mar, and not one will ever attend the High School, for all will have to start early in life to earn their own bread; and it is our duty to prepare them the best we can for the higher grades. We have tried this method other years and found it was a success, for the parents would come and tell us that Johnnie or Mollie had entered the high eighth grade instead of the Receiving Class. Accept many thanks for the many kindnesses-and they are legion-that both you and the ladies of the Board have shown to me for almost seven years. Yours Respectfully, BELLE T. SCOTT.

OUR FAITHFUL TEACHERS.

There are thirty-four teachers, including Principals and Assistants, in the Kindergartens of the Golden Gate Association. A more faithful and devoted set of workers could not be found. Some of our teachers have been with us for more than seven years. They know the entire neighborhood where the schools are located. They are a sort of moral leaven, permeating by their energizing and uplifting influence the whole mass. San Francisco will never know how much it is indebted to this corps of faithful foundation-workers; for such work with very little children is the most valuable foundation work. As has been truly said: All posterity stands before us in the presence of the children now in their cradies; and every generation begins the history of the world anew. And if it be true, that the hope of the world lies in the children, not only that our life may go on at all, but that it may constantly reach upward towards nobler and better things, in what relation do we, who are now responsible for this new life, stand to it? And, as it is entrusted to our care, how do we deal with it? Like Israel with the Ark, only the most sacred hands should be laid on it. And hence, it is our steadfast aim to secure the most consecrated and unselfish teachers, who have caught something of His spirit who came. not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

DAILY LIFE IN THE KINDERGARTEN.

Any one who will read and ponder the "Extracts from Teachers' Reports" will gather a true idea of the daily work among

these little children. These are accurate glimpses of Life in the Kindergarten. It is like looking at a photograph, or a panorama. One sees the picture, just as it is. Like the landscape, there is sunshine and cloud, there are lights and shadows, there are smiles and tears-a true picture of all human life beneath the sky. There is nothing under the sun quite so pathetic as childhood enveloped in premature care and misery; childhood freighted down with the sins of wicked parentage; childhood trembling and affrighted because of liquor-crazed fathers and mothers; childhood wrinkled, wizened and old before its time; childhood stretching out pleading hands for help and rescue; childhood covered over with corroding care. Such are many of our dear little ones, in certain localities of the city. Others are the children of hard-working parents, who are doing their "level best" to solve the intricate problem of existence. Could any better work be done than to care for and train these needy children?

TEACHER, HELPER AND FRIEND.

No one can visit the Kindergartens without beingi mpressed with the beautiful spirit of consecration and devotion that inspires our faithful teachers. Money cannot pay for such service as a true Kindergartner gives, in this work among neglected children. It is a work to which body, mind and heart must pay full tribute. As will be seen by reference to the Extracts from Teachers' Reports, the children look upon their Teacher as a sort of trinity in unity. She is, to them, teacher, mother, and friend, all in one. She is the custodian of their troubles; the mediator in their disputes; the helper in their toils; the comforter in their sorrows; the provider in their necessities; the nurse in their sicknesses; the strength in their weakness; the sunlight in their darkness; the inspirer of their lives. She is to them an enthroned ideal-a sort of sacred Madonna, in whose light they see light.

The City of San Francisco will never know just how much it owes to these faithful Kindergartners. Ten years ago "hoodlumism" was rampant, all over the city. The Press teemed with accounts of depredations committed by very young boys. To-day, it is an admitted fact, that this "hoodlum" element has

greatly decreased, and it is directly traceable to the ten years' work in the Free Kindergartens. It is the regnant aim to teach the children "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report."

There is no better way of catching a panoramic view of the every-day life in the kindergarten, than by carefully perusing the following extracts from the Teachers' Monthly Reports. They tell the whole story, and bring out the picture in vivid portraiture. Read them with eyes luminous with tender pity!

EXTRACTS FROM TEACHERS' MONTHLY REPORTS.

The better we become acquainted with the families represented in our school, the more sorrow and poverty we see, which is not caused by intemperance, but by adversity and sickness, for they are industrious people. Out of an enrollment of seventy-three I have only found four who had parents addicted to drink, and in each of those cases it was the father. I called last week to see if the two little ones of one family were well enough to come to school. The mother is still a handsome woman, though worn with work and grief. Her story is indeed a sad one. She is a widow, with six children, all girls, dependent on her. Three of them had been sick in bed for over three months with typhoid fever. If it had not been for kind neighbors they would have suffered this winter. When they are all well the mother goes out to work by the day, and the eldest girl, who is fifteen, takes care of the home. They are all well at present, but the mother said they were not fixed to attend school. I told her that we would see to that, and thinking that our school was under some denomination, she said, "Oh, we are Episcopalians. Would you do for us?" I told her that in our work we did not ask, "of what creed are you?" but were seeking to help the needy and deserving. Never shall I forget the expression of her face, with tears in her eyes, when she said, "That, indeed, is true charity." I immediately called on Mrs. Folger and made my wants known. As usual, she gave me a generous donation, and the young ladies of the Helping Hand went right to work and made us some dresses of the material that our dear old friend, Mrs. Daniel Meyer, had donated. If they could only see the homes that their work goes into-what weights they lift from weary mothers, they would indeed feel repaid for all their labor.

