country seat. The palatial residence, built a century ago, remains to-day in a perfect state of preservation, a stately colonial mansion house surrounded by ample land for gardens, lawns and large playgrounds for the children. Two extensions have been made since the purchase of the home. The one immediately in the rear of the original building is a commodious brick building that serves as a home for aged Hebrews. There are at the present time twelve occupants. Here also is the large dining-hall. Adjoining this building and still further to the rear, is the model children's quarters, a building erected after a design made by Rabbi Schindler. Here are two large dormitories, one for the girls, another for the boys. They are on the ground floor as the Rabbi holds that children should not be allowed to sleep upstairs in buildings where it is possible for fire to break out. These sleeping halls are provided with an abundance of large windows which admit of splendid ventilation and would allow of instant egress in case of necessity. Each child has his own bed, and under each is a little wire basket suspended from the springs, in which he places his clothes at night. There are also lockers for the children and ample toilet facilities. The halls are models of cleanliness, as indeed is the whole institution from basement to roof.

In the boys' sleeping-room we noticed a number of American shields, in the red, white and blue colors, each bearing a motto, such as "Justice," "Love," "Honor," "Freedom," "Duty," "Kindness," "Honesty," etc. The Rabbi explained that they were made for the boys who took part in an entertainment, each boy speaking in behalf of the virtue inscribed on his shield. "When the entertainment was over," continued the Rabbi, 'the shields which, as you will see, are well made and ornamental, were hung up in the hall for their suggestive value. You know," he continued, "how an advertisement, if it is constantly kept before the eye, in time frequently becomes effective.

You may not need the article; you may not even want it; but you see the advertisement in the cars morning and night, you see its virtues proclaimed on the billboards and on the printed page, and at length you buy the article. Mental suggestion has done its work. Now, acting on this psychological fact, we try to keep the things which we wish to impress on the young minds before the children in an unobtrusive manner."

We mention this fact because it is thoroughly typical of the management of this institution. There is everywhere the evidence of the philosophic utilitarianism which is wise enough to know that virtue and the principles which make for good character and a useful life can best be inculcated by methods that are not so obvious or aggressive as to run the risk of arousing antagonism in the child's mind.

Beyond the large sleeping-hall is an assembly-room for religious services and other gatherings. It is so constructed that the great doors which extend almost across the rear of the room can be opened, making another large audience-room, and at the end of this second room the door arrangement is duplicated, so that when necessary a third room can be utilized, the whole making a large auditorium. When the doors are closed the two rooms in the rear of the hall are used for class and work rooms. At the farther end of the second room is a long closet extending across the rear, where are kept the instruments used by the wonderful band of twenty-four little people, of which we shall have something further to say. Under the entire building is a large, light, airy basement, most of the space being used as a great indoor playroom for the children when the weather will not permit of outdoor games and pastimes. Here also are the bath-rooms with large stationary tubs, and a number of individual bath-rooms fitted with shower-baths. The building is a model of its kind, as complete and in all respects as admirable as the funds at command could produce.

And the model character of the building is but an external manifestation of the spirit that dominates the home. Here Rabbi Schindler and his capable wife have been in fact father and mother to the sixty children under their care. They have faithfully devoted their lives to making the institution as near a model healthful and happy home as possible with the facilities at their command. The healthy physical, mental and moral development of each child has been their constant concern; nor has this been all. The future of the child, in so far as has been possible, has received their serious attention. It is largely owing to their fine paternal spirit, at once wise, sane, loving and forward-looking, that the record of those who have left the institution has been so exceptionally satisfactory, and that those now in the home are so manifestly happy and contented.

We had scarcely completed our inspection of the building when the signal for dinner was given, and we had the pleasure of witnessing the little folks at their noonday meal. They entered and left the room as would well-behaved children in a well-ordered school. Their dinner consisted of beef soup with barley, beef, potato, bread and butter, and apple pie. Each child is at liberty to order a second or a third time if he desires, as the Rabbi is a great believer in liberally supplying the growing child with plain, nutritious food.

The girls in the institution are all taught to be housekeepers. They learn to cook and do laundry work, to wait on the table, to take care of the rooms, to do plain sewing and crocheting. Thus they are prepared for home-making. Even if they are not called upon to do these things when they have homes of their own, they have, when married, a a distinct advantage over girls more carelessly raised.

From the buildings we went over the generous area of land around the home. "Do not the boys do any gardening?" we asked.

The Rabbi answered in the negative. "No, we tried that but it did not succeed. You see, the children are reared in cities. They do not take naturally to cultivation of the soil. We have been unable to interest them in the work."

We wished to discuss this matter further with our friend, but other subjects crowded for consideration and we were unable to do so. Yet it seems to us that this is the one flaw in this otherwise model home. It is doubtless true that the Hebrews have for thousands of years been accustomed to the lives of traders and scholars and to various commercial pursuits, rather than to following agrarian employment; but the time was when they were preeminently the children of outdoor life, both as herders and stockraisers and as cultivators of the land. Moreover, we think nothing has been of late years more clearly demonstrated than that city children can be quickly and enthusiastically interested in gardening. The school gardens in our great cities, and the numerous successful experiments in cultivating unoccupied ground in and adjoining metropolitan centers, amply prove that city children can, as a rule, be quickly interested in the cultivation of the soil. As an incentive, it might be well to give the child all or part of the money that was derived from the sale of the vegetables raised in his little garden. With such an incentive and a keen interest on the part of the over-gardener, it seems to us that a splendid enthusiasm could be awakened in the children that would result in much good, not only as a part of the child's training and education, but as the primary school for a life-work that could easily be made the foundation for a successful career; for nothing is clearer than that more and more in the future market gardening, poultry raising and fruit culture will afford admirable opportunities for making a comfortable living in America.

In the afternoon Rabbi Schindler arranged for us to hear the children's band, composed of twenty-four boys and girls

ranging in age from nine to thirteen and a half years. At present the band is under the masterly direction of Mr. Emil Posselt. We shall never forget the pleasure of the hour we passed listening to the children's astonishingly good performance. The training of the little people amazed us. After some difficult renditions from standard operas, the children gave a medley of national airs and popular songs that magnificently illustrated their complete control of their instruments and their intelligent appreciation of the spirit of the various compositions. The rendition of music by this band was a revelation, and we could not help wishing that some wise and philanthropic business man might arrange for a series of entertainments by this children's band that would bring in money needed for further practical plans and improvements. For we believe that quite apart from the financial benefit thus derived, if men and women of means should hear these children and see what such little tots are capable of doing under such wise and practical management as marks this home, it would lead them to generously

further all such efforts to give to unfortunate children of our day advantages that should be the heritage of every child.

"Our primary object," said the Rabbi, "is to bring the children to work in unison and harmony and to give them the harmonizing and refining influence of music."

"And," exclaimed Director Posselt, "it is wonderful to see how music does develop the finer side of the little ones' lives. You would have to see this as I daily witness it in order fully to appreciate the fact."

The practical value of the work here inaugurated and carried forward as unobtrusively as successfully, is very great; for all advance steps in education, in the care of the unfortunates and the uplifting of the people, wait on practical object lessons which prove the success of theories that but for the indifference and selfishness of society would be accepted when offered, and Rabbi Schindler has given us an impressive object lesson in this little twentieth-century model home for orphans. B. O. FLOWER.

Boston, Massachusetts.

TH

ROLAND D. SAWYER.