AMONG the numerous organizations established during the last half century for the improvement of society, few have been more energetic or successful than the Children's Aid Society, formed in February, 1853. The prime mover in this association at its organization, and down through the eighteen years of its wondrous career, has been Mr. Charles Loring Brace, the present secretary of the society. While pursuing a theological course in New York city, he gave much labor to various institutions, seeking the recovery of neglected vagrant and delinquent children, and to the prisons where mature criminals were confined. A trip to England and other parts of Europe, where he carefully examined the institutions, and the measures formed for the reformation of the fallen, led to the conclusion that the chief evils of society resulted from the neglects of childhood, and that the largest efforts of the philanthropist should be bent in this direction. Some time after his return he drew together a number of intelligent and benevolent gentlemen who had already manifested an interest in this subject, and organized this society, the object being to "improve the condition of the poor and destitute children of the city of New York." One outside of this city would be surprised to know how large a number of little orphans and half-orphans, children cast out from their homes, or who have drifted here by the tide of emigration, or have run away from their parents in the surrounding country, and the offspring of dissolute parents, are here living vagabond lives, subsisting as best they can, sleeping in boxes, under stair- ways, and in the lobbies of the printing offices.

These are at first the newsboys, boot-blacks, pedlers, errand-boys, petty thieves, but become at a later period the pickpockets, gamblers, street loafers, burglars, and prostitutes. There are always probably ten thousand of this class floating around the city, a few of whom try to be honest and industrious, but many more live entirely by their wit and skill. The society during the eighteen years of its operations has expended, aside from its purchases of real estate, about $940,000. It has devised and opened a system of lodging-houses for the boys, and also for homeless girls, and has at present twenty-two industrial schools, scattered through the various parts of the city, for poor and neglected girls. The homeless, after some instruction, are taken to the West, if they can be induced to go, where good situations are provided. The experiment of opening a lodging-house for newsboys and bootblacks was so novel, that Scarcely any could be found to encourage the measure, and much search was required to find a building that could be hired for such use. At length the loft of the Sun Building was secured, and after spending a thousand dollars in furnishing it, the boys were invited to come in. The first night, March 18, 1854, the room was crowded with these wild, ragged roughs, many of whom were hatless, bootless, indescribably filthy, and covered with vermin, a large part of them unable to read or write, and some of whom did not know their nationality or names. A man of admirable tact and fitness, Mr. C. C. Tracy, had been providentially secured to take charge of this branch of the enterprise. He addressed the boys kindly, and informed them that they were not objects of charity, but were to be considered lodgers in their own hotel, paying six cents each for his bed, the rules of the house being that they should keep order among themselves, and use the bath. They cheered him lustily, and one of the largest boys soon stepped forward and paid for a week's lodging in advance. There was much "larking" and mischief manifested, requiring great patience and wisdom on the part of the superintendent, but with admirable adroitness he soon introduced the Lord's Prayer, which they were induced to repeat, the evening school followed, and finally the full religious service. Many of these boys were found to be earning several dollars per day selling papers, and none of them less than from fifty to seventy-five cents, all of which they squandered on theatres, cards, dice, lottery-tickets, and costly meals in the saloons. To correct these habits, he introduced checkers, backgammon, and other games to keep them from the streets, and contrived what has been a blessing to thousands, the Newsboys' Savings Bank. A table, with a drawer divided into small compartments, with a slit in the surface over each through which the boys could slip their pennies, was prepared, and each box numbered for a depositor. As any undue authority would have sent them flying to their original Arab life, he called them together and explained the object of the bank, to induce them to save their money, and called for a vote as to how long it should be kept locked. They voted for two months. Having obtained a majority vote for a good measure, they were always held strictly to their own law, however deeply they might repent afterwards. The amount saved by some in that time astonished all of them, the value of property was impressed on their minds, some took their accumulations to the city Savings Banks, and others purchased good clothes. This invention did more to destroy their gambling and extravagant tendencies than everything else. A plan for lending penniless boys money to begin business of some kind was introduced.

Sums varying from five to fifty cents were loaned, generally returned the same day, often the same hour, and did much to encourage industry and thrift.