Every house has two families at least, some have more. Though poor, they have a certain amount of pride, and would do with common necessaries before they would beg. It is only when they become well acquainted, that they will tell what a hard battle life is to them. Every little face in our school has a story, and nearly all are sad.

A few days ago we wrote a note asking why Annie and Johnnie were absent. The next day the mother came, with her little ones leading her. She said that they needed aprons and that she had not been able to make them. She keeps those two little ones spotless, does all her washing, sewing and cooking, and her right side has been paralyzed for three years. Little Annie says that "Mamma has been sick all on one side ever since the angels let Johnnie come to live with us." Of course we gave them the aprons so much needed.

How many sad cases we see! One of our little girls was absent. We called and called, but could not get any definite reason from the mother. She seemed like a person who had a sorrow, but would not tell it to a stranger. The husband was a baker; the wife lived out as cook for the hired men at the bakery. She had her two children with her, one four years, the other sixteen months old. Finally one morning we saw little Jennie, and, child-like, she told us the cause of her absence. She said mamma did not have time to mend her aprons. Of course we went over immediately with some.

Could there be such a thing as an over-supply of aprons? I think not. They were received gratefully, but still we could see it was a grief to the mother to be so situated. Jennie came every day for two weeks, always wearing the aprons that we had given her. The mother, with beaming face, a few days ago told the following: "Them aprons you gave Jennie set my old man thinking. He earns a good living, but would very seldom bring his wages home, so I had to go out to work, but am not going to do so any more, for last Saturday night he brought his wages home and gave them to me, and said, 'I am going to do better-do as I ought to for my family. Here, take this, and be sure to buy stuff for Jennie some new aprons.' And so

she did, and made them, and those that had been given to Jennie were washed nicely and brought back with many thanks, and are in the school trunk, ready for future use.

What a treat the picture books that our East Oakland friend donated were to our sick little ones! We sent them by mail, knowing that you did not want us to go visiting during the epidemic. In every case the mothers Indeed, all our people are so appreciative; we never do them a favor or kindness but what they come and thank us.

came and thanked us.

The expressman came for the "trees." Each child took a good look at his tree before they were taken away, and all declare that they will know theirs when they go out to see them.

I am rejoiced to be able to say that we have had seven visitors this last week. I hope it will be so that the friends can come; we need their smiles and encouraging words, and I am sure the little ones love to see them.

We have had a great deal of sickness this last month, and one little face that we miss every moment of the day has been called away. Mamie Peter

son, the leader of the children in Room No. 2, died of diphtheria. She had a way of rubbing her hand up and down your dress and saying, in a voice of deep content, "Teacher, I like you." In fact, I think that the Kindergarten filled every void in her nature, as she always had that look about everything she was called upon to do. I have not been to see the mother yet, as the little boy has diphtheria, so thought it more prudent to wait. They live in a house that has no sewerage.

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Christopher Columbus has a rival in G *. The latter is very erratic in his attendance at the Kindergarten, as his father and mother are both confirmed drunkards, and take turns, as G * expresses it," in being took up." When they are both in the lock-up the saloon-keepers take care of him, and so satisfy their consciences, if they can be said to have any.

The little trees have been taken away to be planted, and I think, perhaps, they are going to have a mission greater than we thought for. The children say their fathers have promised to take them to the Park to "see the little trees grow." Now, if they can be drawn from the saloons, where they spend Sunday in the most dreadful state, to go with their children to the Park, that once may mean twice, and there is a bad habit broken up, which ought to bring down blessings on the giver of the little trees and the little trees themselves.

In answer to a postal sent Mrs. Folger, we received a bundle of clothing that was a joy to many hearts. There is a finish about the clothing from that Society that no other garments possess. I wish the pattern could be passed around.

Mrs. Cooper looked in on us a few days since, which gave us great pleasure.

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I have been enabled to add many comfortable articles of clothing to the scanty wardrobes of our dear little children during the cold winter through the thoughtfulness of "our kind friends." Mrs. Frank, with her old-time thoughtfulness, remembered the children by sending several dozen delicious sweet oranges. I had them play the postman, and instead of valentines each received an orange from the letter bag. They were in high glee, thinking them the sweetest valentines they had ever received. They were flushed with happy excitement, and asked me to tell Mrs. Frank they were so sweet, just like sugar, and not a single seed in them.

I sent Mrs. Marriner-Campbell a Report for 1887. She expressed much satisfaction with the work of the year, again giving me $10.00, desiring me to appropriate it in the same way as last year. With your approval I will do so, unless you think it better to put it into the treasury.

We have our usual experiences, some amusing, some pathetic. One little boy said to a playfellow, "We are going to have something in our family; my brother is going to be arrested for licking a man!" Little Hattie, not to be outdone, said, "We haven't got those things in our family, but we've got a new little baby."

A poor creature lay dead just across from our Kindergarten one morning,