The Washington herald., 1912-04-29
HUNDREDS OF GIRLS
LONGING FOR DOLLS
With Never a One Which They
Could Call Their Own.
RE FRANoEs sHAFFFR.

Shortly before Easter there was a
strange appeal in New York newspa-
per, made by the general secretary OF
the Prison Association of New York.
It was for 800 dolls.
THE secretary had just returned from
q visit to an up State" Institution for
the care and training of dependent and
delinquent girls sixteen years Of age and
under. and while there the superintendent,
a woman. told him that above anything
else in the world most of the girls want
ed dolls
He gladly promised to make the appeal
and to have the association distribute the
coveted gifts If the New York public
would respond in generous numbers. He
hoped 20 be able to forward the dolls
as Easter gifts. and agreed TO distribute
any excess in numbers to other dolless
institutions. How II went / never learn
ed. but because Of the natural train of
thought in the backgrnund Of that appeal
IL seems that Il ought 10 have been sent
out. in kind, IN behalf of every lnstitu-
ton in the country where there are girls
and no dolls.
GirIfSh Longing.
There is something sadly incongruous
in the idea Of associating delinquency
and girlish longing for dolls. and sure
ly the trouble must have been with con-
ditions at the start. for there cannot be
anything very bad in the little girl heart |
when it still yearns FOR dolls.
And it certainly emphasizes that in city |
and state Institutions where girls. and |
boys are cared for, IL is Of exceeding i'm |
portance that at the head there should |
be men or women, as it hapepns, who |
know just what it Is that their young |
charges want more than anything else in |
the world. Because there is always a ]
fringe of big-heaTted folks ready to step
in when there is an appeal to the heart |
II is often only matter Of arousing in |
terest and Of letting the public know |
just what Is the greatest lack in the life /
Of little ones or big ones who need re-
straint, guidance, or just ordinary care.
Surely in the great State Of New York |
there are women a-plenty with wealth !
Of time, money, and kindly interest. and /
there is something pathetic in the neces-
sity for sending out an appeal for 800 |
dolls And doubtless there are other in
stitutions in other States where the |
need is just as great
Yet there is pretty close kinship be-
tween heart-needs, real childish longings, |
and development along lines that will /
make for the good and the true For,
you know, It is mighty hard to be shut
away from the pleasures and delights OF /
and strong like the little ones who know
nothing but sunshine and joyousness.
A Kindly Work.
In a State penal institution some one
let it be known that one Of the needs
Of the men, for long periods shut away
from personal liberty, was calendars, to
keep track OF the days as they went by. |
It was not public appeal. but one wom-
an took up the modest request, passed I
it along to another, then to third, and
started the making, begging. and buying
of calendars. That was five years ago.
The kindly work has been kept up ever
since, and this year. through their COM
bined efforts, hundreds of calendars
found their way to prison cells.
1t is rather an inconspicuous service,
yet when one knows how some prisoners
try to decorate their prison homes and
the use they make of calendars, it is
worth a bit of effort.
And If I were in charge of an inSti-