Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 176, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1918 — Turin Home For Tubercular Children [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Turin Home For Tubercular Children

®F ONLY American children could know how the children of Italy love them as far-away brothers and sisters —well, here Is a true story from Turin, Italy, for girls and boys back home. Just outside of Turin is a great building that used to be a farmhouse. Now it Is a home for boys and girls who are not strong. They are children of the very poor and if they remained in dark houses and did riot have enough to eat, they would never get well. The officers of the American Red Cross went out to "the farm recently and saw the children go through the drills that will give them strength, They made a brave showing in their red shirts, like small soldiers of Garibaldi, and it was easy to see by the look on their faces that they intended to win the fight they were making to be strong like other boys. Of course they were told about the millions of children, members of the American Red Cross, who are helping on the other side of the Atlantic and wjio send with their gifts, their love to the children of Italy whose fathers have been In the war for three years against a cruel enemy—the enemy of the world, Gerftiany. After listening to this story of the love of the American boys and girls across the sea, a small boy sidled mp to Major Taylor, the Turin delegate of the American Red Cross, and overcoming his shyness asked: “May we •end something to our little friends In America?” Then before anyone could tell what was happening these poor little children brought from their pockets all they had, big Italian copper pennies, and poured them into Major Taylor’s hands. Several ran Into the farmr house to get thejr treasure, which they had so carefully guarded. Some looked long at their pennies tied in a handkerchief. It was a hard struggle to part with it, fpr it meant,.a bit of pastry or something sweet or, maybe, something for their parents. But the struggle was brief and out came the coin and the boy or girl dropped it into the American officer’s hand with a smiling face. “For America,” they said, and surely there never' were gifts that came from hearts more* loyal and true. Major Taylor had tiny American flags for them all, and the little fellows kissed them as if in that way they were greeting the boys and girls of America. And they ran to the au-» tomoblle on which a red. cross was painted and pressed their lips against

the cross in token of the affection from their overflowing hearts. Now the American Red Cross major is a man who has shot lions and other big game In Africa, and he has seen many things in out-of-the-way parts of the world, but there were tears in his eyes as he stood there'with his big double-fist filled with the pennies of these poor little children. And the Italian soldier who drove the car left his place at the wheel so that the others might not see that he was crying. And there were tears in the eyes and lumps in the throats of all the others who were there that day. These little children will get well. The doctors say so. They are touched with tuberculosis, the worst scourge in the world, but the home Is a model place, where even this scourge is conquered by sunlight and air and plenty of food. Princess Lettitla, a cousin of the king of Italy, is at the head of the home. There are 75 boys and girls

there now but there is room for 200, and many more want to come’ln andmay die if the doors are not opened to them. It is not at all improbable that the children who made their offerings to America may have wrought a miracle, for on a big desk of an American officer In Rome there is now a stack of copper pennies that Is a symbol of the love of Italian children forthe children of America and this stack of pennies may grow until all the money that is required to extend the home has been given. Perhaps, too, some American boy or girl would like to write to the home, thanking the Italian children for their gifts. The letter should be addressed to Colonia Profllattica, dells Princlpessa Laetitia, Torina, Italia. You may be quite sure that the children of the “Colonia” will appreciate a letter more thata any other gift.

TURIN COLONIA PROFIL, ATTICA FOR TUBERCULOUS CHILDREN

TURIN AMERICAN RED CROSS HOME FOR CHILDREN OF SOLDIERS