stitution. During 1874, a total of 1,888 persons were cared for in the home, to a greater or less extent, some needing only a meal, others a night's lodging, while others remained for days and weeks. No hungry or homeless person is ever sent away from the doors of this house. The day-nursery of infants is a special feature of the St. Barnabas House designed to meet the wants of mothers who are obliged to labor at day's work, and are glad to pay a small sum for the care of their infants during the day. During 1874, 105 infants were kept in the nursery. The home also furnishes an asylum for about 30 orphaned children, all there is room for. These are given the rudiments of an education, in a Sisters in the home, and as occasion offers are placed in good families. A reading-room connected with the home offers its attractions and means of improvement to young men and boys who would otherwise be pursuing their education on the street. school kept by the A paper issued by it in April, 1874, says respecting it: "The St. Barnabas House, 304 to 308 Mulberry street, has reached its limit of possibility in the way of accommodation. During the past season as many as 69 have lodged in one night in the 49 single beds. Throughout the year 19,221 lodgings and 94,358 meals have been furnished to people of all nationalities, colors, and religions, being 1,208 lodgings and 12,716 meals more than the previous year. Sixteen homeless children make part of our permanent family. The day-nursery receives each morning, from women going out to day's work, forty chil dren, who are washed, fed, and taught, and returned at evening to their parents. It is proposed, leaving 304 Mulberry street as at present, to take down the small and old building on 306, and erect in its place a five-story building 30 by 80 feet. By this means, not only will additional accom. modations be furnished for the present work, but No. 308 will be set free to be used in the autumn as a lodging-house and bureau of employment for men. The proposed building will cost $25,000. It will be commenced as soon as $10,000 shall have been received for the purpose. HOUSE AND SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY, 120 WEST SIXTEENTH STREET, NEW YORK. The primary design of this institution is to afford to infirm and des titute women employment in needlework, at such a rate of remuneration as may enable them to exist. This employment is given, according to circumstances, either at the residences of the applicants or at the house, where also instruction in sewing is given to such as need it. The aid of the institution is afforded, without regard to religious de nomination, to such applicants as are found by the visitors of the house to be in greatest need of it. A sewing-school for the young also is maintained, open twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and an infant industrial school, where poor neglected children are made com fortable by baths, decent clothing, and food, and taught in the elements of common-school-instruction. For the ability to sustain this branch of their work the institution expresses indebtedness to Mr. Charles L. Brace, secretary of the Children's Aid Society. Owing to the great financial difficulties of the country, the year 1874 was not a prosperous one for the business of this house. Thus the sales of the great variety of garments and articles for househould-use which are made by the women, and with which our store is stocked, are greatly affected. In ordinary times large numbers of shirts are purchased from us by mechanics, and their families supply themselves with coarse garments at prices very little above cost. Some articles of clothing are sold for seventy-five cents, the cost and making of which amount to sixtyfive cents. Others are sold much below cost, in order that the women may have good prices for their work. A SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN Was organized in the city of New York in December, 1874. The officers consist of a president, ten vice-presidents, fifteen in the board of managers, a treasurer, a counsel, and a secretary. At their first meeting the following circular was prepared : "Object of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. "This is the society for the prevention of cruelty to children. "There already exist in this city and in various parts of this State many excellent societies and institutions, some as charitable corporations and others as State-reformatories and asylums, for receiving and caring for little children. Among these in our own city may be noted the Children's Aid Society, the Home for the Friendless, the New York Infant Asylum, the Institution for Homeless Children, the Society for the Protection of Destitute Children, the Association for the Relief of Girls, the New York Catholic Protectory, St. Stephen's Home for Destitute Children; and, in addition, each religious denomination has more or less asylums, reformatories, hospitals, and like institutions devoted to the moral and physical culture of helpless children. "All these and the like existing societies which are employed in this grand and truly noble work assume the care and control of their inmates only after they are legally placed in their custody. It is not within their province to seek out and to rescue from the dens and slums of the city those little unfortunates whose childish lives are rendered miserable by the constant abuse and cruelties practiced on them by the human brutes who happen to possess the custody or control of them. This work the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children undertakes and proposes to carry out. "Ample laws have been passed by the legislature of this State for the protection of, and prevention of cruelty to, little children. The trouble seems to be that it is nobody's business to enforce them. The societies and institutions referred to have as much as, nay, more than, they can attend to in providing for those intrusted to their care. The police and prosecuting officers of the people are necessarily engrossed in securing the conviction and punishment of offenders of a graver legal stripe, and, although ready to aid in enforcing the laws referred to when duly called on so to do, can hardly be expected to seek out and prosecute those who claim the right to ill-treat children over whom they have an apparent legal control. "Hence the child-beaters live in comparative security. Hence the children, hardened by brutality and cruelty, grow up to be men and women scarcely less hardened than their tyrants. The men swell the ranks of the "dangerous classes" which imperil the public peace and security, and the women are lost, body and soul, often before they are women in age and maturity. "The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children proposes to enforce, by lawful means and with energy, the laws referred to, and to secure, in like manner, the prompt conviction