New-York tribune., 1909-07-26
LIFE AT EUNICE HOME
Good Times an Woods and by the Sea
-Liz'be and Her Charges.

alumne of Mrs Reeds school. on the upper West
Side of New York. and is leased TO the Tribune
Fresh Air Fund by the trustees. 1t furnishes
much happiness and JOY to these poor children.
and looks the fields of the New Jersey
countryside. thlckly overgrown with flowers and
berry bushes No semblance Of sitting city streets
penetrates this sequestered vale.
A mile distant Is the broad expanse of the sea,
with its curling breakers pounding the shore and
its surface fecked with whteca ps No better place
/ could be found take those whose lives spent
amid scenes Of dingy squalor. who day by day
! view only and Of city blocks IN monoto-
: nous succession a beautiful feature OF this work
is that it receives the personal thought OF mum
ber Of ladies, graduates Of the we'll known school,
who combine in their service loyalty 70 their alma
| mater and love for other girls.
The children know, others can what
the pure clean air means what life among the
warm. sunny meadows does for health and happi-
ness. The Eunce Home is planned 10 entertain
/ the older girls among the Fresh Air children
girls ranging in age from twelve to sixteen years
Many. aged beyond their years. know fully what
the future has In them. Bitter experience
has brought TO them complete realization Of all
that life In the slums means. The solemnity Of
their existence is oorne in upon them with constant
reiteration
So their life al the Eunice Home IS the
free. unbounded joy Of the homes where younger
children sent 1t is one Of the bright spots on
their horizon but that has much Of pathos in
it. The memories OF home are ever present. Many
are little mothers whose younger brothers and sis
have been left in the charge Of some charita-
BILE neiShbor social worker while they are on
their vacations In their happeFt moments, when
all they ask Is to play like children once again. the
thoughts Of those at home-weak, sicky ones
bring 4 sober feeling
COMING IN contact with these children of a ma
turer age. the attendants emphasize at the Eunice
Home the moral side Of life fully strongly as the
phys cal side. Opportunity is afforded for c7nsd-
cradle effective work along these lines and good re-
suits have followed Books are provided FOR the
girls and certain hours during the day are devoted
10 reading sunday afternoon religious service is
held so arr.uged that those OF all creeds may ct
tend AFTER sinLlrt sacred songs. she su3erinte7d-
ent OF he home talks on some moral subject In
the evening a eacrcd concert Is given "u phon"-
graph which was recently presented 20 The home
The superintendent Of the home Is Richard I
kener and he is assisted b. an efficient corps Of
workers including a Smith College student
Although due emphasis Is Laid on The ethical side
~ life. everything Is done 10 give the children
good time and to allow them 90 enjoy themselves
thoroughly ON the premises Is large pavilion
which serves as "A dance hall. piano fur
uiShed this year. and the girls spend many happy
hours In dancing For every party a grand boil Is
given on one evening. well as a cakewalk at an
other time Two prizes are offered IN the cakewak
competlton and Tie children take the keenest m
terest In IT, Sut dancing is not the only form "'
entertainment crowded Nearly every evenins some
amusement ~ planned by the attendants There Is
always a magic lantern show. phonograIh concert
ana a mlrstrcI show. The children themselves on
one evening take d hand al the programme and
give an entertainment consisting OF sonss, James
and recitations-
During the dav their time taken UP with nu-
merous activities. Two field days are held. In which
the girls compete for prizes. The party is sepa-
rated into four divisions. and the winners receive
a watermelon. II be added that the children
Of a winning division BY their own choice never fail
"a divide the prize with the losers Then there are
penics on the beach and bathing and berrying. 1t
took 400 sandwiches and 200 eggs. besides many
Of her supplies to make the last picnic success
The girls started OFF al $50 IN the morning. spent
the day in the woods near the beach and returned
AZ $40 o'clock tired but having enjoyed the outing
to the utmost.
one of the greatest features Of the outing IS the
berry picking. The fields about the Home are th'cK
with blackberry and huckleberry bushes II IS
rare treat for the girls 10 hnd berries there to be
had only for the picking. and they spend much ot
tho time looking for them. They are the nrst
things TO be noticed about the Home. on one al
ternoon an Ice cream treat Is ~iEen "hich the
guests always look forward to with great snticipa-
tions The Ice cream and the chicken dinner on
Sunday are two very important parts in the vaca-
zion programme. IN the estimation Of the girls
Funice Home accommodates one hundred chlI-
dren IT is a large, roomy house. supplied with
running water and convenences which many sea
side cottages lack Shower baths and washrooms
are provided. The children rise at o'clock in the
morning and have breakfast about / The candy
store and postofice opened at and II nothing
planned
walk through WOODS. They return at n;5o
o'clock to allow ample time to get ready for din |
ner which is set for noon. In the afternoon they
road and play about the grounds until the bell
rings at 545 and half hour later they file in to
sumner In the evening some form of entertainment
e oIvays given and the girls retire about O'Clock
Durinp their play hours they are never allowed to
90 bevond the sound OF the bell which rings at
neal hours and the attendants are almost con |
stantly on hand to entertain them
Proba bly the most important personage at the |
Home is Elizabeth the colored cook, VINO with her
five assistants. sees to it that none OF her big
emily goes hungry For four years she has been
at the Home ..s., /
..,Deed does like It, suh,' she said IS comm |
an tour wears dat Use been to dis yere Home. l
dor. know what desc chillen 'ud 10 'thout their |
I.zabeth-"
"Do+ ItI snub nose ones NAH chile. alnt yo !
honey. Yo' oughter see that chile eaikeWalk mepbe
she doan step" .,... |
>. -. that the afternoon preceding the evening |
ot the cakeyak Elizabeth went to the matrc1 ana
asked for two OF the children
Mic. Conen" she said. "ah jes wants two o
dem chien."
..Wbat for?' inquired the matron
..,,ss ooin, TO give yo a surprise.
,r..ra mas nothing do but to let Elizabeth |
- her own way The night of the cakewak /
came The pavilion was merry with laughter ana
,.sio An attendant sat at the piano drumming
80, os ioud as possible the familiar strains OF "A
Georgia Camp Meeting and every couple was
do.nz it's hest win one OF the most TASTY cakes
tbst Elizabeth had baked The cali came
- a,,cls No 10 and out from behind the trees
oa-cbed the Goddess OF Liberty on the arm of
TTnoI. Sam A few flags carefully draped was all
,hat El,zabeth needed TO dress up winning team