duties as a mother, and frequently served terms in jail until she
finally died. The father was also dissipated and neglectful. It was a
miserable existence for the children.

Two of the little boys, in connection with two other boys in the
neighborhood, were arrested, tried, and found guilty of entering a
house in the daytime and stealing. In course of time both of these
boys were indentured. One remained in his place and the other left
for another part of the country, where he died. He was a reputable
lad.

The first boy, in one way and another, got a few pennies together
with which he purchased books. After a time he proposed to his master
that he be allowed to present himself for examination as a teacher.
The necessary consent was given, he presented himself, and was
awarded a "grade A" certificate.

Two years from that time he came to the House of Refuge, as proud as
a man could be, and exhibited to me his certificate. He then entered
a law office, diligently pursued his studies, and was admitted to the
bar. He was made a judge, and is now chief magistrate of the court in
the city where he lives.

His sister, a little girl, used to come to the Refuge with her
mother, wearing nothing but a thin cloak in very cold weather, almost
perishing with the cold. As soon as this young man got on his feet he
rescued the little girl. He placed her in a school; she finally
graduated from the Normal School, and to-day holds an excellent
position in the schools in the State where she lives.

The records of the three reformatory institutions before mentioned throw
their own light upon the question of what makes criminals of the young. At
the Elmira Reformatory, of more than five thousand prisoners only a little
over one per cent. were shown to have kept good company prior to their
coming there. One and a half per cent. are put down under this head as
"doubtful," while the character of association is recorded for 41.2 per
cent. as "not good," and for 55.9 per cent. as "positively bad."
Three-fourths possessed no culture or only the slightest. As to moral
sense, 42.6 per cent. had absolutely none, 35 per cent. "possibly some."
Only 7.6 per cent. came from good homes. Of the rest 39.8 per cent. had
homes that are recorded as "fair only," and 52.6 per cent. downright bad
homes; 4.8 per cent. had pauper, and 76