Year: 1866




made for them. The ladies of the State
were efficient to meet this demand, and
from various places furniture and beds
were provided for the different rooms.
Each society had its room by name, and
became intimately identified with the
Home. This is being continued at Da-
venport, and secures II higher order of
than the trustees would have
felt justified in obtaining, aud serves
very materially to place the cause at
that high standard which has been
sought rom the beginning. The Home
remained at Pennington about sixteen
months, during which time the number
of children increased to one hundred
and fifty. Such has been the rcmarka-
bic health of the children that no death
had occurred among them until this
time. She was u good Christian girl,
aged sixteen, who had been received at
the Home far gone with consumption,
and doomed to an early grave. She Was
tenderly cared for, and made comforta-
bic in her last days. Since then a little
boy died who had the pneumonia the
year before, and whose constitution
could not Withstand the second attack
are remarkably good ut the date Of this


=
good care and good medical attention.
1t is further in proof of Il great principle
which prevails everywhere in society,
either tavorably or untavOrably. 1t is
the inheritance Of physical constitution
and favorable in this instance as class.


Many OF these children came to the
Home well dressed, Of good manners,
and IL promising degree OI intelligence,
showing that they had been well raised
and before the desolatiOn of war came
had seen better days. This class of
mothers are among the best in the
country, and command our sincere re-
spect. They usually struggle TO keep
their children until means to do so ut
terly fails them, or until falling health
them that they must do
Then some of them for the
protection of health and life will ask for
this help. There are Others upon whom
disease Is preyiny, whose vision already
takes in the valley of death, and they
feel that there is no home for their little
ones bat this for orphans.


These mothers wisely consider the
best welfare Of their children, and to
this surrender the feeling OF tcnderest
ties in giving them up. 1t is fact of
great Importance with hem that the
Home is elevated above common charity
or pauperism, and made honorable in
being founded on Justice and equity in
the payment OF II debt, and meeting Il
solemn obligation To them. The char
acter of the Home and the patterns of
the true lady and gentleman are such
that without any detraction from this
early raising, these children will be led
on to sut II attainmenis rs wise and good
parents had designed for them. Where
as, but for this provision, many of them
would of necessity fall into mere menial
relations and TO the loss of father for
country would be added the most pain
ful detractions for II whole lifetime fol-
lowing. Others come who have been
without wholesome discipline. The rap
id Improvement OF these under the gov
brought to bear and the good
influences thOWn around them, is Won-
derfu! and encouraging. 1t is already
made to appear that the moral influence
and restraints will he far better than
this class ever would have felt in towns
and cities. There are others, and the
is larger than could have been
anticipated, who have been neglected
every way, with disease and degrada-
tion added to ahject poverty At this
point we find the adaptability OF our
group Oi buildings to this interest; sep
arate houses beingappropriated to oelasses
OF the neglected who ueed medical at
teBtion and appliances for cleanliness.
The class OF ladies now at the Home
would stand high rs teachers and pat
terms for the young, equal to any who
are fouHd in our best seminaries of
While these lead on the
more fortunate class of children, they
also reach down to the neglected and
raise them up. If u record could be
made of what these ladies have done i'm
and caring for this class 1f
orphans, il would astOnish very much
the people every where. This work
has consisted in combing, cleaning and
And this has been done
by ladies who could he indured to do it
only by the highest and purest of mo-
tives OF sympathy and Kindness. The
fact of much degradation proves more
plainly the necessity for this work
These children now possess the advan-
tages of Il real home for the first time.
In some cases the father left the newly
begun home, and never returned to
it. Deprived thus of their
natural protector. it would be both in
Justice aud ingratit,lde for us to permit
also deprivation of home. Indeed
this accrues to them in equity from the
and results of the enlist
ment of the father in the cause of his
In addition to these circum-
stances so adverse To respectabillty, q
few are rescued from associations of
vice which have been unfortunately
md strangely thrown around them. -
To the dying soldier no vision of an
inheritance to his child could have been
so bright as that Of virtue and morality.
The Home turns their feet from u course
of vice and wickedness which might
effect generations to come. Iowa de-
crees that in the coming time Of our
glory, no condition of corrupt
morals shall be traced to the lineage of
her soldiery. AT this point may he seen
the propriety of that high moral and
social character which Is given to the
Home. The trustees have secured in
It's associations the best influences of
RELIGION and morality, and gentlemen
md ladies familiar with the circles of
good society. The friends of the cause
bestow an attention of All elevating in
luencc upon it. The most worthy cit
zens visit there. When the children
arrived from FarmIngton it was early
la the morning and the ladies OF Daven
port had prepared them 81 breakfast. 1t
was served in the Clinton Chapel, where
the venerable Pastor was found early
with good fires and every preparation
TO receive them. These ladies are con-
stantly bestowing on the Home that
care a4,d attention which has an eleva-
Ting influence. In this respect the To-
.ality OF the Home could not he better.
The same applies at Cedar Falls. The
best elements OF the very best society
are made available for the highest well
fare of the Home. 1t is very worthy
that these children when they become
lReD and women shall he qualified for
society of the most worthy and intelIi-
gent character. Miss Elliott, the Grst
Matron, was amiable, intelligent. and
worthy representative of the United
church. Mrs. E. G.. Platt
her, and is lady OF good at
taiMnlents and Of high Christian charac-
ter--a member Of the Congregational
church. The Hon. J. a. ParviE was
the first Superintendent. The trustees
believed him well qualified for that po-.
-ition. His standing in his own county
and favorable acquaintance in the State
made it desirable to secure his personal
attention aad influence at the Home
After much dciiberation and earnest