New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-22
800 TO SEEK FRESH AIR
Little Folk Will Be Entertained
as Guests in Country Homes.
RESULTS IN ONE CASE
Home Regenerated by Cir,
Who Learned Word Mean
ing in That Way.

|
week 800 children will be sent out BY the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund to become guests
In the homes Of country hosts for fort
night or more.
The signlhcsnc nee which may attach 10
| this fact was pointed out the other day
by deaconess of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. She had just watched four
coachloads of cheering youngsters start
! for their country outings Among them
we're large number OF children from thu
church TO which she is assigned. and
whose preparation for their trip she had
/ personally overseen.
As the train disappeared from sigh;
| she exclaimed to a Tribune representa-
| dive. who had watched the departure of
| the party: I'm so glad my children arc
going TO be entertained in private
ZONES" Continuing. the deaconess OK
| planned at some length the reasons for
her satisfaction.
"You cannot realize" she said, unless
| you have actually worked among the
poor. what 1t will mean TO these chill
| dren TO live for two weeks in real
home. The poor who live in the tenement
houses have no home life worthy Of the
name. BY this | do not mean simply
that their surroundings are poor and
their quarters miserable.
"The members of q family are rarely
together. The children spend all of their
time In the streets, unless compelled to
remain in the house TO work. The elder
members. except the mother, Dnd moth
ing TO attract them at home and spem"
their time outside when not at work
Even for meals the whole family usually
does not come together. There is, natu-
rally. no such thing as family circle
at evening.
"One of my girls. two or three years
ago. came from a home where such con-
ditions existed. There were In the FAM
lily, besides the mother and the father, an
older brother and sister and younger
brother and sister.
"As a matter OF personal knowledge.
know that the seven members of the fam
lily had not eaten meal together In sew
cral years-they could not. as the entire
family stock Of knives and forks consist
ed of only three Of each.
THE children had never seen a table
cloth on their own table and probably
never on any other The girl 7 have In
mind did not know the use OF napkin
Sheets and pillow slips were unknown IN
the home.
Three years ago, II ! am not mis-
taken, .Elizabeth--the sirl--was\ sent with
a Tribune Fresh Air party 10 one or the
villages in the central part OF New York
State. and was entertained I'm the family
of a well-to-do farmer. 1t was her first
experience away from home and her hrS'
glimpse OF what home life ought TO be
"She learned lot OF things. but was
especially impressed by the fact that the
family always ate together. and that they
sought opportunities 20 be together As
she put II TO me when she got BACK
Teacher. everybody waited for breakfast
until they was all there, and they all SAID
Good morning" TO each other. And they
didn't need no company. they could al
ways have n good time BY themselves, es-
pecially after supper at nights
Elizabeth was, thirteen al the time
The next year she went 10 work I'm
rnediately she began 30 surprise the fam
ily. With the money which she was al
lowed 10 keep out Of her weekly earnings
she began little by little to carry out
some ideas which she had acduhei dur
Ing her stay In the country. Among the
first sof her purchases were some knives
and forks.
The family were surprised At the ap.
pearance Of these. but more so al the sug.
gestion made al the same time that there
after the family take it's meals together.
The girl gained her point
After this she saved her earnings
until she was able to procure some table
cloths, then some napkins and one By one
other things which she had learned OF at
her country hosts.
"One night she suggested 10 her brothers
and sisters that they have a family party
instead Of going out. She got their con-
sent By telling them how her country
friends were In the habit OF amusing
themselves when at home together The
venture was success, and n was q
simple matter for her 10 persuade them
10 repeat the attempt.
soon the other members Of the fam
lily began to wake up 10 the possibilities
of family life. and bolder projects In the
reform OF the home were attempted ard
carried through. The result was that
within two years OF Elizabeth's country
visit the home and the family had under
gone complete change.
To-day the family and Elizabeth de-
clare that the change was inspired en-
tirely by glimpses Of life which Fresh
Air outing brought TO the girl
That's the reason ! am glad my little
proteges are going 10 be entertained by
the kind hearted farmers and townspeo-
pie OF the country. And said the dea-
coness, do you know that the Fresh Air
outing Is almost the only practical way
we have OF opening the eyes Of our poor
little children 10 the right kind Of home
life? Preaching-telling them about what
they ought TO do-does little good Here
the right thing appears TO them as a
plea sure, and they learn to Ike and adj
mlre IL unconsciously.
"Do you wonder that am glad to
send the tots for whom I'm working away
10 the country I'm this way? T'hv. they
win never he the same children again.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dr. William II. Nichols. ........... SIS 90
Primary department Of the North
Avenue Presbyterian Bible School
OF New Rochelle. ~ y .......... = II
. NJ Z =