The past year has been one of general prosperity for the Home. The number of children has remained about the same, though the individual members are changing constantly. The greatest number that we have had at any one time is 45, which is about as many as the houses will comfortably contain.

We have received during the year 33 children. A few of these have been in the home before, but most of them came for the first time. Of these last there came from Burlington 14, from Cambridge 3, from Winooski 4, from Milton 2, from Sheldon Springs 1, from East Wallingford 1, from Bradford 1, from Williston 1.

We have sent out 29 children. Some of these have been returned to their friends and relatives, some have been placed in homes found for them. We have tried to be very careful in the selection of these homes and to find such as are suited to the particular needs of each child, where they will find Christian care and nurture, and also practical training for their future lives. It will be seen that this is not always easy to do; and not infrequently the children are returned or recalled to the Home.

We find that a child who does not do well in one place will sometimes be acceptable and improve in another. We visit those of the children who are in homes in different parts of the State (but still under our care) from time to time, to satisfy ourselves with regard to their welfare. We are always most cordially and hospitably received by those who have them in charge. They are almost always glad to talk matters over with us; the children too are glad to see their old friends, and it is usually easy to judge by their appearance and manners whether they are receiving the care and training which they need, and whether they have a genuine home and not merely a place.

We are indebted to the Superintendent of the electric road for a ride given to the children last summer. On their return they stopped at the Howard Relief building and were treated to lemonade by Mrs. Russell and Mr. Jones, superintendent of the road.

The Home children also had an opportunity to witness the performance of Zephra (the entertainment given for the benefit of the Old Ladies' Home) by the kindness of Miss Sophie Van Sicklen, who provided them with tickets to the matinee. Probably there were none who enjoyed it more than they did.

With regard to our work in the home I may say, we have had to meet the same problems and the same difficulties as usual. In such institutions they are inevitable. They concern the physical, moral and mental development and well‐being of the children under our charge. Among the children that come to us there are almost always some who have either by inheritance or from previous vicious surroundings traits and peculiarities which only the most patient and constant care and training can overcome; or they have in them the seeds of weakness and disease, which require both skill and care and the best hygienic surroundings to eradicate.

In our efforts for the children we have the hearty and interested co‐operation of our matron and helpers, many of whom have been with us for a long time, upon whom rest, of course, the daily responsibility of carrying out the plans of work. We often feel that they have a personal love and solicitude for the children individually, which is the indispensable condition of success in such work. I may mention two instances, not uncommon indeed, but which may serve as samples; one of physical weakness and the other of moral insensibility.

A little boy of two or three years whose mother had just died was brought in. His bloodless lips and ears and utter exhaustion told the story; but his sweet, gentle, loving ways won all hearts. He was nursed and tended night and day, and now his good color and bright, lively ways show the result of the care he has had. As to the other case, imagine a little boy only four years old, but who seemed almost a little savage. Profanity and obscenity were on his lips, so that he could not be allowed even to come to the table. He had no idea of obedience or of any kind of restraint, and at first had to be placed by himself, until he would consent to listen to what was said to him. He soon showed, however, that he was bright, that he could be won by kindness joined to a firm discipline, and developed some hopeful traits. Had he not been withdrawn from the Home by his foolish mother he might have been a shining example of what changed conditions and judicious care and training can do for a child.

In our efforts for the physical and mental improvement of the children we acknowledge with gratitude the efficient help of those physicians of the city who give their services at the Home, and of the teachers in the public school which the Home children attend. I may say in this connection that some of our children took foremost rank in their classes during the past year. The health of the children has been, in the main, good. The epidemic of measles, which prevailed so extensively, visited us also, but there were no fatal cases.

