The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-09-29

Catholic. Church; hat, 40 the mother can
femove her child as any time, this need not
prevent the little one from being brought
up in another faith. No doubt the Sisters
would wisa all Who enteg their Institution u,
before they leave; but they never attempt
to prosely te, and q Protestant woman be.
coming an inmate Of their asylum need
have no fear Of being troubled about her
religion. sr,,i. 81. 80
When the asylum was opened, infants
nurses could be provided for them. During
the frat few months the number Of chill
dren received averaged about twelve per
week. The average has cince Increased
to at least thirty per week, or nearly as
as many as we're sent to the put Bile asylum
on Randall's leland during the whole
twelve months of 1871. There was at hrst
nothing to rely upon to support the insti,
tuition but voluntary contributions, ana
these were often 80 backward that many
times the sisters retired at night without
knowing how food for the coming day
could be obtained. They struggled on,
Foundation for their good work. Since the
institution was established, there can be no
doubt that large proportion Of these little
creatures would have been murdered,
through despair of ability to support them:
or to avert shame from the mothers, and
scandal from their families.
The rate Of mortality among the infants
received has been high, but not higher
than among foundlings generally, nor so
high 40 in some founding asylums in the
Old World. OF the children left at the asy
lum up to the date of the last report, only
thirty eight per cent, were in what we
ceived. The deaths within the asylam,
where most of the very feeble children were
kept, were at the rate of forty five per cent;
while among tho children given out to
nurse, and these the healthiest ones, the
rate was fifty five per cent. It is evident.
much better in the asylum than out of it.
and also, as the statistics of the Infants
Hospital plainly show, the children nursed
BY their mothers are much more likely to
live than those given out to nurse.
The average cost Of maintaining a child
in the asyl1m is sl2 month; This would
be $144,0 q year for one thousand chill
dren. Under legislative enactment, the
county pays to the Institution 90 q month
for each child. Surprising the number in
the asylum to be one thousand, this would
leave yearly difference of $4,000, to be
made up by the Sisters aud their friends.
But then are to be added the cost of sup
infants, and the wages of nurses, and many
general household expenses. All these de-
mands have to be met in some way. The
Sisters themselves, eleven in number, re-
ceive nothing but their food and lodging.
They have noteveu purchased any clothing
Mount St. Vincent, on the Hudson, to take
charge of the asylum. Every dollar re-
ceived from the county goes to the support
Of the little ones, and great many more
dollars have to be obtained in some way
for the same purpose. Contributions and
subscriptions are the only resource, aad
these are 80 far behind that the managers
have to borrow money to. keep, as the say
ing .is, the wolf from the door. They have
succeeded thus far, and they are confident
Of success TO tho end.
Black babies Yes, plenty OF them some
az black as that old ace of spades that has
done illustrative service through more
generations than the present writer wots
of. Unmitigated picksninnies, and over a
hundred of them since the little crib was
first placed at the asylum door. The Arst
present that the Sisters received last New
Year's Day was 8ne black boy. No dis
tincsion here ON account of race or color.
to DO an institution after Mr.. Summers
own heart.
But the black babies are troublesome.
Their lungs may not be stronger, nor their
temper more demonstrative, than those OF
other babiee, yet they are very perplexing.
ana tue great trouble Is 60 Keep them IRON
an early surrender of life. It 10 dificult,
very difficult, to bring them up. Gener.
ally they appear to be deficient in vitali-
ty, and droop and pine from the moment
they are abandoned by their mothers.
The Sisters find colored nurses for them
and che doctors do their utmost to bring
them through the perils of infancy, but
usually without avail. Very few Of these
colored waits survive one year. This
may be owing to neglect on the part Of
the nurses to whom they are given out
but, whatever the cause, the rate of NOR.
tality is much higher among the cclored
foundlings than among others.
Up to the present time none of the chill
dren left at the asylum have been adopted
out, and the managers have not yet deter
mined what to do with those remaining on
| their hands when they are old enough to
| leave the institution. The adoption sys.
tenn will probably have tn be resorted to
| at last; for, with children coming to them
| at the rate Of thirty per week, the Sisters
| will coon be unable to provide for all
They have received large number of ap-
plications tor children from respectable
persons desiring to adopt them, but all
have thus far been refused. 1t is not like.
~ that any decision, in regard to adoption