Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-07-29
Partisan Charities.


ness of Paris none is more striking and
pathetic than that which provides safe
and happy asylum for the infants of wash
ing-women during the time when their
mothers are engaged in labor away from
home This sweet charity owes its exist
ence to humane and benevolent ladies, who
many years ago felt the need of an institu-
ton that should relieve overtasked women
from some portion of the care of their
young children. and yet should not dis
| charge them from all maternal obligations
or separate them wholly from the little
ones, whose gentle influence does so much
to soften and hallow domestic life. The
| charity, commencing itself as it does to
every motherly heart, and appealing to its
strongest instincts for generous support,
has extended with great rapidity through
out Paris, and with the happy effect of di.
minishing mortality among poor children
and Of increasing the comfort and self.re-
spect of their mothers.
As nearly AS possible in the center of
each district inhabited by the working
population is situated one of these institu-
tons, bearing the name of Creche, which
| signifies literally manager" and refers to
the humble cradle that received the Savior
in His lowly birthplace in the city of
Jerusalem. On the walls of the Creche is
inscribed this passage of Scripture: They
wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and
| laid Him in a manger;" and here in u
large hall, lighted with many windows
and enlivened with the songs of numerous
| Gagged birds, are ranged rows of little cradles
hung with curtains white as snow. The
doors are open at six O'clock in the morn.
| ing, and the mothers as they proceed to
their work bring i'm their little ones, which,
with parting kiss and caress, they de-
posit in the arms of their waiting nurses.
| Immediately on each baby's arrival il is
| rid of its poor, scanty garments, treated to
| a thorough bath and dressed in clean COM
| Portable clothes furnished by the institu-
| ton. II is then placed in cradle to rest
and sleep, or 1t is left on the floor to roll
and creep about on the soft mating,
| AT noon the mothers, in their hour of
| respite from labor, return to the Creche to
cheer themselves and their little ones by
| the performance of the tender offices of
maternity. AS their footsteps are heard
entering the hall the babies lift their
heads from the cradles with smiles and
cries of welcome, and with arms extended
| 10 meet the warm, loving clasp to moth
er's bosom. Is IL possible for charity to
| conceive or create scene of purer bliss?
l
| IL Is felt to be religious duty to assist in
supporting the Creche and an annual gift
| to the institution is never forgotten. Chill.
| dren are encouraged 10 contribute to it,
! and to present part of theirpocket money
| toward the endowment of n cradle, while
| little girls are stimulated To ply their
needles i'm the construction of a wardrobe
| for some one of the destitute babies
Mothers who mourn over the empty era
| die or cot i'm their own households find
some solace for their grief by furnishing II
cradle for child of the poor, while moth
ers who are happy in the sight of their
rosy offspring give from the overlooking
of a grateful heart to this work of love and
charity.
Each cradle Is designated by number,
and bears the name of the one who has en-
lowed and annually provides for IT, Gen
orally this name Is that of some beloved
child, who, living or dead, has inspired
Its mother to the gentle deed OF charity.
As reward of wcll-doing, children are
taken to visit the Creche that they may
learn lessons of sympathy and beneyolence
from most impressive and affecting
scene In ministering TO helpless, suffer
ing infancy they learn the beauty and the
satisfaction of assuaging the miscries OF
The services of all who unite in support
ing the Creche are given gratuitously, ex-
cept In the case of the nurses. These are
paid for their daily attendance, and four
or five of them find employment in the
care of thirty babies The mothers each
pay two sous day for the privilege of
having their infants guarded and cherished
during their working hours. BY this
small levy they contribute something TO-
ward the support of the Creche, and retain
wholesome feeling of responsibility for
the nurture Of their offspring. When the
labors Of the day are over the mothers take
their babies from the Creche 30 spend the
night ut home. Yet If the infants are III,
and likely to disturb the mothers rest with
their fretiulness, they are retained at the
asylum, and the poor working women are
thus enabled 10 secure the sleep that il 50
much needed 10 sustain them in their life
of toll.
Every day the Crcche il visited bya
physician who bestows medical advice
without remuneration. The ladies who
have the institution in charge also visit 1t
daily To inspect the condition OF the chill
drcn, 10 note ii they are regularly cared
for, If the nurses are regular In their Mt
tendance and obedicnt 10 the rules OF the
ESTABLISHMENT. n FeRistT III WHICH aI
matters referring to the Crcche are care
fully recorded Is kept open to the examina.
ton of visitors, and thus under the eyes OF
all interested parties the institution IL
regulated according TO an exact and ell
cient system.
But the charity that Paris extends TO the
children Of her poor does not cease with
their departure from the Crcche. When
they have learned to walk and have been
weaned from their mothers breast they
pass from the shelter Of the Creche to that
of an asiic, where their health and com
fort are amply protected, and their dawn
ing intelligence Is wisely developed. As
they reach proper age for study they. are
placed in the public schools, and from
these they are taken in due course OF time
by benevolent institution and appren-
ticed 10 trade. When in old age they
by some misfortune become helpless
again, they may once more seek the help
OF charity aud enter one Of the retreats
provided for the aged and INDECENT. Thus
from birth the poor children OF Paris are
kept out Of the streets, and by the gener-
osfty of the rich are tenderly nourishcd,