The New York herald., 1871-03-04
TIE FOUNDLNG ASYLUM.
One OF New YOrk's Most Noble
Charities.
What May be Seen in tho institution Touching
Picturet Of Helpless HumsuitS- Mute Appeals
tsom thy Beings What the Asylum Has
Already Dons-0ver Seventeen Hun
dred Waits IN Sixteen Months

NOW that the lenten season has commenced and
the festivities Of the gay world out OF order, enc
cannot Go better than pay visit to the New York
rounding Asylum and take peep at tho babies
that the good Sisters Of Charity have taken under
their gotherly protection. As you stop before the
house No. 8 Washington square you involunt tarily
hesitate, thinking OF your muddy boots, to ascend
the spotess marble steps, and once within the
hall an impression Of exquisite neatness takes pos.
session OF you and grows stronger and stronger a.
you 60 from one to another or tho pleasant wards
BRIGHT, AIRY, CHEERFUL AND CLEAN
above all, clean-is the description that applies to
oil the rooms OF the asylum. The parlors are hand
some but It is not here that the interest Of the estab
lishment ccntres From the upper regions you hear
sounds that remind you strongly Of the nursery at
home, ana following your ears you enter the
domain Of the babies. You are shown through room
after room filled with little ones. not one too old to
be called baby or to forego the peculiar privileges
Of baDynood. broad strip Of gay carpetlng
brightens the centre Of each ward, and up and
down the sides ranged little cribs each with its
bed and appointments of snowy whiteness In each
CRIB is q place for two BABIES, and at tho head OF
bearing its name and number. As You
90 through the wards some OF the little things are
tucked away In the blankets sleeping swcety, with
perhaps soft, dimpled hand thrown out
TO ToUCH YOUR HEART liz
Dy us Oeauty ana r0mlnQ you tnat THESE babioS ana
your own darlings are equally near to God. Some
are In their nurse's arms and some are grouped on
the CARPET playing happily with each other An are
robes or frocks, and there Is horrd uniform with
which charity Institutions usually make all the
A society OF ladies has undertaken to look after
the children's clothing, and, no doubt, many o
motner, pi9ing ior ner lost children, sootnes her
doned Ones SO 1t comes to pass that the long
clothes are embroidered and tucked and are or soft
vxn hth fnrio md rrryyo
aprons are as pretty and becoming as II there was
mother "to dream and To doat" over their making
up Going from one crib to another you often stop
with look OF interest IN your face. Here Joseph
and Mary,
A SLEEPY PAIR OF TWINS
who appeared on this planet only few days ago.
AS vet they have not extended their observations
beyond the fountain OF nOurshment, and are quite
us well contented as II their debut had been made in
an imperial palace. In another crib something
mysteriously dark is seen above the white Sheets
and You lnd by further inspection that the little
wrinkled black faces belong to SambO and his
twin sister, who put In an appearance on the 22d OF
the present month. The little blackamoors came
late ut night, and the good Sister, who knows no
difference between black and white called one of the
Irish nurses to attend TO their wants. But Bridget
CURED for such an act OF levelng, and sne an
swered, "rd do anything that yed bid me 'cept put
dy's prejudices the young Africans are dong well.
1T IS PRETTY SIGHT
see the Sisters 60 through the wards calling each
bright word to another and doing all In their power
to make up to those little founngs for the loss or
mother
In the outer entry OF the basement stands wicker
crio, where the children are deposited BY those who
bring them TO the asylum. Sometimes the name OF
the baby sometimes note concerning It, is fastened
to its clothes, but often the mother makes no sign.
The Child soon makes It's presence known by Its
cries, and then 1t is named and numbered and sent
to the nurse. The number OF the last child received
is l.727. This Is q little startling when one con-
siders that the asylum has been In operation but
sixteen months.
The New York Founding Asylum, as has before
been stated In the HERALD. was organized In Octo-
ber 1869, and Is under the charge OF the Sisters OF
Charity. 1t iS supported mainly by voluntary con-
tributions--one dollar week being given by the
city Tor each child received The City has made to
the organization grant Of land between Sixty
eighth and SiXty-ninth streets, and Lexington and
Third avenues, FOR q rite for
SUITABLE ASYLUM BUILDINGS,
and has promised 500 600 as soon as an equal sum
can be raised. About $1,000 is lacking, and the
buildings cannot be undertaken till this sum Is
raised. AS the Sisters are very much straitened in
their present quarters II Is very desirable that their
embarrassment should be Immediately relieved.
There are now four hundred children put out to
nurse, at u cost OF 1900 month.
Unfortunate young women whom the Sisters be.
lieve to be reclaimable are allowed to come with
their coll CHILDREN M as nurses and aser proper time
into comfortable and respectable situations. Ali
the influences around them tend TO give them self
respect and encouragement, and thus the institution
not only saves the child but often the mother.
This charity must commend ITSELF to all classes,
since 1t Is no respecter Of persons and in considera
ton OF what 1t Is doing, the citizens Of New YORK
should not forget the Founding Asylum.
The institution cannot possibly, be selfSupport-
In their efforts TO collect the necessary funds to meet
the current expenses which are necessarily large.
sECtCNTNG IN FEMALE CIYacruTv