by the clerk, was made upon him. of a drum-corps. One little fellow armed with | A demand for sixty-six per week, I was told a fife was vaunting to me his proficiency on that instrument, but as his main idea was that beauty of sound consisted in variety, and he sedulously strove to play three tunes at once, I could not with a great degree of satisfaction listen to his performance. The devotion of the young enthusiasts to their country's flag was excessive, and great was the excitement as the large one, seen in the engraving, was raised on the building. The large boys have their swimming-bath situated a short distance beyond their gymnasium, in which, during proper weather, and under the guardianship of an officer, they may sport to their hearts' content. I accompanied them once thither, and received numerous invitations "to go in;" but I was better pleased to survey the two hundred disrobed forms, as they darted among the bushes and into the The library contains numbers of books suited stream. They showed the usual proficiency to the youthful taste-voyages, histories, etc. of boys in aquatic accomplishments-diving, swimming under water, after the Indian fashion, floating, somersaulting, etc. The inclosure was a mass of life and activity, as though a shoal of porpoises had been caught in a net. I was favored also with a sight of the washing of the small boys in the tub adjoining their exercise room. No one of the juveniles being above the altitude of the cherubs it was the special delight of the old masters in art to depict, I do not fear to shock my readers by a portrayal of the scene. The aspect of most was, however, rather impish than cherubic. Puck would have here found dozens of rivals in sportiveness; but I question the ability of any of them to put a girdle round the earth in forty minutes, since fully that space of time many were anxious to consume in putting one about themselves. All of them would have been happy, I do not doubt, to parade the island in the costume in which the bath left them. Donations to the institution are not as frequent as could be desired. Two or three praiseworthy individuals are conspicuous by reason of annual presentations; one of these replenishing the libraries with a choice selection of books. Six hundred baskets of strawberries another gentleman was in the habit of sending at each season, and a lady last year made her fifteenth gift of dolls and toys. Candies and crackers occasionally arrive. The Museum exhibits mementoes of visitors, and calls attention to some distinguished names through a cabinet containing various gorgeous banners. Among these one of the most noticeable was presented by the Sultan of Turkey through his admiral, Mehemed Pasha, in the year 1858. Prince Napoleon's gift is to be remarked by the golden bees which adorn the colors of France. One of the largest is from the Misses Pyne, of the Pyne and Harrison Opera Troupe; and fire-companies of Baltimore and Philadelphia are represented by good specimens of banner-painting. As I wended my way to the hospitals I was attracted by the appearance of many tidy little creatures chirruping in the "Infants' House," and, advancing in their midst, was addressed as "Poppy," and asked for pennies. I was glad to beat a retreat, and scrutinize them as they flatteringly gazed upon me from a window. Their ages ranged from three to five. They seemed to consider existence extremely delightful, and rubbed their heads against one another in a very affectionate way. One, a young Teuton, of robust frame and a cranium that hinted at a gigantic intellect, surveyed me in the most patronizing manner-resembling, I fancy, the style in which the King of Lilliput regarded Gulliver. From the expression of his eye at one time I judged he was thinking of the period when he would be able to vanquish me in a boxing-match. Children much below the age of three are not admissible at Randall's Island, but are sent to the Foundling Hospital, a department of the Alms-house on Blackwell's Island. My atten tion was several times arrested as I stood on the dock at the foot of Twenty-sixth Street, previous to embarking on my many excursions up the river, by a middle-aged woman of care worn aspect who was wont to dismount from the front seat of the prison-van or "Black Maria" and proceed to the steamboat. She was always accompanied by one or two bundles of yellow flannel from which faint cries at times proceeded. Conversing with her I learned it was her business to convey foundlings from the office of the Commissioners, No. 1 Bond Street, to their proper receptacle in the Alms-house. One a day for years she had brought there; the number sometimes reaching four or even five. She seemed filled with mingled pity and contempt for the world. The ages of the children vary from four days to two or three years-by far the greater majority being below eight months. They reach the office of the Commissioners in a variety of ways. Some have been confided in cars or stages to the momentary care of benevolent-looking gentlemen, the mothers never again appearing; others have been left on door-steps. Some have been found in open lots, ash-barrels, and in alleys. A large number are sent or brought by their mothers who pay their board. It is not desirable to look into the depths of city depravity, or more could be written. Some are adopted from No. 1 Bond Street-fourteen during the year 1866. An Infants' Bureau was organized June 1, of that year, and reforms were instituted. The number of admissions from that date to December 31 was 554, of which 412 died. Great mortality is noted in all foundling hospitals, I was informed by the physician to whom I mentioned these statistics. An experiment in the hope of lessening this has been made since June 1 of the present year 1867, by the employment of wet-nurses instead of the bottle, and with considerable success. I accompanied the visiting physician in his rounds through the eighteen wards of the hospital. Some 250 children were at the time within them. I had be theirs; in comparative loneliness must they the satisfaction in one instance to behold triplets. Two of these were healthy and beautiful, the third sickly. solve the infantile problems which perplexed them. In another year they would be removed to Randall's Island. Before returning thither Two physicians of the Bellevue staff are res- I may mention that a number of abandoned inident in this hospital. A matron and two nurs-fants left at No. 1. Bond Street are placed by es comprise the paid employées of the bureau. Other nurses or helpers are female