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House, No. 327 Rivington street, is a center of many benefactions, and, through its beautiful flowers and pleasant rooms, is a great attraciion to the gamins of the east side of the city. The Eleventh Street House, No. 709 East Eleventh street, reaches the dock boys and petty thieves near the East river, and has accomplished great good.

The Girls' Lodging-house, number twenty-seven St. Mark's place, has been placed under the superintendence of our experienced and faithful teacher, Mrs. Hurley (Mrs. Trott having removed to the country). Everything promises that it will even be more useful in the future than it has been in the past.

The "Servants' Training School" will be opened again by the

new matron.

No charity in the city is more useful or needed than this. It reaches the most unfortunate and unbefriended class anywhere to be found the homeless and unprotected young girls drifting about our streets. Here they are sheltered and taught habits of order, industry and cleanliness, and then forwarded to places in the country.

EMIGRATION.

This important branch has been seriously impeded by a bigoted opposition among the poor. Its benefits, however, have been beyond all calculation. The figures are given in the treasurer's report. We append the interesting report of Mr. Fry, our resident western agent:

REPORT OF MR. C. R. FRY, RESIDENT WESTERN AGENT.

With each year spent among our western army of little folks comes a renewed appreciation of our wonderful scheme of emigration and the thousand blessings growing out of it.

Substantial blessings that will reach through and beyond this generation, beyond time, and be fully revealed in eternity alone. To me the sad reflection often comes that, but for ignorance and bigotry, we might empty the wretched city of New York of her thousands of half-clad, starving little souls, and place them in the homes of the broad, free, plentiful west..

Her people are ever ready to listen with tearful eyes to a story of destitution, and receive with glad hearts and open arms the forsaken little ones whom we bring. My work during the past twelve months has varied but little from that of former years. I have selected a place and committee of gentlemen to assist in locating each company taken out by the several agents, and have personally conveyed to the west and located four companies. This, together with the visiting and looking after the interests of our hundreds of

little ones, which after all has been my chief work, has involved the traveling of 34,217 miles. I made a sort of harvest-trip through Michigan in July last, and gathered some sheaves rich indeed with promise. My figure of harvesting is, I fear, badly chosen. I did not feel like a laborer in the harvest field, but rather as a man walking through a long gallery of exquisite paintings, gazing with admiration upon the happy face of childhood looking out of rich golden frames. I have many heart-touching, soul-inspiring scenes an artist would grasp and make immortal. Is it nothing to see a little New York waif snatched from want, misery, sin and almost certain destruction, and placed in a happy, comfortable western home? Is it nothing to visit the home five years later, inform the tidy matron who answers your call that you are the agent who left a little boy with her some time ago, and see the woman's heart rush up in her face until, from very pity, you exclaim at once, "I have not come to take him away?" Then take the hand of the child; it is brown and hard, though his little heart has grown softer than when you left him here. The heart flutters, the little rough hand trembles, and you read again the matron's question in the half shy expression of the child. But the picture is not all so bright. The little boys and girls are indeed its sunshine; but there are those older, who form a cloud, perhaps with a silver lining. And, I must add, a few who have tarried too long in the haunts of vice make indeed the genuine storm-cloud, with no brightness to lend you hope. Happily, they are few, and make the brighter portions of the picture even more beautiful by contrast.

But after all, how little of the happiness I have witnessed can be conveyed in a report like this. I would make you feel, rather than relate, for I am sure that when I come to give an account of my several visits they will appear very tame and uninteresting.

In traveling from place to place I have been often struck with one fact: the people of the west do not more than half appreciate our work, surrounded as they are by plenty. They cannot go even in thought with us into the depths of destitution and degradation and see from whence these children are dug. A house, one of many containing a hundred souls, surrounded by filth, is entirely beyond their comprehension. We wash, and, as we think, comfortably clothe the children to bring them out here, notwithstanding which it is not infrequent to hear such an expression as this: "Why, just think of it; when that little fellow came here he hadn't a bit of flannel on! "" I have heard this so often that it has grown to be amusing. I should not wonder at the remark or their anxiety upon his account had they seen the coat of dirt we removed from the little fellow.

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James N- -, a little boy nine years old, found a most excellent home with Mrs. H- at D- Mich., in 1867. She says: "I had expected to take Frank P, who had been represented to me as a fine-looking boy. I saw this little fellow coming up the path in front of the house. He was a little midget of a thing, and seemed to have just been cured of all manner of diseases, so that he might

be brought out here. I held out my arms and said, 'So my boy has come at last.' He put his arms around my neck, and I couldn't help but open my heart and take him in. I confess I felt a little disappointed when they told me he was not Frank P―, but I seemed to have a strong affection for him in a moment, and couldn't let him go. I thought perhaps God has sent this little fellow here, and he may need a home more than Frank, and so I determined at once to keep him. He said, 'You are my ma now, ain't you? May I call you ma?' I didn't intend to have him do so, but couldn't refuse his request. He has but little love for New York. I overheard my little daughter say to him once, 'You will have to die when God sends for you.' He replied, 'But I won't die. Why, I'd rather go back to New York than die.' We didn't quite like the name of Jimmy N, and so we call him Burt H. He is a good boy, and we wouldn't part with him now upon any account." Nellie L. H— was placed with P. H. S―, at B—, Mich., when she was but two months old-no light charge to persons totally unaccustomed to the care and management of children. But their kindness has not gone unrewarded, for they now have a merry, loving little daughter five years old, whom they call Nelly H. S. - She was playing in the garden when I arrived, as happy as a lark and the picture of health. Mr. S calls her "Papa's pet," and it was very touching to see the constant expression of affection between the great man and the little orphan child. Mrs. S is a kind, motherly woman, and little Nellie is indeed fortunate. It has been their wish to adobt her. Mr. S says: "But, anyhow, nobody can take her from me. No, indeed. Why, I wouldn't take the world for that child." If there is anything to fear, it is the possibility that they may spoil her with kindness. Mary J. M was eleven when brought to K—, and is now sixteen. Mrs. T, with whom she lives, says "she is a most excellent girl. I don't know how I could keep house and get along without her." Mary says she likes her home and is very happy, and, remembering her former experience, has no desire to return to New York.

