Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-06
TUE CHURCH HOME oRPHANAeE

organ of the Episcopal churcn IN ooutn
Carolina. has the following from Mary
n Gadsden, Deaconess, about the
Church Home orphanage, being estap-
iished in Yorkville:
Dear Children: Perhaps you nave
heard something Of the new home tne
children are to have in Yorkville' and
1 am sure you will be glad to hear more
about It. When letters are written 70
grown-up people children never neai
what Is In them; so that Is why tnls
month 7 am going to write you ietle,
and ask the grown-up people 10 reao
every word of 1t to you at nome ar anu
in Sunday school. II 1t begins dear
children." they can't keep 1t all to
themselves, can they?
For a long time we have been over
crowded here. This all the groWn-up
people knew: but you are only JUST
now hearing of 1t, and ! want you 20
get together and help us to exchange
This small house with few children
for a large house with more children.
Here only when q large boy or girl
left us or another home was found ior
a little one, could we take IN cniio, !,
and sometimes there have been three
children outside who needed the one
little bed Just left vacant.
A long waiting list Is always on my
desk, and 1t is very, very sad when
there Is not even one vacant Ded. MOTE
than half of those on the list are boys
and there is no more room on the
boys floor. When asked to take q poy
I have had sometimes to say. "There
is no place to put him but In the natn
tub!"
we have only found beds Tor two giris
and one boy. 1T looks as IL those VINO
come next week must sleep In the
empty trunks in the packing room. as
we haven't beds for more than forty
children.
Now. listen to this, children: In the
new place we can easily take one nun
dred children! Does 1t not make you
feel glad to think that so many home
less, uncared for and untaught children
will soon have a home open to themg
I have heard that one man In York
Vile has been looking at that great.
empty building for many years and
wondering what good use could De
made of It. How glad his heart Will be
when he sees happy, healthy children
filling all those empty rooms! ;,
I have just shown you how there is
no room for the boys In this mouse,
but the truth Is there Is no room Tor
them even in the yard! Worse STILL
there Is nothing for them to do, INDOORS
or outdoors!
Our BOYS go to school but three
hours and that Is distasteful to them,
and only one Of our fifteen would hold
a book in his hands II. he could possi-
bly have something else In them
And here the games that boys love
are impossible. You can't play ball
with girls and baby boys and girls
under your feet, you know. There is
only one tree to climb, and 1t is no FUN
to climb that one, any way. Perhaps
YOU boys in the country think these
bows ought to be glad to be In the city.
But where Is the fun II you can't see
the parades, nor the fire engines, nor
even the automobiles and hand organ
and monkeys on account OF a hign
fence. too high to see over and which
YOU are forbidden to climb? That waH
the boys blame for the fact that they
are all smaller than boys outside! f.
Listen to this, boys and girls, and l
am sure you will be sorry that tnls
home for children was not moved TO a
better location long ago.
We are so near livery stables ana
low class shops the rule Is that no
how can 20 outside the gates-which
are never locked-without mourning
the penalty of wearing dresses for
twenty-four hours!
TO our boys credit 1t must be said
that only three boys in three years have
worn the detested dresses.
Around the home in Yorkville there
are tWenty-seven acres and pine
woods. or course there will be ball
ground: and one of the Charleston
trustees-a West Point man-has
promised some real army tents for
camp in the woods!
Something to carry the girls to and
from the public school is rather neces-
sary, so the boys are hoping for a DON
key to drive. ,
Although these boys do not like to
work their minds they do not object
to working with their hands. They
are proud Of knowing how to milk, and
they would like to have a garden TO
plant and chickens to feed and care
for. Where we are going those boys
who are old enough will work with the
farmer. Even the girls will have gar
dens and chickens Of their own, for
successful poultry raiser has promised
to come up and start our poultry farm.
Does not all this paint happier fu-
ture for the children?
Children, 1t Is all in the future, and
none Of 1t can be realized unless ev-
erybody helps to bring 1t about-you,
children, as we'll as the grown people.
We cannot give one Of those waiting
children a homie unless Sunday
school, guild or some one gives us the
money. We are supporting forty chill
dren now and we can take no more
unless we have food and clothes for
them. Guilds and circles which have
always kept our usual number clothed
are now offering to send clothes for an
extra number. Whereas few parishes
only have formerly worked for this
there are now thirty-five
parish committees at work to help In
fitting up our future home.
What are the Sunday schools going
to do?
We have only five Sunday schools
that give US the support or half support
Of child, and there are in South Car
olina about sixty church Sunday
schools. If each of these pledges the
support or half support Of child the
doors could be open to thirty or sixty
uncared for and untaught
now waiting.
What does it cost to feed one more
child?" I hope I hear every one eager
to ask.
am going to write 1t down clearly
so that you can see how little 1t takes
to give some child what you have-a