Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-15
THE FATHERLESS
CHILDREN OF FRANCE

J
the results are at present Of the
three months work since the Port
land committee Of The Fatheriess
| Children Of France was formed in
that city early in February. con-
sistng Of Miss Isabel b. Hay, chair
man: Harry Butler, treasurer; MISS
| Maria \. Rogers, secretary MISS
Grace A. Hobart. Miss Hannah
Woodman and Miss Margaret foigef,
corresponding secretaries in French;
Hon. Charles A. Strout, president OF
the Alliance Franchise; Mrs. Will
liam NJ. Ingraham, Mrs. Rufus Hor-
ton Jones. Miss Maud Washburn,
Mrs. James II. Craven and Miss
Constance Emery.
Today PIG children are subscribed
for on the Portland list alone, while
Bangor has organized a committee
of it's own and at last report had
I13S children adopted. OF the 2lo on
the Portland list 143 are in Port
land, 81 in Augusta, Il IN " iScas-
SET. IS in Lewiston and Auburn,
in Bethel one each in Watervllle,
Saco. Livermore and Somersworth,
~ H.
The majority 1SS, have been
adoptcd by individuals but many
clubs have joined the ranks OF god
parents, clubs of widely varying
character, as the Rotary Club OF
Augusta. the Girl Scouts Of Wi@cas-
set Daughters of the Covenant OF
st. Lawrence church and urinary
department of the same; clerks Oh
1.-The label room of the Needlecra1t
I Publishing Co. Of Augusta; lodges OF
Todd Fellows, Masons, and Red Men,
land the Fire Society Of Y iscasset,
the Claiming Guild, and st. Mary's
Charitable Society of Augusta, and
several social clubs.
We shall continue TO befriend in
dividually these numberless little
people of France, that country which
as Major Grayson NJ. +. Murphy
saws, has suffered as no other coun-
try in the history of the world has
ever suffered, unless it is q country
overrun like Serbia.
The thousands of homeless repa
ltriated children of the devastated
areas are cared for in public homes
by the Red Cross and organizations
cooperating with it. 1t is the re-
naming homes that must be pre-
served for Frances resurrection and
the children kept in them; children
who are now among the workers
Of France at ages at which we
should not want to see our children
working. If you had been in France
/ az | have" he says, and seen the
little children, little bits of tots, four
and five years old, driving in the
herds at night, seen the little boys
coming down the road-little bits O.:
! tots--with their arms full of tagOts
that they were accommodating against
the winter. if you had seen these
things YOU would realize as YOU do
not realize now"
The following letter Just received
from a child adopted in January by
one of the committee tells an all too
common story:
Mademoiselle: Je ne veuE pas
tarder plus longtemps sans venir
vous remercicr de la bonte que vous
aVeZ de yOuS OCcuper ue nous, Or
phelins de la guerre.
Cest une orpheline de 10 ans qui
vous est tres reconnaissance ct qui
Sc fait IN devoir de vous renseigner
un peu sur sa situation.
Partie de Meurthe- ct Moselle Ell
Aout 1914 avec mes quartres frores
ct soeurs, ct ma grandmere, je lalssai
dams notre village, trontiere de Bel
Eique, papa, maTnan ct mon trere de
10 mois. Cest St. Julien, GU nous
sonmes encore actuellement que
nous avons echoues.
Maman, apres avoir vecu pendant
sept mois avec les allemands nous
apprit que papa await etc tue par
lies allemands dc jour GU nous etions
parts.
Mademoiselle, CONNIE vous etes
assez bonnie de m'avoir prise sous
yotre protection, je vous renouvelle
mes remerciements ct mes mellleurs
sentiments de reconnaissance.
MARTHE AGNES.
I will not put off longer thanking
Won for the kindness you have shown
TO US. orphans of the war.
It is an orphan of 10 years who is
very grateful to YOU and will try to
toll YOU a little of her situation.
Leaving Meurtheet- Moselle in Au-
gust. 1914, with my four brothers and