The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-08

whose mother Is deads nnds the deso- late spot in another womau's heart and creeps in there and takes away the ache of loneliness. even the cold com mercial dollar which has enabled him to Ind that desoiate heart. acquires some sentiment. And the reports which they have of the 322 children who have been given a new view of life by the business mans practical donation, bears them, out
 Data for many a novel are contained fin these reports. The stories of the tiny. human derei;cts who. like Sarah Crewe, have been whisked from the teneEnenta into luxurious homes, where every advantage 10 given them read like fairy tales. but have the added charm of being true.
 Hers Is the true ''fairy story of iit- tie Johnnie Smith. tgrnith Is not his real name. It wouldn't be faif Co give that).
 Johnnie never had any parents that Children's Aid picked him out Of q "newsie's'' brawl in the streets one day, and induced him Co 90 temporarily to the socfetys Farm School, in West chester County. The regular life al the farm palled somewhat on this little product Of the streets, but at the same | time. he didn't want altogether to gc DECK LO Iu0 OlU 8aHSs Ab fC Cu0A1C- terszed his former precarious exist l ence.
 "I'd like a chance to get some school. ln'," he said to the society's secretary who visited him one day at the Farm School, but I don't want to go to a home where there's wimmen. never had no mudder an don't wan no vim men fussin' over me. want to live wit a man."
 The society, at that time, was ''buy- ing the first consignment Of 'homes' from the s10.O00 fund. Secretary Brace decided to invest S30 for the former ''newsie." Providence guided the agent of the society to the home of a wealthy but lonely bach elor. of Delaware. The bachelor became interested when he heard of the little street gamin's plea to live wit man" and sent for the boy. He took an immediately liking to him and decided to give him the "chanct" for wi1 ich he yearned The boy made good" and is today prepar- ing for college. He has saddle horse and all the luxuries of a son of wealthy parents. Moreover, his bachelor foster father is so pleased with the boy that he is taking steps to adopt him ie- gally.
 A typical sirl's case is that of sunny haired. 6-year-oId Oracle.
 Oracle was one of the three unfor- tunate children whose mother had de- serted them and whose father was unable to provide for them. The so- ciety sent her out to Nebraska, where she was taken into the home of e wealthy doctor and his wife. There are two reports on this little girl. The first of these reports. made an Decem- Der, 1905, reads as follows:
 Grace -, years old. Was placed with Dr. -, at ---- Nebraska. Our agent reports: There are no children in this home. Dr. and Mrs. - are quite wealthy and have a beautiful home. If they become attached to Grace. as they appear to be doing. she will have not only the comforts of life, ago one of our local committeeman re- porting on the children. said: Grace ---is getting along very nicely, and money could not buy her from pr. and Mrs. ---. It has made a wonderful change in their home"
 Tn January. 1908. later report was made on this same little girl. It reads
 Grace -, years old, continues we'll and happy with Dr. and Mrs. - of -, Nebraska. Visits of Feb. 27, 1907, and Dec. 8, same year, very satis- factory. Grace is as nicely cloth cd as any child in town. She is a well-man- nered little girl. and goes regularly to school, church and Sunday-Bchool. Money could not buy her from Dr. and Mrs. -. The doctor says if Grace lives she shall go to Vassar College. During the past year they took Grace on visits to friends in Boston and Port. land, Ore, and had a fine time"
 Grace's older sister and brother were placed in good homes in the same town.
 And so it is with all the 322 children for whom homes have been ''purchased' by the business-like Samaritan of this city. Although in tn cir new homes only a few years. seventeen of the chill dren have already been legally adopted, and steps are being taken for the adop- tion of scores of others.
 Altogether. 3T2 children were given advantages by the S10.000 fund. Of this number, however, sixteen gave up their new homes and went to relatives who were able to take care of them. Seventeen others. all over 16 years of age, got positions and decided to shift for themselves. Seven proved unsatis- factory and were returned Co the so- eiety; two went into the navy, two died. and only six turned out badly and left their places without the society's knowledge or consent, to return to New York
 Taken all in all, both the children's Aid Society officials and their practical benefactor, who receives regular re- ports of the homes on his account. are entirely satished with the $i0,000 investment. The latter says it is the best investment he ever made in his en- tire business career.