for a second offense. How much influence those books may have had in producing that result will never be known, but it seems more than probable that they helped to keep him out of trouble. One of the older colored girls has also been an assiduous reader. She reports on Friday afternoons, when there is likely to be no one present, and it is therefore possible to exercise some little supervision over her choice of books. She has taken a keen interest in Old Fashioned Girl, Little Men, The Five Little Peppers, and the like. This girl had made a very grave mistake, but she seems disinclined to repeat it. She is living and working quietly at home, and says she never wants to see again the young man who caused her to go wrong, though she admits that she loved him. Her ideals seem to have been much changed by the mute teaching of these books."

Parental neglect and oftentimes parental inefficiency are the potent causes of much of the childish delinquency. Three hundred and forty-seven children were sent to the Board of Children's Guardians because it was realized that they were the victims of unfit environment.

One hundred and thirty-three children were committed to the National Training School for Boys; 46 children were sent to the Reform School for Girls.

Three hundred and sixty-nine children were acquitted and 24 dismissed for want of prosecution.

Great care is exercised to impress upon the children the reasons back of the laws which they have violated. Offenses against property were the most numerous, 607 having been charged with larceny. It is hoped that these cases have been so handled as to correct the child and save the child from a repetition of his offense and imbue him with the proper respect for the property rgihts of his neighbor. The evils flowing from theft have been depicted in no uncertain colors, while the child has been made to realize that he himself desires and demands full pro tection for his own from the depredations of the thief. Not a little of the wrongdoing, even in this regard, may be ascribed to ngnorance, and patience and effort have been unsparingly used to enlighten the children and win them from habits so harmful to others and destructive to themselves.

There were 485 cases of disorderly conduct. Many were violations of regulations made necessary for the common welfare by the exigencies of a large city. Many other cases were caused by indulgence in crap shooting, crack-a-loo, penn-theline, and other games of chance.

Children will throw stones and other missiles in the street. After being shown that the stone thrown may injure some one else possessed of equal right to dwell in the city, either in his person or his property, by cutting his head, for instance, or breaking his window, the offense is not often repeated.

Much of the incorrigibility has been traced to the indisposition of parents to trouble themselves with the discipline of their families and a readiness to shift their burdnes onto the community. An effort has been made to awaken the fathers to a sense of their obligation growing out of their custody of the children to train and educate their offspring to good citizenship. In the correction of the wrongdoing of the children they are required, as far as possible, to undo the harm they may have done. The thief is made to realize that he has no title to the goods stolen, and restitution is required and rigidly insisted upon. The poor are given time within which to return the value of what can not be given back specifically.

Wherever it could be done with safety to the law-abiding members of the community, the children convicted have been placed on probation and left with their parents, with whom properly lies the expense of their nurture and education and protection. With a quickened sense of responsibility on the

part of the parents, this method has proved successful. If the 470 children on probation at the close of the last fiscal year were committed for a year to institutions, it is estimated that the cost would have been over $70,000. And the correction might not have been so certainly achieved.

The petition for the committal of children as dependents to institutions supported wholly or in part at public expense have been patiently examined. Many have been denied. Where granted it has been often found that the parents could contribute at least a portion of the expense, and this has been required, so as to save the petitioners from pauperization, and it has resulted in a substantial saving in funds to the government.

I am firmly convinced of the value of public playgrounds as a preventive of juvenile delinquency; that is, playgrounds efficiently supervised. Observation has shown that there is less violation of the law in those neighborhoods where there are such playgrounds.

If parents do not perform their duties of support, protection. education, and the children violate the law, the root of the juvenile delinquency will be in the misfeasance of the parents, and to the paretns, of course, the correction should be applied. Hence the jurisdiction given juvenile courts under nonsupport laws, compulsory-educations laws, cruelty to children laws, childlabor laws. Indeed, these juvenile courts would be more aptly termed family courts or parental courts. In the nonsupport cases heard about 88 per cent of the husbands and fathers were placed upon probation on condition that they would eschew the occasion of their delinquency and each Saturday night, when they had their weekly wages in their pockets, that they would go to the station house of the precinct wherein they reside and pay there to the desk sergeant a stipulated amount for the support of their families, to be paid oyer, without deduction, through the clerk of this court to the wife or some one else as trustee. These payments the last fiscal year amounted to $38,319.65. The weekly payment for the week ended May 7, 1909, was $1,200.

About 12 per cent of these men went to the workhouse, but were almost invariably paroled upon similar conditions when they had evinced a disposition to do right. Specimens of the communications, that have caused me to parole such prisoners at the workhouse will be found in the appendix. Their earnings while at the workhouse for the same period, paid under the act of March 23, 1909, amounted to $2,340.

zens.

