New-York tribune., 1909-05-02
A UNIQUE SCHOOL
FOR "CORPOMOBILES"
BOYS md GIRLS TAUGHT
BY HORACE FLETCHER.
Happy Little Gatherings Where
Instruction in Disagreeablc Things
Is Sugar Coated.

Horace Fletcher raised his hand and looked ap-
pealingly at the Marquise de Chamberay. The. chill
dren always raised their hands when they wanted
some hng-that was the rule. Nine. de Chamberay
was busy and he waited, hand in air. till she
looked his way. Then he lifted up his bowl
''Pease, I'd like a little oyster soup he
said.
In a minute Mr.. Fletcher. I'm serving the lady
now Ladies first. you know and guests especial
ly" said Madame, as she carried a bowl Of soup
10 a woman friend who had dropped in. Mr..
Fletcher begged pardon; he hadn't seen that Mad
anne was serving the lady The children laughed
gIeefully: It was great fun for them.
The place was a fiat in the Phipps model tene-
ments. in East 31st street.. the time, Saturday at
noon; the occasion. one of the weekly luncheons
which Mr. Fletcher gives for boys and girls in
pursuance of his work in teaching the gospel of
right living
When he settled the East Side. last fall. and
began 10 develop mis- plans to spread the gospel
among the people whoI he thinks. need il most he
decided to make the children one Of his
chief starting points. This for two reasons: First.
that children more amenable to suggestions
than grown people and second. that the parents
most easily reached through the children
People who would be offended by what they
might consider mpertinent advice or Interference,
Mr.. Fletcher said the other day. will he touched
and pleased and Influenced by attentions shown
their children. Besides the children take what
they learn into their homes II is astonishing how
quickly children learn thing and how seriously
they take It, one day last week | lunChing
with some friends. and the small Of the house
watched his mother making my cambria tea AS
she dropped in the Jumps Of sugar his eyes grew
larger and larger. and at the fifth he could not
contain himself any longer
Mamma, he burst out, Mr.. Fletcher mustn't
eat so much sugar. He'll have wormsG
The children who 20 to the Saturday luneheons
do not know that they heing taught They
have no notion of how much they are learning
about msstcation and good manners and all kinds
of important things. They just having an
extremely good time. In the first place I'm the
smaller room OF the main one where the cooking
and eating go on. the most fascinating nppli-
ances with which they play and test their strength
There are the scales which each one Of the
twenty-five thirty children. from Ida, a wee
black eyed Jewess of five years. up to the big
bovs and girls of twelve and thirteen-industrous
little mothers. most of the latter are-is weighed
every week. There is the tall turning bar: there
is the little machine they take in their hands and
squeeze to see how strong grip they have; there
is the appliance they push with and the appliance
they pull with and in one corner something with
a long tube into which they blow to test their lung
mower Each chllds record is written down in a
book every week by Nine de Chamberay.
Mr. Fletcher confesses that # cost him consider
able thought to put his theory of eating in the
little talk he gives the children each Saturday
into language suited TO childish comprehension.
He decided to tmn to automobiles Did they all
know automobiles? he asked them.
Yes indeed they knew oil about automobiles.
well" he said, when you grow up and earn
money. perhaps you will all own automobiles In
the mean time do you know that you are little