imited. In years of
disaster or war, or where other interests absorb the public, it will
dwindle down to a very small sum. It is distributed, too, somewhat
capriciously. Sometimes a "sensation" calls it forth bountifully, while
more real demands are neglected. An important benevolent association,
depending solely on its voluntary contributions from individuals, will
always be weak and incomplete in its machinery. The best course for the
permanency and efficiency of a charity seems to be, to make it depend in
part on the State, that it may have a solid foundation of support, and
be under official supervision, and in part on private aid, so that it
may feel the enthusiasm and activity and responsibility of individual
effort. The "Houses of Refuge" combine public and private assistance in
a manner which has proved very beneficial. Their means come from the
State, while their governing bodies are private, and independent of
politics. The New York "Juvenile Asylum" enjoys both public and private
contributions, but has a private board. On the other hand, the
"Commissioners of Charities and Correction" are supported entirely by
taxation, and, until they had the services of a Board carefully
selected, were peculiarly inefficient. Many private benevolent
associations in the city could be mentioned which have no solid
foundation of public support and are under no public supervision, and,
in consequence, are weak and slipshod in all their enterprises. The true
policy of the Legislature is to encourage and supplement private
activity in charities by moderate public aid, and to organize a strict
supervision. The great danger for all charities is in machinery or
"plant" taking more importance in the eyes of its organizers than the
work itself.

The condition of the buildings, the neat and orderly appearance of the
objects of the charity, and the perfection of the means of
housekeeping, become the great objects of the officials or managers,
and are what most strike the eyes of the public. But all these are in
reality nothing compared with the improvement in character and mind of
the persons aided, and this is generally best effected by simple rooms,
simple machinery, and constantly getting rid of the subjects of the
charity. If they are children, the natural family is a thousand times
better charity than all our machinery.

The more an Institution or Asylum can show of those drilled and
machine-like children, the less real work is i