New-York tribune., 1909-07-23
GOSSIP OF THE HOMES
What the Fund Is Doing Here and
There for the Riddles.

There are three little girls from the Broorne
Street Tabernacle going to HappylFd in the
future for whom the vacation in the country
means more than 1t does in many cases They
members OF a family Of seven children which
afflicted last winter with great misfortune The
mother and five Of the children taken i'll
with typhoid fever. The first to be sick
down with the disease in September, and II
February before the last had recovered. One
did not recover, boy thirteen years old, but the
rest got well after long, wearying period OF Ill
ness In the mean time the baby of the home.
who escaped the fever, died of another disease
while the others were sick The father Is musi-
clan who has permanent position. and the only
steady wase-earner for the entire family is a boy
seventeen years OLD
The family is thrifty and self-respecting- They
live in a three room fiat and comparatively
well to do. The Illness. however. has taken all
their scant savings and they struggling under
a heavy load of debt The children recovered from
the fever thin and emaciated with weakened consti-
tutions. The Fund is sending them into the coun
try for two weeks to build them up and give them
strength to meet the hard conditions in which
they are forced to live. They will go with party
of fifty Of their little friends to Tenaiy in few
days.
1t is from such homes as these that the back
ward children to be found IN the New York public
schools recruited With bodies poorly nour-
ished the children cannot avail themselves of the
opportunities offered for improvement Their
minds undeveloped and their vitality Is weak
ened because Of lack Of food But with proper care
their mentality will brighten and develop when
the conditions good The work OF building
the children during the summer months often
goes very far in developing their mentality
The interest they take in everything in and about
the Fresh Air Homes is remarkable In one OF
the girls Homes buttons, needles and thread were
provided. and the children were taught TO mend
their clothes. They all went into the work
with great zest- Even the very small girls begged
for buttons and then triumphantly displayed their
work when it finished. One little one strug-
gled with her dress for about fifteen minutes. and
brought the work up to show 1t to the attendant
She quite jubiant sewing button on.
and little difference it made to her that the button
inside out
The fresh air, milk and good things to eat give
the visitors unusual advantages and make them
ready enter anything with zeal and interest
One OF the noticeable characteristics Of the chill
dren at the Homes is that at the beginning they
much. They always suspicious or
food that they have never had before In the
course of few days this condition is reversed
Some of the more adventurous ones will try a
new dish and shout the verdict; "Oh. this Is
goodr' Thereupon the rest try it. and 1t becomes
part of the regular diet.
As the children begin to eat more their faces
gradually change in color and grow round ana
full With the additional advantage OF soap, tneir
little features shine like mirrors. rejecting happi-
ness and health.
As one little boy expressed IL to his mother: 1
feel well and happy. I full in the face I'm
so fat that when l home you won't 'resonize
me- 1 get as much food 1 want and all the
milk can drink
The newspapers are a rare contribution to the
literary enjoyment Of the boys at the Homes
one little boy got strong hankering for news
Of what was going on in the outside world that ne
made the acquaintance OF one OF the boys VINO
went for the mail and gave him the money TO ouy
a paper.
Don't you dare read my paper on the way! ne
shouted after the messenger.
The foIowfn. day he received twenty-five cher
ries. five green apples and half a stick OF candy
from three Of his roommates for the privilege OF
reading the magazine section of the paper he IS
still clinging IL though II were gold iHle'
and renting it out for slight consloeIalIOI