During the long summer vacation plans have to be devised to keep the children busy and useful during a part of the day at least; they are occupied in various ways, the boys have little gardens, in which each one grows such vegetables and flowers as he may prefer, and which they are expected to keep neat and free from weeds. They feel some pride and interest in them, but in visiting them it is easy to pick out the “garden of the slothful;" they assist also as they can in the farm work, the picking of vegetables for the large family, and in such work about the house as they can do. The girls have a sewing school which is very nicely conducted by the oldest of their number. They assist in the housework and in the care of the gay flower beds about the house. All the children who are old enough go berrying during the season, and they enjoy very much bringing home the fruit, and also great bunches of wild flowers and flowering shrubs. Take it all together, I think any one would say they were a cheerful, happy set of little people; and this is our aim to make this as much like a private home, and as free from set and rigid rules as under the circumstances is possible. In this we think we make some progress every year. The festivals of Thanksgiving and Christmas were unusually pleasant. On Thanksgiving day, after the very bountiful dinner, the children met all together in a real “family gathering" and had a jolly party. The older ones helped the little ones to play games, and when it came to pinning the tail on to the donkey, blindfolded, there was no end to the fun and merriment. On Christmas day the rooms were trimmed with evergreen there were exercises, recitations and carols, by the children, a Christmas tree, and, besides the usual gifts from outside, presents were given by the helpers to the children. Supper was “passed around," party‐fashion, and it was a happy time.

On the 4th of July, by the kindness of Mr. Richard Hopkins, there was quite a grand display of fire works which kept the children up to the unusual hour of ten o'clock. All these things are not only a pleasure but a real benefit to the children.

Mr. Hopkins has also shown his interest in the Home by giving lessons to one of the boys in wood‐carving. This is rather an interesting case, because it has resulted in waking up and arousing the latent intelligence of a boy who in other respects had seemed almost hopelessly dull; but for this one thing be seemed to have some ability; he became interested in it, his whole expression grew brighter and more cheerful, and when he was allowed to exhibit a piece of his work at the State Fair and received a small premium, he was a very happy boy.

The Sunday School has gone on as usual this year, the Y. M. C. A. of the city providing the teachers, who have done the same faithful work as ever.

We are glad to be able to report at this time that the nursery building, which we have so much needed, is now in process of construction. We have raised during the past two years a little more than $15,000. This will not enable us to carry out, at the present time, our original plan, which was to erect two buildings, one for general purposes, and one for a nursery, but the nursery was so necessary to us immediately, that we decided to put up one building which would have ample accommodation for the nursery children, and at the same time furnish rooms which we very much needed for other purposes, school room, sewing room,, office, and a general assembly room where we may gather the children together for service and on festival occasions. The money we have will not be sufficient to pay for the building when completed, but we earnestly hope that more may come in during the year, and that next year we may dedicate the building free from debt.

Last year the need of State provision for “adult indigent imbecile women of child‐bearing age" was brought up at the annual meeting and a committee was appointed to bring the subject before the State Legislature then in session. The chairman of your committee reports that she visited Montpelier and interviewed the proper committee. They listened to what she wished to say on the subject, and they acknowledged the need of some accommodation within our State borders for this class of the population, but owing to peculiar circumstances it was declared to be impossible to secure any action on the subject at that time. The Legislature is not in session this year, but it is certain that the matter should not be dropped, but in one way and another should be kept before our Legislature till a place of refuge is secured for this class.

In the Report of the National Conference of Correction and Charities for 1896, there are two important and convincing articles bearing upon this subject, one on “The Permanent Custodial Care of the Feeble‐Minded" and on “Feeble‐Mindedness as an Inheritance." In the first article are startling statistics as to the extent to which the mental weakness of the parents, particularly the mother, is transmitted to the child. It seems certain that from this class come many recruits for the great army of illegitimate children, and of criminals, inebriates and prostitutes. The article shows most convincingly the necessity for State custodial care of the feeble‐minded.

As this subject is forced upon us in our work among destitute children, it seems a part of our duty to do what we may to keep it before the legislators of our State; to try to induce them to consider the subject in all its bearings, with the hope that this, joined with the efforts of others who may be working in the same direction, may result in bringing nearer the time when something shall be done for this unfortunate class of our population.