Nonsupport deprives the children of the home, the best environment within which to develop into good American citiBy the enforcement of this law many a lazy fellow has been made to work. It is promotive of American industry. Over 300 families are now on the relief roll of the court who would otherwise be a burden upon the community. Experience shows that the deserter made to support the family often returns to the home. The father in the home, the children are better disciplined, and do not come into court for disorderly conduct and other causes. The children are then not hungry, and do not either beg or steal. Juvenile courts can reach homes like these and regulate them in the interest of the country at large. I want to express my appreciation of the service rendered by members of the Mothers' Congress, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Council of Jewish Women, and the Christ Child Society, who have, from time to time, gone as volunteers into these defective homes to carry intelligent sympathy, higher ideals, and a knowledge of domestic science. To the many child-caring institutions of the city the thanks of the court are also gratefully tendered.

With great respect, I am your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. DE LACEY,
Judge.

HON. WILLIAM H. DE LACEY, Judge of the Juvenile Court, District of Columbia. WASHINGTON ASYLUM, August, 2, 1909. DEAR SIR: Thirty-two days of my sentence having now expired, I write, as you requested. Your honor, I am all right now physically and able to earn a livelihood, but mentally I am very much worried at not being able to provide for my family, as I could were I at liberty. Now, your honor, I am not going to make you any rash promises, but if you will be lenient I can assure you I will cause you no more trouble. Hoping this will receive your favorable consideration, and yau will release me at your earliest convenience, I am, Most respectfully,

Hon. Judge DE LACEY.

Juvenile Court.

BENJAMIN SEARS.

THE CHICAGO CHINESE SCHOOL. The above picture illustrates an interesting phase of education, namely a Chinese school conducted by Chinese teachers for Chinese children. The school is located in the very heart of the Chinese quarter of Chicago, and any day the class is in session one can see the youngsters studiously at work mastering the difficulties of the Chinese language.

The children are dressed in true American fashion, much better in fact than the average American child, the boys well groomed, and the little almond-eyed maidens clad in immaculate white frocks. The teacher, however, dresses in true Oriental style, as consistent with his respective position, and at first glance it is hard to distinguish the sex of this worthy as his multicolored skirts convey the idea of womanhood.

Chinese schools of like character are now conducted in many of our larger cities, and well show the latter day advancement of our slant-eyed friends from across the Pacific.

For Sweet Charity

By Helen Hale Searles

A beggar musician stood at the corner of the streets in a crowded city, across the seas, playing on his violin.

He was a very indifferent player, and the crowd surged by, not caring to listen to him, and few indeed were the coins he received.

He was almost discouraged, for life was hard to him. The price of one of the costly dresses, or of the dream hats of the ladies who passed him by unnoticed, would have kept him comfortably for many weeks. Still he played on. The lively

jigs chorded illy with his dreary mood.

Little street children danced for a moment on the pavement, as they love to do in the cities, but were swept away by the passing crowd. What did life hold for him?

It was getting late in the Autumn afternoon and he had not earned enough to pay for a supper and his poor night's lodging.

A stranger came to him and said: "Let me take your violin and you hold out your hat."

Mechanically, compelled by something in his manner or his face, the poor man passed his instrument to him.

The stranger began to play. He played softly at first and then the music grew clearer and sweeter. The warbling of spring birds and the joyousness of Nature, soft love tones, the jubilant notes of victory, the solemn, soulful music of spiritual exaltation, and the soft sobbing of subdued sorrow were all interpreted by this player.

A violin best voices the emotions of the soul, if played by a skillful artist who loves it most dearly.

The passing multitude stopped to listen and lingered. A crowd gathered and the coins began now to pour into the beggar's hat.

"Who can this wonderful musician be?" was asked by all. "Such music was never heard before!"

This man who took a beggar's place for sweet charity was Luigi, the greatest violinist in the world.

*

Well for the world if genius could more frequently glorify itself by uplifting humanity, and in the beneficent spirit of altruism confer happiness upon the poor and lonely and lowly ones of this earth; then will the laurel wreath of fame become a crown of rejoicing in the hereafter.

And well for us if we can lighten a little another's burden. We cannot lift the world's weight of woe, we can only help what is next to us, even the "least of these."

WHEN A FELLOW'S GOT A GIRL.

