| Home
The
Children's Home
1873 May 29, Spectator 1873 Jun 3, Hamilton Evening Times 1874 Oct 7, Hamilton Times 1873 May, SS Polynesian 1874 Sep, SS Texas 1884 May, SS Sarnia About the SS Sarnia |
At the Lecture Hall of the Centenary Methodist Church, The Rev. Mr.
Stephenson from London, England, delivered a lecture on Monday evening
to a densely crowded audience, many scores being unable to gain admission.
The lecture was illustrated by a magnificent series of dissolving views,
a limelight apparatus manufactured in London being used for the purpose,
under the able manipulation of Mr. C.W. Wills. A party of 50 children,
whose fine appearance excited general admiration, also added to the interest
of the occasion by singing a number of patriotic and sacred songs. Mr.
Stephenson's lecture was a forcible statement of the nature of the work,
and the claims of the institution he represented. The following are the
most important points of his statement:
"The Children's Home" is the name of an Institution which has four branches--three in England and one in Canada. The English "Homes" consist of a collection of separate houses in each of which a group of children reside, under the control of a "Mother" a Christian lady who acts a mother's part towards the children. Besides, in each boys' house there are two or more young men, who are engaged in various departments of service in the Home, or are being trained for some kind of Christian work, and act in the houses as "Elder Brothers" living with the boys and maintaining order. The family thus constituted live together, have their own family-prayer, associate at meal-times and in play-hours; have their own special festivals, keep birthdays, know each other by their Christian names, and in a word, live as nearly as possible like any other large family. There is great value in this system. A thorough knowledge of each child is obtained, which is almost impossible when a great number of children are massed together. A personal tie of affection and intimacy grows up between them, and discipline can be maintained with less of mechanical strictness, while allowing freer scope for the genuine child-life. It is true that the system multiplies officers, but that is by no means an evil if it can be done without extravagantly swelling the cost; and this may be where the majority of the officers are actuated by the highest Christian motives and for their services receive no salary, or one that is only nominal. The "family" life is, under God, the strength of our system. At the same time the aggregate of families form one Institution, and a true "institution life" is also maintained. The children meet in school; they meet in the various workshops; and they meet also for worship in the chapel of the Home every morning. This united worship may be said to be the pivot on which the whole life of the place turns. It is at once a parade and a service. It binds all hearts together, and enables the officers to feel the unity of their work; and it is a daily reminder of the fact that ours is not a mere charity but a mission, and that our great purpose is only accomplished when the souls of the children are won to Jesus Christ. From the chapel the children separate to their several occupations. The majority go to school, which is conducted by a certificated master. The elder boys go to the carpenter's shop, or the printing office, or to the wood chopping yard, or the shoemaking. At the farm also, they are engaged in farm employments. The girls also have their work in the Home: the kitchen, the laundry, the bookbinding shop or the sewing room. When the children are thus trained they are sent to situations in England, or are transferred to the Canadian branch for distribution in the country. The children are not sent to Canada because no work can be obtained for them in England. They are not the refuse of the English population, thrown into Canada because England does not want them. Every boy and girl could be placed in a good situation in the old country; and indeed, very many liberal and wealthy manufacturers in England have withheld their contributions from the Home on the ground that so many of the children are sent to Canada. But it is believed that the children are more likely to do well in the country, and therefore the emigration of the children is continued. This, the lecturer urged, gives the Institution a claim on the sympathy and support of Canadian, especially as $125,000 have been contributed in England for the English branches which are engaged in training the children who afterwards come here. The lecturer concluded by asking for help in the effort to raise $5,000 for the purpose of leaving the Canadian Home free of debt. Of this sum, he hoped that in addition to its former liberal contributions, the City of Hamilton would contribute $1,000. In the latter part of his lecture, Mr. Stephenson described many cases of misfortune and orphanhood which had come under his notice, and the recital deeply moved the crowded audience. The Chair was taken by W.E. Sanford, Esq., who endorsed most emphatically
the work of the Home. He stated that he had watched very carefully the
history of the 150 children who were already in situations in the country,
and he was sure that a better record of conduct could not be shown by an
equal number of children from ordinary Canadian families. In his opinion
this was a great and most successful work, full of promise, not only for
the children, for the country which they were making their own.
|