Page:Distinguished Churchmen.djvu/270

230 “At Byfleet, near Weybridge, there is the St Nicholas Home for young crippled children of both sexes, and this home, as well as two others for older cripples—one at Surbiton, the other at Croydon—are maintained almost entirely by the offerings of children in happier circumstances throughout Great Britain. There are something like 10,000 members of the Children s Union belonging to the Society, whose sole aim and objects are to support their crippled brothers and sisters in these homes.”

“What particularly interesting features of the work can you recall at the moment?”

“Here is one. To show that the children are not unmindful of what has been done for them by the Society in early years, many of those now in domestic service have enrolled themselves in what is called a Guild of Gratitude, undertaking to give and collect what they can towards the support of the children who are at the present time being sheltered as they were. As an interesting incident you might care to record that one of the first homes opened was in Old Quebec Street, Hyde Park. It was the result of an anonymous donation of £250, given by a lady who had been disappointed in her intention to purchase a picture described as ‘Waifs and Strays’, and priced in the Academy catalogue at the sum named. This home has since been removed to more commodious quarters in the