Little Stephen E-- will be long remembered by all in the party, for he was a general favorite upon the journey. We brought him to B, Mich., when he was but three years old, and he was adopted by Mr. Horatio S, a wealthy gentleman residing here. Mr. S's son, aged about twenty, came down to see the boysprompted only by curiosity. He found little Stephen talking to a man who had some notion of taking him, but who, it appears, had children of his own that he didn't take care of. Mr. S noticing that Stephen was sobbing stepped up with the intention of soothing him. He soon found himself much interested in the little fellow, and his heart grew so warm toward him that he took him home. His father found that he was likewise affected, and so they concluded to keep him. Nothing now could induce them to part with him. He is a bright, beautiful boy, with all the manners and instincts of a gentleman. Something in his very carriage would instinctively attract a

stranger, and a closer acquaintance only increases the interest and assures us he is indeed a happy boy in a happy home.

Lizzie B- a little girl five years of age, was taken into the family of Mr. J. L. H—, at D- Mich. She had been there but a very short time when the dreadful symptoms of spinal complaint made their appearance. They at once called a physician, and afterward traveled many miles with her to see others who had been recommended, but their loving efforts were vain. All pronounced her case incurable, and she is now a confirmed invalid. They, instead of sending the child away, have submitted to the will of Him who afflicts only in mercy, and, while acknowledging that she is a great charge, could not be induced to part with her. She is a sweet little girl, now ten years of age, loving in disposition, winning all hearts by her gentle, patient manner. One cannot look into the little pale, suffering face without a feeling of reverence for the noble family who is caring for her.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

The work performed by these agencies is deeper and more useful every year. A very interesting effort has been made in this field by the opening of a new school in the worst district in the city, in Water street, amid the dance-saloons and sailors' boarding-houses of the fourth ward. The teacher has a most difficult task, every family whose children she trains being (with four exceptions) besotted drunkards, and the children themselves familiar with the most. degrading forms of vice.

The aid of lady volunteers is most earnestly desired here.

Our long-tried "colored school" is at length broken up by the opening of Fifth avenue, which has scattered the families over the city. We have transferred the school to the German quarter in Avenue C.

The meals given in each school are an exceedingly important feature of the work, as this class of children, owing to the influence of tenement-house life and their poverty, show a very weak physique. They do not have usually sufficient nourishment at home, and numbers get their first meal at the lunch given them at noon. Some of our trustees have personally provided some of the schools with warm dinners, and ladies have supplied others in like manner. We should be glad to have means to furnish every school with warm meals daily. Each school has daily industrial work, and then the usual commonschool lessons are given.

It is comparatively rare that any children come forth from these schools and engage in criminal courses of life; and hardly any one was ever known that grew up a beggar.

One night-school teacher relates that five of her scholars have become teachers in a mission school, on Sunday, and are leading earnest Christian lives.

It appears from the statistics of the schools that we have in our employment 72 regular teachers, 36 volunteers, 9,503 scholars on our books, with an average attendance of 2,884. Of these 1,984 are the children of drunken parents; 2,527 have begged. Of course, these are merely those set down on the books as beggars; very few have not begged more or less. There have been 3,124 garments made by the children, and 5,412 garments and 1,063 pairs of shoes have been given to them; 819 children have been sent to the public schools, and 461 to situations.

[EXTRACTS FROM REPORT OF J. W. SKINNER, SUPERINTENDENT OF INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.]

The various duties devolving on the teachers and visitors have been well attended to. Many hundreds of children, victims of the misfortunes, vices or crimes of their parents, or suffering through their neglect, have been partially educated, fed and clothed. The most dismal haunts of poverty and crime have been penetrated, and many cases of distress happily relieved.

Due attention has been given to the time-honored festivals, and, through the liberal donations of our patrons, every child in our schools has shared in the pleasures of Christmas. There was no home, however wretched, that was not brightened by some token of joy over the birth of the Saviour.

"Great demands are made on us for second-hand clothing, especially when the cold weather approaches, and children come barefoot over the frosty pavement, with hardly rags enough on them to cover them decently. If people living in the neighborhood of our schools would send word to them, a messenger could be sent for their bundles. No sort of clothing or of bed clothing would come amiss. Library books also, such as have been read and laid aside, would be very acceptable. Many of the pupils are fond of reading, and we have but few books to lend them.

Doctor Edwin Leigh's phonetic alphabet has been of incalculable service in supplying to infants a key to the pronunciation of letters and words. It has been introduced into ten of our schools with marked success. No teachers that use it are ever disposed to give it up. The proper use of it enables children to read in one-half the usual time.

The Eleventh Ward School, No. 709 Eleventh Street.

The senior class that had been about three years in the school "graduated" last term, and " commenced" their career as workmen. Their average age was about twelve years. From being vagabonds

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