Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1870-07-20
A FOUNDING INCIDENT.

Are foundling asylums beneficial tC
the morals of the community at large
and do institutions of the kind prevent
the crime of child-r,urder +? are questions
very solernnly asked by few rigid ev.
argelical questioners of the Established
Church. An incident that occurred at
the New York Founding Asylum recent.
| ly, graphically elucidates the inquiry.
The door-bell of the asylum rang vio-
lently its portentous summons, and, on
being opened, women discovered stand
ing within the vestibule in state OF
great cxcitemen. and alarm. She ear.
ried in her arms a'day old baby, care
fully wrapped in a shawl, and the moment
the kindfaced sister appeared she hastily
thrust it towards her in perfect trem-
bic of agitation. "Take it, quivered
the pale lips of the dark, foreign-looking
woman, with a glance Of guilty horror
at the unconscious babe. Take it for
Gods sake! l was hired to drown it /;
it must be out Of the way tonight /;
( L promised to do It; wanted the money
and took it and the child but | can't do
it Icanf. So / brought it here. They
will never know what l did with it {;
here, take it, take it, She thrust the
infant into the arms Of the astonished
sister, turned and fed down the step,
with the murder in her heart that she
had not dared to execute pursuing her at
every step. The sister, recovering from
her amazement, unwrapped the little
stranger that she had so suddenly become
the guardian Of and tiny, black haired
infant opened a pair of black eyes to the
only gentle gaze that had ever looked
lovingly upon it. Hers were the only
arms that had ever held it protectingly,
hers the only bosom that the little, help
less, unofending head had ever lain
against without the heart beneath It's
innocence meditating It's speedy destruc
ton. In an hour the strange baby was
bathed, dressed neatly, and made one
of the four reposing in the comlor-
table crib where | saw it few DAYS
ago, slumbering as sweetly as if it had
not come SO near being murdered in its
brief week OF life. l turned the soft
white covering from the sleeping face,
and looking at it with filing eyes. 1t
was perfect and seemingly healthy
baby, with a wonderful mass of silky
black hair for so young child, and
dark complexion that in connection with
its rashy red tinge, proverbial of all in
fancy in its first month OF existence,
would have been no Giscredit 30 Red
Cloud himself. The soft, regular little
breath, coming and going with each
slumbering heart beat, futiered through
the little parted lips against the hand l
placed under It's cheek to arrange the
pillow. 1t stirred, opened its eyes Ian
guidly, and slowly closed them again, the
lids going down so gradually that the
dark orbs seemed to be unaware of their
closing, and shone through the half clos
ed lashes like partially clouded stars, too
sleepy for motion to cry. Somehow ]
felt strangely grateful that the crime Of
its murder was on no woman's conscience,
that the sin Of It's birth had not been
doubled by its secret destruction-thank-
ful that a wretched, depraved woman's
heart had failed her-thankful that a
true, pure woman's hand was stretched
out to save, protect, and shelter it from
the barbarous fate as signed it by those
who should have been it natural protec-
tors. This dark, queer little elf of
badly may be seen at the Founding Asy-
lum, and those who doubt must admit
that in one instance at least the Found
ling Asylum of New York has proved
indeed beneGcial.-Ec'