FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  
g to include the crippled mind no less than the crippled limbs. In her work in Southwark, where the Guild of the Brave Poor Things began, she has seen too many children stunted and enfeebled by lack of pure food and fresh air, who would under better conditions grow naturally into health and strength and even power: "little mothers" taxed beyond their capacity by thoughtless parents, and all the other types of "cripple" which the mean streets of a great city can only too easily produce. If a house at Chailey or near by could be found or built where this wasted material might be nourished into happy efficiency, how splendid! Such was the desire of the founder, and it is now within sight of fruition; for, through the generosity of a friend of the Heritage, the house has been acquired and is ready for occupation. Strange are the vicissitudes of fortune; stranger the links in the chain of life. CLAUDE and ALICE ASKEW, who wrote popular serial novels in the daily papers, lived in a rambling old home at Wivelsfield Green, in Sussex, known as "Botches." This they enlarged and modernised; they developed the gardens and filled the grass with bulbs. Then came the War. Mr. and Mrs. ASKEW threw themselves into foreign work, and on one of their voyages were drowned through an enemy torpedo, and "Botches" became tenantless. It is "Botches" which has now been given to the Heritage for the reception of Southwark children. For the peopling and maintenance of the Home a novel and very pretty device has been invented. Everyone has heard of the _marraines_ of France during the War--those ladies who made themselves responsible each for the comfort of a _poilu_, sending him gifts of food and cigarettes, writing him letters and so forth. It is the _marraine_--or godmother--system which is being adopted and adapted for "Botches." The house can accommodate fifty children, and as many godmothers or godfathers are needed, each of whom will be responsible for one child for a year, at a minimum cost of fifty pounds. The Duchess of MARLBOROUGH, who has just been elected a Southwark County Councillor, was the first to accept this honourable privilege, and other ladies and gentlemen have already joined her; but there are still many vacancies. Mr. Punch, who has very great pleasure in giving publicity to Mrs. KIMMINS'S most admirable scheme, would be proud indeed if the other godparents were found among his readers. All communications on the subjec
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  



Top keywords:
Botches
 

children

 

Southwark

 

ladies

 
crippled
 
Heritage
 

responsible

 
readers
 

voyages

 

comfort


sending

 

foreign

 
subjec
 

peopling

 
maintenance
 
reception
 

tenantless

 

cigarettes

 
marraines
 

torpedo


France

 

Everyone

 

invented

 
drowned
 

pretty

 
device
 

communications

 

system

 

gentlemen

 

privilege


joined

 

honourable

 
accept
 

elected

 

County

 

Councillor

 
scheme
 
publicity
 

admirable

 

KIMMINS


giving

 

vacancies

 

pleasure

 

MARLBOROUGH

 
Duchess
 

adapted

 
adopted
 

accommodate

 
letters
 

marraine