The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-02
Sobody,s Child,

A little moro than century and
half ago a benevolent English sea.cap-
tain, Thomas Coram, who had retired
from active service upon a moderate
fortune, was greatly distressed IN his
daily walks about London at the sight
OF infants LEFT exposed in the public
streets. Having come to the conclusion
that the desGltion and destruction OF
children was attributable to the want Of
proper means for preventing the dis
grace and sucnring the necessities OF
their parents, he set heartily to work to
provide refuge TO which wretched
mothers might carry their offspring, md
themselves bOena6led to return to
virtuous and hOnestlife. Inthis benev.
client and praiieworthy undertaking the
honest captain met with unexpected and
disheRrtening opposition. Society, in
its terrible determination 10 discounte.
nance immonlity, shlRnk from doing
anything to alleviate the misery OF the
outcast mother OF m illegitimate child !;
nor was the Law more merciful. It was
considered soaecessary to uphold the
sAnctity Of marriage that society and
the law alike refused 10 do anything to
save the innocent offspring OF sin from
falling prey 10 the misery, wretched.
ness, and immortality OF their parents.
Nearly twenty years elapsed before the
good old sea.aptain had obtained sub.
scriptions sufficient for founding hos.
pital, when wing OF the building now
known as tho 0Foundling Hospital" waS
erected in London.
It was announced thatat eight o'clock
on q certain evening twenty children,
NIL for whom there we're then accommo.
dations, would DO received that the
persons bringing them should come in
at tho outer door and ring a bell al the
inner door, anl not go away until notice
was given OF reception; TINT no ques.
tions whatever should be asked OF any
person bringing o child and that To
each child should be affixed some dis.
tingnishing mark or token, that 1t might
be aitcrwArd Known II necessary. These
tokens, many OF which are still pre-
served, most consisted Of small silver
coins, crosses, lockets, empty purses,
doggerel verses pinned to the infants
clothes, and notices supposed to be mp.
propriate to HE forlorn condition Of tho
poor little wall.
The number OF applicants increased
80 rapidly after tho opening OF the in
stitution thRtpainful scenes were soon
presented at lie doors, where sometimes
a hundred women might BIO seen strug-
Cling and fighting for precedence. A
plan was then devised for receiving the
children by ballot, but this did notrem-
edy the evil, al kinds OF fraud being
practiced to place the little things in the
hospital.
Fifteen yeas after the opening Of the
institution notice was given that OK.
posed and abandoned young children
from all parts OF the country would be
admitted, money for theirsupport being
guaranteed by Parliament The first
day on whichthis was announced q has.
ket was hung outside the hospital gates,
and III children were deposited as
claimants OF government support.
It was soon found that parents with
large families resorted to this easy
means Of reducing their Rnxieties and
expenses. The conveyance OF helpless
children from remote country districts,
and their consignment, dead or alive,
to tho Hospital, became a distinct branch
Of the carriers trade, warehouses were
emptied Of pluper infants, newly born
children were taken from mothers, who
required parish relief, and within four
months 1900 infants were deposited
in the hospital basket. The provisions
for dealing with such continual claims
were insufficient, aud the precautions
for preserving life were but partially
understood. OF these 10, 900 foundlings
only 4, 400 lived to be apprenticed. The
refuge became not hospital, but q
charnel.housG
We have not the space to follow out
the subsequent history OF the institu.
ton founded by the exertions OF good
Captain Conn, or TO truce the large
deyelopmentOf his philanthropic idea
in England and our own country. Ex.
tensive rs tint development has been,
every one Who has investigated the
matter knows but too well how made.
quato arc all our provisions to check
and mitigate the evils growing cut OF
the abandonment OF children. Pathetic
scenes IRE still of daily-we might say
almost hourly-occurrence in the great
cities OF Christian England and America