The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-26

l Wherever there ,ts large tamily among the poor-and the largest fami- lies are usually found where the people are poorest--there Is always little girl with a younger brother or sister 1 in her arms, and others holding to her skirts. This is the little mother.
 She is usually the oldest child. and be- cause the other children came so fast necessarily pushing her further from 1 independence of her own. she has had no babyhood and no childhood. As soon as her arms were found strong enough to encircle a baby. the children of the ever-growfng family have been given into her keeping, while the moth- became a wage-earner in the working world. A child without any of the priv ileees of childhood and all the respon l abilities of motherhood-thati is what the little mother really is. Like the | older sister in Japan. she has the baby | of the family theoretically, if not liter ally. bound to her person. For the past quarter century philan- thropic people have been trying to find means of helping the little mothers They know that they cannot restore to 1 the tired little women the btrthright of happiness. freedom. and time for play that is the rightful inheritance of each child. but they can make their lives more endurable. and the monoto- nous daily duties more attractive For this helpful purpose a body of kindly New York women organized the Little Mothers Aid Association" nine- teen years ago, and in that time they have brought happiness and helpful ness to hundreds of these patient lit- tie girls. The object of the association specifically stated Is ito promote the welfare of the little daughters of wage | earning mothers" and this good inten- k.A tn atAvx 1f cial. industrial and physical training l that argues for better standard of living in the tenements where 1t is practiced.
 The association has houses in the congested parts of the city open tu these girls and they bear such names as Happy Day House." Pleasant Place" and Sunny Side" The kindly women had looked from the windows of the elevated trains and had seen the little mothers toiling up long, dir ty stairways--the babies ever in their tired little arms. They had seen them thread their way through courtyards filled with unkempt. Quarrelling chill dren. They had seen into the dark rooms where the children must eat and sleep, and where disorder reigned supreme. They had seen the ragged, cast-off clothes that constituted the | average little mothers wardrobe. and had caught giimpses of the unwhole- some food they served their small charges. They saw imcompetency. III health. ignorance and immortality star ing these children constantly in the face. as they groped their way unguid- ed through the big world. They saw chance to do good and they are do. Ing It.
 Four houses are now open for the use of these little mothers and their charges. If under fourteen the little mothers must 20 to school. for the law so states. though their parents often try to have them evade the law. So every morning of the school days the little mothers bring the babies and younger brothers and sisters under school age to these neighborhood hous- es and place them in the day nurser- les maintained them. After school they stop in and rest. or take cook tns or sewing lesson and then take their little charges home. On Satur- days, and in the summer time. they may attend classes in sewing, cooking. nursing. lsundry-work, singing. calls thenics. or some simple English branch.
 Since the association cannot relieve these overworked little girls of their heavy burden. they are teaching them to bear it in the best possible way. They are taught to market intelligent ly with the small pittance that is al- lowed for the family support. selecting the best and most nourishing food They are then taught to cook this food in the best manner and serve it as at tractively as possible. The association furnishes certain simple provisions daily at the class rooms and when the girls have been taught to cook this they serve it and eat 1t. getting one good meal a day. anyway, and learn ing valuable lesson. They take turns at being cook, hostess and guest. and good manners are acquired. When each little student has finished a pres cribed course in the cooking class. she Is given a very imposing looking card on which are listed the things she can cook and the matron signs the card. which the child hangs proudly in her own home. Then she demon strates before her parents her ability to bake bread of several kinds. and cook meats buildings, soups and veg etables in wholesome fashion. be- sides the meals which they had cooked. the little mothers received 26.55O not lunches last year.
 The little mothers have usually been clad in the cast clothes that their mothers picked up somewhere. Alter few visits to the association houses they begin to want to HOOK a Htlie pet
 ter and from the material donated they soon learn to make their own clothes. When they have learned to mend and make over the clothes for their little charges, they are given other imposing certificates. duly sign ed, and attesting to the important fact that they have perfected a course in running, back stitching, over-handing. hemming. patching. alarming. feather stitching, button-hole making etc. -----=.---============-=----..=----