Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-22
WAKOTA FARM
By THE Woman About Town"

pilgrimage the other day and found
not land flowing with milk and
honey,-but acres and acres Of Fair
fax County's best turned into play
ground and school and home for the
children of Virginia,-a home where
each child has quart of milk a
day, fresh eggs, and vegetables
grown right on their own farm.
The afternoon train will take you
to Clifton any day and it is not a
great walk along good roads to
Ivakota Farm. The road winds over
hills and between deep banks, turn
ing in between stone posts that mark
the boundary of the farm. Around
the rim of great bowl, where some
day the white buildings and the
green pine trees will be mirrored in
an artificial lake, are grouped the
farm buildings and dormitories.
The Woman About Town had
heard of Children's Homes before
and was inclined to be sceptlcal when
she drove into the yard. She eX-
pected to find an institutional at,
mosphere,-a combination of rigid
discipline, disinfectants and the smell
of stale cooking. What she found
when she arrived unanounced. was a
simple country home set in a flower
garden, presided over by quiet,
sweet voiced woman, who came to
meet the visitor with child tugglng
at each hand. Inside the house the
feeling of home grew stronger; the
lamps were being lighted and a
heavenly smell of supper was IN thu,
air. In the dining room plates and
mugs were being laid at small tables
and on each table was bunch OF
flowers from the garden. Upstairs
the older girls were undressing the
babies, bathing them and tucking
them into small white beds. The
Woman About Town was horribly
disappointed. Where was the ma
terial for sob story? This might
have been anybody's home,-thls
glow of soft lamplight and the dis
order of little clothes.
"Have YOU seen the baby chickens.
asked that quiet voice which seemed
the reason and explanation for the
tone of the whole house. Following
her crisp white skirts, The Woman
About Town received a third shock,
for who ever heard of baby chicks
in the country, in November? This
is the baby chicks house. explain>
ed the Matron; This is the way
their drinking water is kept warm;
here is the big lamp that heats their
house at night" And there at the
visitors feet were dozens OF baby
chicks, scratching in the straw litter
for their supper and peeping con-
tentedly to themselves. In the next
house were Leghorn pullets. smooth
and white in their nevS feathers,
ready to keep up the egg supply
through the cold winter months.
Over in the big barn there were
eighteen cows.-registered and tu-
berculin tested. There IS quart OF
milk to drink for everybody on the
farm. and milk for cooking and but
termaking. The little stone dairy IS
sweet and clean and great shining
mans of milk stand ready Tor the
Separator and the churn.
There arc eight Alexandria child
rem in Ivakota who have been there
for months. Just lately, four more
children were added to the NUMBER.
Their mother is an Alexandria Won
am, known by great many OF the
townsneople. She is a widow and
when tuberculosis developed, there
was no one to take care OF the cnild-
rem. The mother is in a sanltarlum'
receiving the proper treatment, "hlle
the children who would have been a
care to the city, are at the home IN
Ivakota--building up strong little
bodies forgetting in healthy play the
had times that have gone before.
The Woman About Town has
snq~estion to offer. If you want to
mate vour own Thanksgiving one
hundred per cent better than 1t mas
ever been before, remember the chll- :,,
dren,-Alexandria's Own, II you VIII,
when YOU prepare for your own
feast The school children are re-
membering the little ones at wax
ota With the sanction of the school
hoard thew are bringing in then
dimes and pennies and gifts OF food.
Tomorrow morning the platform IN
aach schoolroom will be heaped with
GOOD things for the Home. But Is
this @ enough? Will you be satisfied
# if' YOU have not had a part in this
nivinp? li iop 80 will your own Thanksgiyy,
inr not be happier If you help
brighten the day for these little ones
from T Your own city,-your neigh
bor's child? ;,
The day is past when we could could
sav Am | my brothers keeper.
Ws We have learned the Brotherhood OF Of
Man N a hey beyond any question o! or doubt s5
and and we dare not disregard it. Send
and dollar or an offering Of food for
e the eV children at Ivakota, to the Anne
Lee Lee Memorial Home, on North Far
fax street. It will be received giadl!
and m sent onto the home for the use
of our own city's children.