Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-11
A CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN'

|
A CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN.
| Now that the season OF GOOD choer
is upon US and our hcart-strings ana
purse-strings are more accessible imam
at other times, we must not forget the
children An unusual opportunity 10
serve them presents itself this year BY
being more liberal than ever we can rem
der them a lasting service ana MAKE
ourselves co-partners in a splendid WORK
The family of the late Governor Flet-
cher u. Proctor in recognition OF inc
| interest which he had in the home lor
| Destitute Children, and to carry out MS
unfulnled intention, AZ" going to give
twenty-five thousand dollars to extend
its work provided that before tn" nrst
Of January the home shall nave raised
an equal amount. ON the first day Of
December all but five thousand dollars
of this necessary amount had been
raised At present We are Informed that
three thousand five hundred dollars re-
mains to be contributed People from all
parts of Vermont and some native Yer
monters from outside the State have
contributed to this sum Il would be
shame to be 50 near and yet not succeed
The home needs the money. Every day
II IS being called upon to do more than
IT can Every day with the funds at its
disposal it is doing a fine and lasting
work.
There are men and women all over the
country to-day who received their chance
in life from the Home for Destitute Chill
dren. The home takes unfortunate chi1-
dren and keeps them in comfortable, good
surroundings until a good home AN be
found for them Even a--er they have
been placed in families, the authorities
of the home watch over them Some GILL
drcn remain in the institution until they
reach maturity. At the home they are
given a plain, sensible bringing up, and
enabled to obtain as much education as
they show aptitude for.
a work like this which serves children
and saves them. and gives them chance
in life is almost impossible to estimate
in it's results. No man can tell what
those children might become without the
advantages which the home gives them
No one can tell what possibilities are
hidden in any one of these little ones.
At the present stage of science the ten
dency is to attribute mare importance to
environment as an influence upon life
than to heredity
The funds which the home is campaign
ing to obtain would be added to the per
manent fund, the interest of which is
used to carry on the work The work OF
this fund was planned and started about
half a century ago by no less a man
than George +. Edmunds, who gave lib
orally Of his time and energy to make
the Institution the model of sane sound
philanthropy which it has been.
The fact that Vermont's great states
man, Senator Edmunds, fathered this
good work and that Fletcher D. Proctor.
the man who stands in the minds of
most Vermontcrs as the wsest construc-
tive force we have had in recent years
gave it his approval and interest should
attest sufficiently to its sterling charac-
ter This also tends to show how dis
tinctively a state institution IT is
1t will also be remembered that when
ne discontinued the governors ball last
year. Governor Fletcher gave one thou
sand dollars Of the money which the ball
would havs cost him to this fund which
!s now nearing completion.
1t is good, old custofc which makes
this the season of giving Along with al
the other gifts. every mar viii be better
and feel better II he gives according to
his ability TO his better nature and the
bettermcnt of humanity. Hore is a
chance. Tho remaining money must be
raised Va gift is too small Let us
round out the Chr.Stmas season by en-
abling this good old institution to do q
bigger work Contributions may be sent
10 Mrs. l.. Il. Plat,