New-York tribune., 1910-09-03
CHILDREN ARE GRATEFUL
Actions Speak Loudcr than
Words in Showing Feelings.
REVEAL AMUSING IGNORANCE
Attendants at Fresh Air Homes
Contribute Stories of Their
Little Guests.

Not one told me he had enjoyed our
hospitality immensely and that he could
not find words in which to express his ap-
preciation -
The words are taken from the bi-weekly
report OF an attendant at the Tribune Fresh
Air home at Ardsley. y. Y. and relate to
the behavior ar departure of the boys VINO
had been under his charge al that place
during their two weeks outing.
But the report continues:
Had they anv sense of gratitude? Ger
tainly if the stilted formal expressions of
convention are its only evidence. they had
not: but If long, lingering looks at the de-
serted swings; if eagerness shown to be
near teacher for the last few moments,
to grasp his hand 10 assure him they
would write as soon as they got home, and
ask if they might come again next year
If these things betoken gratitude, then these
little children were not lacking
Showing Their Appreciation.
4 little further on the report tells how
the children Just before leaving. fled
through the attendants room to get the
treasured bouquets which they we're to take
back to the city With them. Then follows
a typicalIy childish incident:
AS each little fellow picked out his bou-
quet he handed me-shall I say a token OF
gratitude? 1t may cause a smile when
say that the token was either a stick OF
candy saved from the DAY before. posta
card or a marble. One little fellow, being
minus candy. cards and marbles, dove into
his bag and brought out three mosquito
punks' which he sheepishly gave me-
The laugha BILE mistakes which their igno-
rance of the country and its appurtenances
causes the children to make are a peren-
NAL source of amusement to the attend
ants. One of the young women in charge
at Tenaffy, y. j., where Happy Land Is
relates several such instances
Yesterday morning I pointed out two
windmills whose wheels were turning quite
rapidly whereupon one little girl asked
Teacher. is that what makes it so cool out
here in the country
A few days later we were passing gar
den IN which there was a row of white bee
hives under a canopy of gra pc vines. when
a ten-year-od maid exclaimed soberly
Teacher, look at the chiIdren's cofins
What are they there for?
A Queer Sort of Puppy.
"On another occasion, while sitting out
in the grove a child shouted. oh. teacher
look quick and see the puppy running on
the fence" The puppy proved TO be a
very small chipmunk''
Another girl-this one at the Shepherd
Knapp Home. LitChfield. COnn.-insisted
that the redness of her arms and face
which was IN reality due to sunburn was
caused by the use of soap in washing
Evidently soap and she were new friends
If friends at all.
From the Eunice Home down on Sandy
Hook. comes the following Illuminating in
cident Of a first night at the home:
"One night after the lantern had been
removed from the dormitory a freely few
past the screen. A pair of bright eyes spied
ii. and in whisper the owner of them
asked the girl in the next bed what it was
A fire bug was the answer
Another child who had overheard the
whispered conversation was Immediately
all excitement and piped up:
% O-o-oll. where is it? never sawed one
in my life,
At this her older sister, who occupied q
nearby bed. sleepily admonished the one
who had never sawed e fire bug to keer
still. ye did so; ye saw one git arrested
down our street day before yesterday!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.