New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-09
rs Little Girls Enjoy Three
Weeks Outing in
Country
Aided by Mountain Air
Grow Plump and Brown and
Gain Better Control of
Distorted Limbs
A vacation without play!

a vacation without play!
At least, it's a vacation without
romping, physical play. But it's
happy vacation withal, although the
vacationers are children. You will
understand why it is rompless out
ing when you know that the young
sters are seventy-fve little lassies in
plaster casts, in braces and on crutches,
who are being given three weeks of the
country at the Devereux Home Of the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund, at Deposit,
n. Y.
All but two of the seventy-five are
too distorted in body and too loaded
down with the appliances of corrective
surgery to romp. Some of them cannot
even hobble about without the assist
ance of the attendants OF the home.
A Happy Lot of Children
They are a pitiful crowd. To one
not acquainted with them 1t would
seem as though they could get little
fun out of life-as though they ought
TO be a sour tempered, disgruntled lot.
On the contrary, the matron OF the
home, who has spent years IN the care
of children, declares them to be the
best natured lot of girlss she has ever
had TO do with.
Their vacation is changing them, too.
1t is putting new vigor into their blood
and making possible for them things
which were impossible when they ar
rived at the home. During the hrst
n
youngsters ate little and wanted to lie
down to rest at frequent intervals each
day.
The mountain air soon gave edge TO
their appetites, however. Now the
seventy-fve consume-as the mere in
cidentals of a meal-forty quarts of
milk and twenty-five loaves of bread,
the viands which form the heart OF the
meal not being neglected meanwhile.
And as the youngsters grow plump
and brown-they are doing that-their
energy increases; they seem to regain
better control of distorted limbs and
atrophied muscles. The amount of
living down to rest that was necessary
has steadily decreased from day to day,
until yesterday not child took advan-
tage of the opportunities that offered
in this line.
There is also a positive side to this
rehabilitation. At the time of their
arrival in Deposit the children were
unable-or felt themselves to be-to
walk any distance. But within the last
few days they have taken to exploring
the country around Deyereux Home IN
all directions.
Walk to the Circus
One day they walked across the VIII
lage to the circus, a generous manage
ment having invited them as guests of
honor. Another day, on a berry PICK
ing expedition, they struggled more
than a mile down the road, and got
back without undue fatigue. And they
have begged TO be taken to-day TO
beach half a mile up the river TO battle
and wade.
This party of girls is TO get the bet
ter part of week more at Devereux
Home. 1t will then be followed by an
other party of children of the same
type. The Tribune Fund is making an
effort to provide an outing of three
weeks for each child in the classes for
cripples in the city schools whose par
ents are not able to give it country
vacation. -,
This afternoon the fund will send
out a party of fifty girls for its home
st Tenafy, N. j. Tomorrow a party
of $50 BOYS will be sent to the Shep-
herd Knapp Home.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TRIBUNE FRESH
AIR FUND