“Thousands of people were taught by the clean and healthy attitude of the building a great number of things. It was probably the best move toward cleanness ever held in this city.” With a few exceptions, the unfavorable comments have to do with the overcrowding, from which the children suffered greatly. As a natural result of such a throng, the halls became stuffy, and there seemed to be no adequate system of ventilation. One of the boys writes: “There were imposing posters on the poor air system in the tenement houses, but right there, where thousands of people came daily, the air was so had that people who really wanted to see the things stayed away.” A twelve-year-old girl makes this scathing comment: “At different booths they had pictures showing how to prevent children from getting germs of disease. Then the mothers take their children to a place like that. Saturday night after I got in the Armory basement from dancing it was so full of dust I could hardly breathe. Then we went up stairs and mother said that the American mothers were going crazy. The Child’s Welfare Exhibit is very fine, but I think the Rochester mothers had better tone down and be more careful of where they take their children. For it was just full of germs down there, both up and down stairs.” There were many general comments, and lessons drawn, such as “Many people will say ‘Oh, I can’t afford milk, it’s too expensive.’ But this is all foolish, as in the end milk is the cheapest and best of foods.” An eleven-year-old girl writes: “The thing that took my interest was the different cares and diseases of the babies that they are apt to get when they are neglected. And it will help me very much during vacation, as I am going to take care of the baby.” Finally comes this simple tribute to the success of the exhibit: “When looking at the pictures of poor children and homes and the condition of the homes, it seems hardly possible that such conditions could exist in Rochester, but when you get out of doors again your eyes are opened and you see conditions that you never noticed before.” The children speak frankly in their letters, often telling more about themselves than they realize. There is something pathetic in the following glimpse of home life which Maurice affords us: “The good food and bad are almost what I take, but I don’t drink coffee any more, and will not take it. My brother used to have coffee every meal, but since my mother was there he drinks no coffee but all milk and bread. Bread is about the only good food there is, and I have had lately a good appetite for it.” One feels a throb of sympathy for the boy who says: “We need something to make us stronger mentally, and something to abolish the truant officer.”