"You ought to see our poor children eat," remarked the matron. "We have just as much as we can do to serve them, they have such good appetites from the country air."
"We must send you some fresh vegetables," said Aunt Sarah, "and some fruit for Sunday."
"We would be very grateful," replied Mrs Manily, "for of course we cannot afford much of a variety."
Next to the dining room was the dormitory or sleeping tent.
"We have a little boys' brigade," said the matron, "and every pleasant evening they march around with drums and tin fifes. Then, when it is bedtime, we have a boy blow the 'taps' on a tin bugle, just like real soldiers do."
Freddie and Sandy had joined the sightseers now, and Freddie was much interested in the brigade.
"Who is the captain?" he asked of Mrs. Manily.
"Oh, we appoint a new captain each week from the very best boys we have. We only let a very good boy be captain," the matron told him.
In the dormitory were rows and rows of small white cots. They looked very clean and comfortable, and the door of this tent was closed with a big green mosquito netting.
"How old are your babies?" asked Aunt Sarah.