AN INTERESTING PAPER.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8257, 25 May 1895, Page 2

AN INTERESTING PAPER.

DR. BABNABDO'S WOBK AMONG THE CHILDREN. VISIT OF NELSONIANB TO THE INSTITUTION. (Concluded). Now I must come to his work for girls which is conducted on entirely different principles, as he believes the herding together in large institutions is utterly unsuitable for them and that they need home life to draw out and develop in them womanly qualities. Whether Dr Barnado believes in the equality of the sexes I cannot tell you, but certainly he believes in different training for each. New I want to take you with me to his Village Homes in Essex, I could not believe such a place existed in England, had I not seen it myself. I went to it on a wet day. A miserable day I left Liverpool Street station and it took me half an hour to get to Ilford,

fsrrr: — \ ,i \ , a village in Essex, not at all an inter esting village. When I got to th( fetation a wagonette from , THE VILLAGE HOMES met me, it is sent to meet the middaj trains to take any visitors to the Homes. We drove three miles through a most uninteresting countr) until we came to a large gate whici opened into the village. I think I arc correct in saying I never saw so pretty a village. The grounds are laid out exquisitely, not a bit stiffly, the lawr is so beautiful, velvet turf, with a green you see nowhere but in England, beautiful pleasure grounds with al] kinds of shrubs a"nd flowers, and nothing is uniform. There are fortyeight cottages, and one or two large houses, the Governor's for instance, and another called the Cairns House, built by friends of the late Lord Cairns for the use of Dr Barnardo and friends who come to visit the homes ; also a very large house, really an old English manor house given to Dr Barnardo as ft wedding gift for himself and his bfide; and from that house began the idea of the village homes; In it the workers (not mothers) of the village live and of them there are twenty school teachers, secretarys, and some others. Two of the forty-eight cottages are used as a Hospital, with four trained nurses. The cottages are very pretty overgrown with climbers ttntl Virginian creepers, and when I saw them they were a brilliant crimson ; the whole thing looked just like a fairy scene. The cottages are perfect gems of homes, so clean and bright, nothing fine but scrupulously clean. All the housework is done by the girls. Each cottage is presided over by a lady called a mother, and she teaches the girls how to do the work, and sees it is properly done. These ladies in most cases are unpaid helpers, in one or two cases where the lady lias no means and is particularly suitable, a small sum is paid to her. The governor of the house, Mr Godfrey told me that choosing the ladies is ofter a difficulty, as so much depends on the mother, they have plenty of volunteers, but they can dnly take' those who are suitable ; it wants patience tact activity, and true motherly love to fill the post, besides a good knowledge of domestic work, and power to impart that knowledge. The usual number of girls in a cottage is ten, but the larger cottages contain as many as twenty, beyond that number they never go. The girls in the cottage vary in ages from fifteen or even sixteen to! babyhood ; each cottage contains a . baby. The younger children go to school, or perhaps I ought to say the elder ones do all the house work and all the others who are old enough go to school, and the elder ones mend all the clothes and take a day in the laundry every week. THE COTTAGES contain a little sitting-room for the mother, and her bedroom, and a nice bright playroom full of toys and books. There is in each playroom a large sort of cupboard with niches, and each child has her own special niche. The elder ones have books and work in theirs, and the younger ones toys. The kitchen is so nice, everything so bright and clean, and the table as white as snow. The kitchens are very tiny, with a place for everything in them, and nice little pantry s off them.. The dining-rooms have two long tables, also beautifully white, and the stairs are just the same. 1 asked one of the mothers what they used, and she said cold water and elbow grease. Upstairs are the bedrooms. They put about four girls in each, never more than six, and each girl has i. separate place for her own things. To you this does not convey so much as to an English person, who contrasts this with the dreadful institution, the workhouse system, where there is no such thing as possession. It was so nice to see the separate brush and comb, bag, and their little treasures by their beds. The room 3 are lit by gas jets in the passage, and glass in the wall of the rooms opposite the gas, thus the rooms are well lighted and there is no risk of fire. There is an enoimous cupboard in a recess, containing all the clothes for the girls except what they had on. The Sunday boots were a sight, all cleaned and arranged in order. Each girl has a compartment and keeps her clothes tidy. It was very pleasant to recognise some Nelson clothes. Everything ia done to give the children A HOME FEELING, and to cultivate affection and kindness. The girls look as happy as possible, neat, tidy and clean. Remember, these children come from the veriest slums, and are all destitute — that is the only olaim Dr Barnardo recognises. I went into the school and saw the girls at work. This school takes a very good place in the examinations, and is given the Government grant the same as the boird schools. The head teacher asked me a great many questions about the New Zealand State schools, and of course I could give her nothing but most high praise, saving in one particular — that they forget to provide for one part of the child's education. In Di Barnardo's school, it is needless tc Bay, the Scriptures are taught, but nc sectarian teaching is allowed. There is A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH in the grounds, built by a lady ir memory of her father and mother, It is a very great ornament to the place. It seats 700, and is extremely pretty inside. It is just like a Churct of England free from all ornamentation. There are texts painted ovei the arches of the aisles, in all cases referring to God's love of and care foi children. The Church is undenominational, and the minister of any Christian denomination can hold services in it. Dr Barnardo often comes down himself from Saturday to Monday. When no one else is there, the governor, Mr Godfrey, conducts the service himself. In the evening tht little gate opening on the main roac is thrown open, and any of the people residing near can come, and it is generally quite full. I was greatly pleased with the governor and his wife, who seem to be heart and sou in the work. In the large house I mentioned a; having been given to Dr Barnard< live 20 workers, not mothers— th< Bohool teachers, secretary, and corres pondent of the Home. I think tw<

ladies do the correspondence, and it ii an enormous task, for they try to kee] in touch with every girl who hai passed through the^ Homes. The;; have to reply to ladies who write fo: girlß as servants, and also to enquir< into each ease that presents itself The girls are chiefly trained for ser vice, and sent out really EFFICIENT SERVANTS. From the cottages they send five t( the worker's home, and they worl under a housekeeper there, then the] go three at a time to the governor's house for a little further training One very important place 1 havt passed over,- the laundry, in that 4C girls work ; there is work every daj in the week ; the girls are changed each day, and take turns at the different parts of the washing ; they arc taught by two trained laundresses, The amount of washing is enormous, and when I tell you they wash for all Dr Barnardo's London institutions, you can form some idea of it. There are all the helps machinery can give. I watched the whole process. There is a large drying room, as in the English climate it is so often impossible to dry in the open air. One more branch there is, A DRESS-MAKING ESTABLISHMENT. under a properly trained dressmaker, to teach the girls who are unfit from physical deformity, for any other work. Dr Barnardo much prefers domestic service for girls, and gave prizies for long service at the last meeting at the Albert Hall, and several girls got prizes for seven years' service. babies' castle I could not visit. It is 50 miles from London, and takes 50 minutes in the train. Dr Barnardo himself told me I must see it, that of all his homes it was the nicest. The place was given to him. Now will you realise all these children are rescued from destitution, and from swelling the criminal ranks, and that the whole enterprise is supported wholly and entirely by voluntary contributions, and the very much larger part comes from small sums. I only wish anyone who has some objection to the work saw the Homes and the children; who to my mind are the answer to all objections. If you care to look at this Strand Magaine, it will give you a good idea o f Babies' Castle.