New-York tribune., 1909-07-17
MAGGIE'S BIT O. SKY
The Fund Is Sending A7oay Many
7cith Such Limited Horizons.

In the kindergarten of a city mission num-
Der Of little girls were seated around the teacher.
they were playing game in which each OF the
children In turn described object in nature for
the others to guess. Limited indeed was their ex-
perience with natural objects. and the best one
child could do was to describe geranium which
grew in tomato at her mothers window 1T
is red all like fire. she said enthusiastically An
other with much prompting from the teacher, man
aged to give few prominent traits of the godhsh
IN the kindergarten aquarium.
Then it came Maggfe's turn. She needed no as
sistance. With glistening eyes she exctedly told
about something she almost. every day. q" love-
W high and blue, and big our back yard
All were silent for moment This seemed to be
the hardest Of all.
The river" guessed one.
NO replied Maggie
THE fog,' ventured another. But both
wrong.
It's the sky declared Maggie. Il love the sky"
She said Every morning look out OF the windo"
to see the tiny strip of blue way up above the
roofs of the houses Sometimes it's gray, and 1
know then that it's going to rain. On hot nights
we sleep on the fire escape, and watch the
sky. It's all black and sparkly then. 1 sometimes
try to count the stars, but there many of
them always fall asleep before get through"
Maggies view Of the sky was bounded by the
courtyard Of the tenement in which she lived Lit
tie did she know Of the boundess heritage which
was hers. She at least that her sky just
as DIG as Jhe olngineSS and SQuaIor below IT. soon
she will know sky which is bounded only by dis
tant mountains and lofty trees where the view
stretches from horizon to horizon over fields Of
nOdding daisies and bUttercups.
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund sent out 16S children
yesterday. In the morning fifteen girls and eight
boys went TO Watertown, Conn., and ffty-two chill
dren from Christ1Church were sent to ST. Heen's
Home. The number visiting at Ashford Hill
Increased by ffty-nine girls Twenty-Five girls were
sent from the Brooklyn Childrens Aid Society to
Stepney, Conn. and party of twelve went to
Hyde Park, n. Y. Parties returned yesterday from
Delhi, Interaken, Utica, Schenectady and Water
town. N. Y.
Two noteworthy characteristics of the children at
the Fresh Air homes fail to attract the atten
ton of the attendants. Their patience and courtesy
ara remarked upon frequently. They appear to be
exceptionally loyal and thoughtful concerning their
families, whom they left behind in the city. Very
rarely do they exhibit any selfish traits
''Oh, if my mother could only be here is re-
mark made time and again.
Recently a party Of little girls were out walking,
and as they passed pretty country home little
girl was heard to remark:
/ wish l was a bird and could change myself
back into a girl. I'd fly into a bank and grab all
the 500 bills that could in my claws and then
I'd buy house like this and bring my mamma
and papa and Bobby here TO live
The boys do not receive the attention which is
given the girls by those who making contribu-
lions of clothing One attendant writes:
It seems to me that every one thinks of the girls
and no; of the boys. I wish that might have
some cheap trousers for boys. There many
boys here between the ages Of six and twelve years
who are badly in need of clothing. any trousers
sent in would be such a help in getting party of
them ready to go home. Just cheap linen ones
would suit especially.
There is a tendency to believe that the boys are
more noisy and boisterCus than the girls, and
sequenuy they are harder to take Of But it
is generally found to be true that the boys are
gentlemanly ard obedient- Many of them need
the fresh air as badly the girls AS far a 5
the moral influence of the work goes a great ou-
portunity for good is presented which should be
more generally embraced.