paupers, picked Work-house women, and transferred inmates of the Lying-in Department of Bellevue Hospital. One of the more interesting spectacles vouchsafed me was that of some of the older babies receiving their nourishment at the Superintendent of Outdoor Poor in the charge of competent women in the city. These nurses, mainly widows, have payments made them regularly every other Friday. Several children are annually adopted from the Almshouse. The grounds of the Hospital Department on Randall's Island are pleasingly laid out in walks attention was especially directed to the school bordered by box, and are filled with flowers of therein, and I made the inspection under the divers hues, and a variety of trees and foliage. most favorable auspices-Commissioner Bowen, I was accompanied through the wards of one the then President of the Board, having the building by a most lady-like matron, who pos- kindness to introduce me to the teacher. This sessed, nevertheless, a very energetic manner. young lady had repaired to the State Asylum The snow-white counterpanes, the well-scrubbed for Idiots at Syracuse, and there familiarized floors, the agreeable atmosphere, the aspect even herself with the method of instruction successof elegance which pervaded the apartments, tes- fully pursued by Dr. Wilbur, The school was tified to her worth as a superintendent. The opened for the first time in October, 1866. The walls were profusely decorated with highly-col-principal object sought is to increase the capacored prints, of a character to suit the childish ity of idiots for useful occupations. "To this taste, while dolls with gay dresses and a variety of toys helped to enliven the scene. The nature of the diseases of some of the children permitted them to run about, and they presented a quite happy appearance. The ideas one is accustomed to associate with childhood were utterly unfounded in respect to others; their sad, resigned look was pitiable to behold. Such were they whom I sketched-the deformed, sickly in constitution, the cripples. These form a yearly increasing burden to the management, as they seldom gain health, and are rarely removed by relatives. The sex of the patient is little considered as regards its location in the wards. Classification is made simply in accordance with the character of the complaints. The average daily census of the Hospitals is 200. Ninety-six was the number of children in the building I examined. There is one attendant to every ten patients. The reports are very creditable to the medical department. Of 1475 cases treated during the year 1866 but 171 died. It is noticeable that 50 per cent. of those who die have been received direct from the city and quarantine. Epidemics peculiar to children occasionally prevail, such as the measles and ophthalmia. There were 25 deaths by cholera last year, 15 of which were idiots; 54 cases of that disease appeared. The resident physician has a staff of two assistants. end simple and rational means are employed to develop and improve both the physical and mental powers. The intellect is awakened by judicious discipline to a better comprehension of the social relations, and the capacity to act in accordance with the demands of these relations is increased; the senses are instructed; the affections are cultivated; will strengthened, obedience and self-control secured, and vicious, disagreeable habits corrected. In like manner, by progressive muscular exercises, the enfeebled body is invigorated." The school was started with twenty pupils of various ages, from eight to fourteen. Additions to the number have been since made, and one bulky youth seemed to me near twenty. Several of them had once no sense of color, not being able to distinguish white from red. For these various cups and balls were provided, each couple embodying one of the several primary hues. A rather well-featured juvenile, but with hair encroaching on her forehead almost to the eyebrows, succeeded, in response to the short, quick orders of the instructress, in placing a red ball in a green cup, and a blue ball in a black one; though she hesitated at times, it was evident that she knew all the colors at last. Others, who had been so ignorant of form that they could not comprehend the difference between a square and a triangle, were now brought forward, and with apparent effort inserted, as di triangle in a triangular showing at the age of The reader will see in the centre of the draw-rected, an octagon in an octagonal opening, a ing of a hospital ward a little girl exulting in an immense chignon. This juvenile votary of fashion finds her greatest solace during illness in the appendage. I was told that she cried bitterly, and refused to be comforted, until she was allowed to wear it. For the benefit of the ladies I will descend to minutiæ: It was ornamented at its apex, where it joined the head, by a huge bow of white satin ribbon, whence extensive streamers of the same material depended, one on either side. As Luther at the Diet of Worms, so stood she in the presence of the ridiculing smiles of the nurses. She knew what was right, and was resolved to maintain it. Energy, or" back head" (which Mr. Beecher informs us are well-nigh synonymous terms), was certainly not wanting to her. The Idiot Asylum stands at the rear of the Hospitals, with its front toward the main avenue of the Island. It is built of fine brick, and its architecture, though simple, is elegant. The present edifice was constructed in 1860. My i "What's that letter ?"-the speaker pointing to the first. "C." "Do you find it in this ?"-the word LOCK Thus a knowledge of the alphabet is acquired. were soon excited among the pupils, and the said with pride, "he can read well, as you progress has been very satisfactory. A class was called up to read, which some did well; others, though the lesson was simple, floundered a little. Every variety of an inquiring expression was to be seen on their faces. One rather handsome youth, deformed alone by the intense wondering with which his features were sleepy, was pointed out as a boy who had been to Ward schools for six years, and had learned positively nothing. "Now," it was see." This interesting individual, some sixteen years of age, did not look like an idiot, and had, I surmised, started in life with some problem he was determined to solve, and which had hitherto consumed the whole of his valuable time. Through a boy who had accompanied me to the cemetery I had been informed of the residence here of "such a funny man, with such a very little head and big mustache, who ran out at |