New-York tribune., 1908-08-08
SCHOOL LUNCHE0NS
Health Protectiue Association Starts
Counter for the Hungry.

Oh. &c very small this little italian girl. but
s-,su as she IS she has two smaller children hang
,n7 IN her One IS in her arms. and another clngs
~ her skirts She lays two pennies down before
ag-s Herbert Knowles. OF the Wouan's Health
,ar,i,e Association and silently take. the ticket
eJ5 mt 10 her in return II IS IN the basement Of
yo1,h,c School IL al 10Sth street and Second ave-
,ue and the wonnan's Health Protective Associa-
+ion fs irving the plan Il has wanted for so many
months 10 try-of selling Iuncheons TO underfed
school children
armed with her ticket the bIack-eyed mite, with
her tso babies pushes through the crowd of
thirsty children around the improvised counter
where Mrs Margaret Ditmars is serving out milk
and crackers A penny ticket buys big glass
III Of r1ch milk or Il buys three cakes crack
e-s A two-penny ticket buys both milk and crack
ers The back-eyed mite. being quite a capitalist
ests both But little Of either does she have her
eel< To see that child. over eight years Old
feeding her babies the milk. turn and turn about
ressrziug only z few drops in the bottom OF the
glass for herself and 10 see her giving them the
nicer cakes and taking the poorer herself. and
then 70 see taking them out 70 the school yard
and rocking them TO sleep in baby swings
ike an old nurse-it is an enlightening sight
There are plenty ike her. Little fathers, too
whose heads barely top the counter. lug in babies
ss big ss themselves and feed them milk with the
Utmost solcitude. Il rather sloppily.
Whatever difference Of opinion there may be
among older citizens to the need OF feeding
the underfed school children. II is clear that the
children themselves are unit IN fits favor Since
last Monday when the counter was installed in
Public School IT, about four hundred children have
bought tickets each day At O'Clock. when the
vacation classes and the luncheon counter open
simultaneously they are waiting like q herd Of
thirsty little calves Mrs Ditmars pours out milk
with both hands and the little kettle in which the
6ishwater is boiled chokes and gurgies, it IS so
hard-wo-ked.
Sometimes mothers come for the milk Among
the crowd OF children appears a sicldy Italian
woman with g sickly baby il her arms
You seIl-a ne penny's worth mike she asks;
end they serve her the milk gladly. Il drink-a
beer" she confdes in the ears OF that portion cf
the Health Protective which Is duty for tie
day u think-a beer good 10 make milk for my
hsrnbino: but the benbino Is seek, so l think-a
beer not good-no?'
The Health Protective shakes its head and tells
her the dire things beer does TO nursing mothers
and the Italian woman goes away, promising 10
come every day for the milk
Small boys come with broken pitchers, asking for
penuy's worth Of milk 10 take 10 the motner o'
home More children come foI glasses OF mix
They run out from the kindergarten games that
are being pIaved On the same floor and down from
the vacation classes that are going on above stairs
they bring cut the cherished pennies that are tea
IL unexpected places in their ragged little gar
merits and drink the rich milk blissfully- Between
. and O'clock the demand dies down ana MIS-
rltrnars and the Health Protective snatch q nasty
hncheon A. ! the o'clock rush is repeated Ohe
title boy having acute financial depression aIlo
imperfect sense Of honor, and seeing 'i0Ae