THE FRESH AIR FUND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 730, 1 February 1910, Page 6

THE FRESH AIR FUND.

Sir,—Uill you permit me to ask your readers to help me in the Fresh Air •eund, whicli exists for'the purpose of gmng the children from the worst slums of the great oities of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, holidays in the country. Last year, as tho result of special appeals m my own newspapers and periodicals, and of kindly assistance given to the F.A.F. by editors and owners of other papers, in placing such an appeal as this before their readers, the F.A.F. was enabled to send no fewer/than two hundred and thirty-six thousand two hun-dred-.waifs away from the slums of our uig.towns and cities for a day's pure air and sunshine in the country, where these needy little guests were given two good meals and plenty of healthy arid stimulating amusement. '.■■■■' The worst, and. most neglected casesfour thousand and fifty' in number—were treated in' a special division, and were dispatched to holiday homes, and taken care of. for, a whole ■ fortnight; and I cannot easily over-emphasise the' importance of this departure of the' Fresh Air rund. ' '

A _unique v feature of the ■ Fresh Air innd is that no charge whatever is made tor expenses in, connection with it. There are no salaries of officials, no rent has to be paid, none of the thousand-and-one expenses, such as printer's bills and postage stamps, which' eat up so ; large a proportion of iho revenue of most charities,' is charged, against the amount subscribed-to the Fresh -Air Fund. The journals with which I am 'conheoted 1 defray the whole of these coste, and evew penny received goes intact to the benefit of the'poorest of poor children; Thus, if anybody .sends us the sum of ninepenoe, he or she can be absolutely certain one little one will be rescued; for a,' day at least, from the gloomy and grimy surroundings in , which he ordinarily lives ■ and moves, While a remittance of ten shillings. ensures that a sick'or'half-starved mite" will have.a whole fortnight's; holiday, attendance,, Tβ-lief;-.and. change; -There is something peculiarly sad. arid poignant about the plight of .the. unwanted and the unloved child, of-the slums, and J feel instinctively that I have but to summon up tflie image of-its natural loneliness and ;unhappiness to make tie hearts of. Jour readers—who may have lost a- little one, or have bright-and healthy children of their own—beat very tenderly.and generously in' regard ■■ to- the Fresh Air Fund. I remember, for instance, one of my workers telling/me how! one - day- she. visited an unsavoury district in the EastEnd of London, talcing with.ler a present for a httle girl, who' had no parents and seemed to have no friends, but lived on sufEerance with some relatives, picking up a precarious meal, where and how , she could. .', ■ ■■. .-.'■' . ■'■ '-.-•'

; Before handing over' the present (it. was'a dress), she. chanced to say to the little i one,: quite :at : Tandom:. "Now, Madge, here is the'gift I promised you, but tell 1 me first what you :> would like best'.'\ The'little one looked wistfully at her for a moment, and then' said-very softly and , very shyly: "I would like'to eit on your-knee for a minute, and pretond that! was your little gill." "■•.- i;

p And there are'. ; 300,000 Madges "in our shims to-day, waiting is union the same plight, -with the same pathetic wistfulness and eagerness,' for men and women they do not know to help the' Fresh Air Fluid secure them a day's and respite. I, do, therefore, beg: your' readers ■to help the • Fresh Air Fond with a subsoriiihon now and at once; and further to interest their ownchildren in so humane and satisfying, a, social servico to'others, and persuade them also, to. become little Fresh Air Fund missionaries.' (The'-address of th«i honorary" secretary' 'o£ ; the Fresh Ait Fund is 23 _St. Bride Street, London, E.C.—I am, etc., • c. ARTHUR PEARSON. , '.The Standard," London, . ' : December 17, 1909. '■ ' : [We shall be glad to transmit <ity oontnbutions to, this most , worthy object that bur readers may forward.] ; :