and punishment of every violator of any of those laws; not vindictively, not to gain public applause, but to convince those who cruelly ill-treat and shamefully neglect little children that the time has passed when this can be longer done, in this State at least, with impunity. "And, lastly, this society, so far from interfering with the numerous societies and institutions already existing and before referred to, is intended to aid them in their noble work. It proposes to labor in the interest of no one religious denomination, and to keep entirely free from political influences of every kind. Its duties towards the children whom it may rescue will be discharged when the future custody of them is decided by the courts of justice; and the laws of this State contain ample provisions on that subject and vest that duty and responsibility in the hands of the judiciary. "NEW YORK, December 15, 1874." "JOHN D. WRIGHT, President. April 21, 1875, "An act for the incorporation of societies for the prevention of cruelty to children" was passed by the legislature of New York. This society is now at work, and will investigate and prosecute, when necessary, all cases of cruelty to children which shall come to its knowl edge. It has published a pamphlet containing the "laws of the State of New York relating to children." HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, NEW YORK. This home in the country for orphan and desolate children is situated on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 40 miles from New York. It is one mile above Stony Point, and may be reached by steamboats from the foot of Harrison street, New York, or by the Hudson River Railroad to Peekskill, and thence by boats. The House of the Good Shepherd is in the township of Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, Tomkin's Cove Post-office. The property consists of ninety acres of land rising from the river, on which it borders for one-fifth of a mile, upon the hill, giving many beautiful sites for buildings. Most of the land is. wild and uncultivated, used for pasture. About fifteen acres have The land is well watered been cleared and are in grass or cultivation. by a brook and several springs. From the house, 160 feet above the river, and surrounding grounds, an extended view, embracing features of great natural beauty, presents itself. The institution is under the auspices of the Protestant-Episcopal Church, and is supported by voluntary contributions. This house removes children from haunts of sin and poverty to a most lovely home, surrounds them with christian and churchly influence, bringing them in daily contact with and under the instruction of cultivated ladies and gentlemen, who give their best time and services, con amore, to Christ's service in the care of His lost and helpless ones. This care and training are not withdrawn at the very time when their influence in forming the young character is most felt, but still surrounds the child, with gentle hand molding, chastening, correcting, exciting, until, with principles well established and habits of industry well formed, the young man or maiden goes forth, as from a father's house, to form a link in the great missionary enterprise of evangelizing the world. In the care of the children there is an effort to realize the ideal of a Christian family. They are allowed as much freedom as is consistent with good order and punctual habits and are encouraged in habits of trust and honor. We have no high walls, no bolts or bars. A boy comes to us from the city- or village-street or country-lane. He is, perhaps, perfectly undisciplined, and with many bad habits. He is introduced to a boy of his own age, who is to show him the place and inform him of the rules. He finds his days filled, from early morning-light till bed-time, with duties, studies, amusements. He is assured of the kind love of those who are over him. He finds himself trusted, his word believed. He is taught his part in our religious services, and joins in the hearty singing of God's praise. The result is that the wild, undisciplined boy is transformed to a truthful, trusty, honest youth. They work on the farm, in the house, and at trades. Children are received from any section. The house is not merely an orphanage, but is a training-school for the saving of children in need of a home. The children are to be kept under training until fitted for the duties of life. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are taught. Present number of inmates, 43. POUGHKEEPSIE ORPHAN-HOUSE AND HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS. It is twenty years since the original charter of this institution was obtained from the legislature. Its object and business are there stated to be the publication and diffusion of books, papers, and tracts, and by other moral and religious means to prevent vice and moral degradation, and to maintain houses of industry and home for the relief of friendless, destitute, or unprotected females, and for friendless or unprotected children, and for the reformation of offenders. The following statistics will give an outline of the work of the year: Number received during the year for the first time*. Number of children from county... Number beyond the county-limits Number of re-admissions Number sent to new homes. Number claimed by friends Number of orphans at date ... Number of half-orphans at date.... Average number in the family through the year 28 23 24 2 8 22 24 14 20 56 8 This institution derives its support from voluntary contributions; its affairs are all managed on a cash-basis, and have been so from its com mencement. Thus far material aid has not failed them, and the past year has been one of prosperity. OHIO. THE CHILDREN'S HOME, Of Cincinnati, was incorporated on the 12th of December, 1864, under the general laws of the State. Its object is to ameliorate the condition of poor and neglected children by procuring for such of them as may be committed to it permanent homes in the country in Christian families, where they may receive an ordinary English education and be trained in habits of industry and economy; by affording a temporary home to poor children whose parents may soon be able to support them; and by taking care of children through the day, in order that their mothers may avail themselves of outside employment. It is authorized to receive the legal care and control of all children who are properly surrendered to it by their parents or guardians or by the judge of the probate court or the mayor of the city. Over such it acquires the same authority as originally pertained to the parents. It is supported entirely by voluntary subscriptions and has no endowment. Over 1,500 children have been received since its organization and over 600 have been placed in permanent homes. It is the duty of the superintendent or other officers of the Children's * Number of inmates received since foundation, 754. |