for the day. and as the
come in fast between six and seven q
M, small chance is there for pettine
/ though Miss Carrie has time for
friendly pat or lively whistle or til
> remark upon arrival Of a real squallel
Here comes a bunch Of fun Whe
the bench is full q counted eleven) an
all clean, plates of bread butter an
molasses are passed around call VIII
, are old enough to have it and bottles @
food, which Miss Carrie has found tim
to heat during the bathing operations
are distributed to the occupants of til
Z cradles-one little tot only five week