I didn't use to care so much about my looks and dress, and folks must have thought I was a tramp, the way I looked, I guess. But now things are quite different, 'cause I'm keeping pretty neat. There ain't a kid in our whole block at dressing got me beat. I shine my shoes and wash my neck as well as face and hands; and wear white collars and stiff shirts just like a regular man's. The gang at me is getting mad, but I don't care a rap, if they do call me a dude because I brush my clothes and cap. Next week with father's tailor I'll take a little whirl, 'cause looks count quite a little when a fellow's got a girl.

It always grieves me to contemplate the initiation of children into the ways of life when they are scarcely more than infants. It checks their confidence and simplicity, two of the best qualities that heaven gives them, and demands that they share our sorrows before they are capable of entering into our enjoyments.-Dickens.

We should respect the smallest confidence of the child. It is a mother's strong hold on her boy or girl.

ΣΕ

An Edinburgh gentleman died the other day, and a small boy, open-eyed and silent, watched while the coffin was placed in the hearse.

"Have you said your prayers, Willie?" said his mother, after tucking him into bed that night.

"No, mamma," said Willie. "Well, say them now."

"I'm not going to say any prayers tonight," replied Willie, with the air of one who had fully made up his mind." "But you must."

"No, not tonight," Willie persisted. "Why not?" asked the mother in astonishment.

"It's no use," said Willie. "They will be so busy in heaven, tonight, unpacking Mr. Jones that they will have no time to listen to the prayers of little boys."

A traveling man, who stutters, spent all afternoon in trying to sell a grouchy business man a bill of goods, and was not very successful.

As the salesman was locking up his grip, the grouch was impolite enough to observe in the presence of his clerks: "You must find that impediment in your speech very inconvenient at times."

"Oh, n-no,” replied the salesman. "Every one has his p-peculiarity. S-stammering is mine. What is y-yours?"

"I'm not aware that I have any," replied the merchant, a bit puzzled.

"D-do you stir y-your coffee with your r-right hand?"

"Why, yes, of course," replied the merchant, a bit puzzled.

"W-well," went on the salesman, "t-that's your p-peculiarity. Most people use a t-teaspoon."

"No," said Mrs. Tackpoint, "I don't want women's suffrage. It's liable to cause embarrassment."

"In what way?"

"Suppose the average woman's husband is running for an office. If she doesn't vote for him it will cause comment, and if she does vote for him, how is she going to satisfy her conscience?"

The guest came down to breakfast sleepy and wildeyed, but the hotel proprietor cheerfully queried:

"Did you enjoy the flute-playing in the room next you lest night?"

"Enjoy it? I spent half the night pounding on the wall for the idiot to stop!"

"Goodness! Why, Herr Wiffier told me that he played over all the tunes he knew four times because the person in the next room encored every one!"

At a recent convention of advertising men in Louisville, one of the delegates who is from the West told a story of having met a man from New York. "Where are you from?" inquired the New Yorker.

"Los Angeles," said the man from California.

"Oh, I see," exclaimed the Empire state inhabitant. "So you're from the West. Well, I've been West some myself. Now last year I was out as far as Cleveland and stopped a while at Pittsburg. I was all around out West."

"Is that so?" said the man from Los Angeles, with a great show of interest. "Well I was up East myself not very long ago. I was in Denver and Salt Lake City; and all around. It's strange we didn't meet.”

Magistrate (to discharged prisoners)"Now, then, I would advise you to keep away from bad company."

Prisoner (feelingly)-"Thank you, sir, you won't see me back here again."

A seedy-looking man entered a store in Trenton the other day and asked for assistance, backing up his request with a long tale of sickness and lack of employment.

With a wink at his clerk, the merchant pointed to a friend who happened to be in the place and replied:

"Ask that gentleman. He is the proprietor. I am only a clerk."

The friend received the beggar's request in a sympathetic manner, and, turning to the merchant, remarked: "This seems to be a worthy case, Mr. Jones. Give him a dollar from the cash register," and walked out of the store.

Some weeks ago the wife of Judge Blank lost her cook, and since she had no other resource she rolled up her sleeves and for a week provided such meals as the judge had not enjoyed since those happy days when Blanks did not keep a cook. The judge's delight was so great that by the way of appreciative acknowledgment he presented Mrs. Blank with a beautiful ermine cloak. Quite naturally, the incident was a good deal noised about among the social acquaintances of the Blanks and a spirit of envious emulation was developed in certain quarters. It was in this mood that Mrs. Jerome recited the story to her husband: "What do I get, Jerry?" she asked, "if I will do the cooking for a week." "Well," said Mr. Jerome, "you'll get one of those long crepe veils."

1910