The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-10-21
HELPING OUR
OWN' CHILDREN
When We Assist, Through the Vermont
ChiIdren's Aid, the Unfortunate
Children of the State.

Anyone who has ever gone abou
from door to door soliciting funds 10
! a charitable organization knows thin
or two about human nature, that Ii
wouldn't have learned in any othe
Iway. One OF the revelations which com,
| to him is the wide spread prevalence
more or less openly expressed OF rea
lunwillingness on the part Of prosperous
lenergetic people to help those who are
weaker, poorer and more unfortunate
than they. Their attitude seems 10
them perfectly justifable, their argu
ments unanswerable.
| What can you say to well do
farmer who answers your request for
a little money TO help out the Chill.
dren's Aid society, by saying: "No
ma'am not a cent. don't believe in
pampering poor folks. It only makes
them lazy. The more you do for them
the more they want you to do. Why
should give my good money, that I've
worked had for, to help out that shift
less, do-less Emerton famiIys Jim Emer-
ton never did a real day work in his life
If he did, his children wouldn't be
ragged and pindling His wife's lazy,
good for nothing piece, Let her take
care Of her own ehildreni We do of
ours"
We all know that man, and his
hard working, competent, self-rightecus
wife, who, whatever she may say,
agrees perfectly with her husband He
probably lives just down the road from
your house. For all know he may live
right in your house and inside your
own skin. There Is some of him hidden
in almost all our hearts.
Well. let me tell you what happened
to the one whom happen to know per-
sonally, who lives In nearby town
After talking like that all his life, he
came to see me last year about some
poor children who had moved into his
district. and were attending the same
district school with his children. He
said: isn't there some society-secms
as though I'd heard YOU tell of one
that looks out for poor, miserable chill |
dren that their homes aren't fit to live |
inf Those Lawner kids are going to |
our school ind something's got to be |
done about IT. Their heads are full of |
you-knowv hat. and one of them has
got an awful queer looking sore place
on his neck, that might be catching
and they use the awfullest Language |
My wife + wild; she spends all her
time comhing out our little Martens
hair, and telling our Pete to stop using
bad words. And the teacher says
they're 50 behind in school, she can't do
anything with them. They Just spoil
her school. keep the Others back so.
That big lf.year-old bow j. only in the
bird grade. and he oughtn't 70 be with
hose little kids. Lord knows what dew
ltry he'll be teaching them behind thu
eacher's hack"
was unkind enough to answer him
n his own words: "Oh. let their folks
axe of theml Their mothers a iazy.
'ood for nothing piece Why doesn't
he clean them up, If their father was
ny good. bed look out for them. It'd
ust make them Iazier If society took
are Of the children"
There Is nothing Ike little first
anu tHiitHlA Win HITS NllfI EHtA Ef-
ect you personally, to open your eyes.
his man did not even recognize he
wn arguments. He answered indig-
antly: ~Their mothers got corsuuip.
ION, that's what's the matter with her
he can't take care Of them. she's sick
nd dumb. into the bargain. The chill
ren's father il dead It's her brother
hat lives with them. and he's the
nssedcst skunk. drunk half the time.
nd mean a. a mule The rest Of the
me. II We waited around till thns~
NO took care Of their family. I'd like
B know what would BECOME Of orr
hiidreni And the kids are all right.
sally. n anyboiyd clean err MP and
zach EN- something Their father had
good enough head-piece. and the
sacber says tbr children are bright (
noueh. naturally They haven't had
ny chance. that's ali And the way
sey'rr growing up-why SIS rot anly
IRE to -end them o. tire devil. hl,
leyre likely 10 drag along any ri5iL
~ knows theu- Why. gcei Yea
mt realize such q family il sny iis-
-ict-it's Inst as thouEh they had ~