THE FRESH AIR FUND.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 4

THE FRESH AIR FUND.

Wi! have received from Mr. ,Ci A, Peak'soK, of London, his annual ap peal in the interests of the slunl children,'and which will be'foUnd in our news columns. Our readers will recall that last year response was made to this appeal through the columns , of Tub JjosiisiON, to the extent of providing.a day of real joy for several lnihdred little ones. It is difficult, of v course) for coloniiil children to appreciate what the Fresh Air Fund racdhs to the. less fortunately sittiated children of the poorer classes in the big cities of the Mother Country. Here a day's oul> ing is an event of passing interest. There to the little oliesi thany of whom have never seen the country or the seaside, and who know- nothing but the street life of the city in which they "wev<y bohi) this annual outing, organised by Miti Pearson and the Fresh' Air Fund Committee, is the event of their lives. The idea of giving the children of tile city poor a day's pleasure in the country cach year ol'iginatod sonle tw'enty years ago, and liais been' Continued with ihct'easing success ever since. Ovei- a qusii'ter of a millibrt children were given this treat last'year. His Majesty the King, whb is a. gl-eat admirer of the good work done by the Fresh Air Fi.nd, is its patron, which iMy betaken- as.a guarantee, if such were needed, of its deserving nature* In addition to the day's holiday in the country/ a certain proportion of the money raised is devoted eiiCh yeftj to special cafees of children who. fi-biii Vai'ibUs calces, need a brief holiday for health pufposes—these are the neediest and sickliest df those assisted: They ate given: a fortnight lit the seaside of in the country-—a holiday which it would be utterly impossible for their parents to provide— and Uiany young lives have been saved and many homes gliiddenetl by this welcome slid, the marvel oE the thihg is thiit so milch can be done dt so little tost, Xinepcnce covers the whole cost of the day's outing for each child* while ,10s. ■] pays' for the fortnight's holiday. Here is a brief description of air oitting,,as published in. the flnnual report , oil tlie Fresh Air Fuiidl—"A thousand laughing child; ren formed the .first holiday party: children fi'oin the' poorest pfttts of Bet-hhal Green, bctit on haying, the happiest day of tileir iives-in Epping Fotest. They caitie into the forest, their thbufednd tongues shouting with joy. • They wofe every kind of strange garment; some in father's patchtid-Up : i pld trousers, some ,in old cloaks of tnotlier's, all blushed up for the occasicin, find all glbrioUsly happy and gloriously free. Mr. A. E. VAItNEY, Who takes charge of the childWh at LolightoU, is obliged to use a megaphone to talk to the thousand joybtts youngster! 'You can run away ahd plttjr,', he. cHes, 'and conie back when the bell rings for dinner.' And then there is a rUSh to • explore the great green forest and, the eticliatited latid of freedom. ; Then began a scene afe charming as in.arly play acted ott arty stage; the thdlisand children for audience, and some bf the iiidsfc' particular stars bf till! theatrical world for actors. Sir Herbert Tree was there, 'making epiijraihs in his incomparable way, tyen when presiding over the. hurly-burly. » of a scramble for sheets. Lady x»e Bathe was there, a fairy godmother in the Children's eyes, and a. vision df loveliness in her, wohdefful robe, which' grubby little fingers went up bo touch as .she passed by bii her mission of feeding the huilgfy with meat pie£. 1 Mis 3 Gertie Millar looked like a White fairy as she tribved among the feeding multitude. Then there, was Mr. . Alfred Lester, , who helped to keep the. fiin . going fast and furiotis; and Mr. George GROssiiitH, Jtin., w'Ho, as a piemati, was a play ill himself—it was something to see him.dancing about the forest glade with a.bout two hundred little girls for partner, all wildly sitigirtg thfe redoubtable ditty, 'Yip-i-addy-i-ay !' " And, so on through the all-too-short day there is one continuous round of pleasurable anticipation and joyous reall&atibn; The one depressing note in the report of the Committee is, its inability to do eVen more. "The Work bf the Fresh Air Fundj" the report states, "bi'ings. its sorrows for those who do it as its jbys fot those who benefit. In taking on theirshoulders the care and the rescue of thousands upon thousands of . unioVed' ahd iiiiwant<;d littlte iriites of the city slums, the prbmotefS of,the Fresh Air Fluid have always , had cause enough for grief when thinking of the real extent of the problem of wretchedness and misery to which they have put theii' hands. Twenty years ago the Fresh Air Fund was Started with a day's treat to sbme ■ 20,000 pbof Eilst Lohdbn children. This year the fihid cathe to. the rescue of nearly 240,000 little hiartyrs bf our thousands of them so weak and helpless that nothihg short of a fortnight's rest ftt the seaside would give them even a fighting chance of life. Aiid thousands upon thousands who hiight have been rescued tfere left behind. The saddest thbltght of all is the thought of the'children left behind." Wo shall be glad to acknowledge and fonVard to the Fund Committee aliy contributions which may be sent to this office fbr that purpose. Last year \ve were able to forward something like £15, donated in small sums, which enabled nearly 400 unfortunate little slum children to spend what was proi bably the happiest day of their lives; This year, perhaps, tlie response will be still more liberal.